Steps Towards Advocacy

Advocacy is one of the most challenging profession out there where thousands of people compete with each other to give their best to make someone smile. Besides that, it is one of those professions where you can make your fortune with your knowledge and skill. As a result, this profession attracts a lot of people, who dream to be an advocate and join with the learners.

At this point with the basic logic one can easily understand that there are certain procedures to be followed to be an Advocate, so let’s know the criteria’s to be a legal practitioner in Bangladesh.

How to be an Advocate in Bangladesh?

Bangladesh Bar Council; a statutory authority is the sole authority to arrange the enrollment procedure and then certify a person as an advocate with the permission to practice in any (lower) court in Bangladesh. They have fixed some criteria’s and some procedures which must be followed to be an advocate in Bangladesh. Which includes and requires educational qualification, Internship, certain moral standard, contract with a senior lawyer, submission of various documents and forms, payment and lastly, a three-step examination process. Here this article will describe all the steps with complete instruction and real-life guideline.

Let’s know the steps with details:

Educational Qualifications:

1. The Person must be a citizen of Bangladesh
2. 4-years LL. B (Hon’s) or 2 years LL.B pass course (must have completed before 2018 because now this 2 years pass course is not allowed anymore) from any approved university of Bangladesh.
   • Any similar foreign course can be accepted with the clear permission given by the Bangladesh Bar Council.
3. The applicant has to undergo pupilage for a period of 6 (six) months under a practising Advocate of at least 10 years standing in the profession.

Guideline:

• Before completing LL. B find a senior and communicate him in advance so that you can take his help as soon as you complete your LL. B Decree.
• Collect your provisional certificate as soon as possible, you do not need your main certificate to submit at the preliminary stage.
• After collecting your provisional certificate contact with an advocate as mentioned above (C) and execute a pupilage contract.

Submit – Pupillage Registration Form: [also known as “First intimation”]

1. After completing the criteria’s mentioned above (1) you have to visit the Bar Council Office at Rupayan Trade Center, Bangla Motor Dhaka. Collect two payment slip/form and fill that form in the following way.
2. Blue Slip
   • Write down your details on the front page as asked in the form, you do not need to put the date of enrollment as you are not an advocate yet.
   • In the back page of the form tick the Registration Fee option (1), in the amount column write take 800/ These forms are used for multiple purposes so you do not need to worry about other options.
3. Yellow Slip
   • Fill up the front page as mentioned above.
   • In the back page of the form tick the Pupilage Registration from Fee option (1), in the amount column write take 500/

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Now sign both documents and submit the amount in the special SIBL collection booth at the bar council building. You can also submit the amount at any other branch of SIBL but that may take little more time. After that with the receipt copies of those slips go the information desk and ask for pupilage registration form.

Fill up the pupilage registration form:

Before you start, read the instruction twice, the form is quite self-explanatory but even though things may get confusing when you are doing it for the first time. Here are a few issues that you should be concerned about.

1. Write your name with Block letter / Capital letter
2. Provide your full address and most active phone Number
3. A contract of pupilage executed on the Bar Council prescribed agreement form and shall be filed with Secretary of the Bar Council.
4. Copies of S.S.C, H.S.C and Degree or equivalent certificates and Marks sheets and copy of Law degree certificate or (In case of Foreign University degree an equivalency certificate from Bangladesh Bar Council/Ministry of Education of Bangladesh shall have to be submitted. (must be attested)
5. Three copies of recent passport size coloured photographs attested by his/her Senior or Secretary of any Bar Association.
6. The receipt / Slip of payment should be attached.

Download the doc from here

Pupilage contract & affidavit

A Pupilage contract form will be given with the Registration form (Page 2-3) along with that you need an affidavit too, you can download the format from here, then do the necessary changes and print it on 200 taka’s non-judicial stamp. Then you have to appear before the Notary public for Affidavit.

• Always use the permanent address in the affidavit.
• You would need a copy of colour photo too.

Costs: The Stamp could cost you 220-250 taka (two 100-taka stamp) you need to provide your name and address to the vendor to purchase such stamp. Printing could cost you 50-100 taka depending on location and notary public would charge you 50-200 taka.

Tips:

• Take enough time to read the form, make sure that you understand it and all the information necessary to fill up the form is ready and available to you.
• Photocopy or download the form from online and practice once on that copy before you fill up the original copy.
• In the Reg. form put the payment slip details carefully, mention Principal branch if you submitted the payment in the special SIBL branch at bar council.
• It is wise to complete the form properly and then collect sign from your senior.
• You would need two witness signature too to complete the form

After completing all these, re-check every single element and documents. Make a fresh copy (photocopy) submit to Bangladesh Bar Council at office two at Borak Tower, Bangla Motor, Dhaka. In the photocopy ask them to write receipt with their seal and sign.

The waiting period

This is the most frustrating time for a law graduate who wants to be a lawyer, your dreams could fade with time but there will be time when you will get notice of your registration card. Keep eye on Bar council website or at Law Help BD to get the update. Generally, the bar council provide registration cards according to university. The system is, after completion of your pupilage period (6 months) you will receive the registration card that means you are eligible to seat in the enrollment examination but the truth is that it could take up to 2-3 years to get that registration card.

Receive the Registration Card

Bar council would provide notice on their website along with with a token /form and a list of students. You have to submit that form with all your academic certificate, the certificate must be attached by a first-class gazetted officer or by your senior. In the given form you have to write down the token number, the token number will be given in the list of the student as mentioned above.

Then submit one part of the token and receive your Registration Card

Congratulations!
But the journey has yet to finish.

Application for enrollment as an advocate:

After getting the Registration Card you have to go through some the similar procedure of – Pupillage Registration Form collection and submission:

1. Go to the bar council office collect two slips A. Blue and B. Yellow
2. In the blue one check
   • SL. No.2 – Enrollment fee – taka 2000/- ,
   • SL. No 3 – Enrolment /viva-voce Exam. Fee taka – 1500/-
   • SL. No 4 – Annual Fee for yr. – taka 200/- total taka 3700/-
3. In the yellow one check
   • T.F -02 – Enrolment Examination fee – taka 1000/-
4. Submit the money as mentioned before.

Filling up the Form “A” Application for enrollment as advocate form

1. The form is quite similar like pupilage registration form with some additional information. Like;
   • National ID card Number
   • Pupilage registration no
   • Mention the Bar Name that you would want to join
2. All certificate must be submitted, by this time if you acquire any additional certificate you can mention and attach that too.
3. You will need to provide a certificate of completion of training in Form “G” on cartridge paper together with a list of at least 10 cases (5 civil & 5 criminal)
   • Which will be given with the form.
   • Mention sections and law of those cases if possible
   • The court names must be written in full form.
4. Copies of S.S.C, H.S.C and Degree or equivalent certificates and Marks sheets thereof attested by his/her senior (pupil master) or Secretary of any Bar Association.
5. Copies of LLB/LL.B (Hons)/LL.M/Call to the Bar Certificate and marks sheets thereof attested by his/her senior or Secretary of any Bar Association. (In case of foreign University degree an equivalency certificate from University Grant Commission/Ministry of Education of Bangladesh shall have to be submitted).
6. Two testimonials from persons in a good position as to the charac­ter and conduct of the applicant.
   • Try to collect those testimonials from a reputed and well-known person.
   • You can use the default form or separate testimonials too.
7. Four copies of the recent passport size coloured photographs attested by his/her senior or Secretary of any Bar Association.
8. An affidavit stating fully, truly and accurately, if any criminal proceeding or proceedings for professional misconduct were insti­tuted against him in any country and if so with what result and fur­ther stating that the statements made in the application in Form “A” are true and accurate.
   • Follow the previous affidavit procedure as mentioned before

Download the doc from here

Now submit the forms and study for the examination.

Examinations:

There are three states of this examination.

1. MCQ
2. Written  
3. Viva

And on average it will take 1.5-2 years to get your final certification as an advocate.

Know more about examination and exam syllabus here:

https://lawhelpbd.com/advocacy/complete-syllabus-of-bar-council-enrollment-examination-2019/

Hope this article will help you in your every step towards your goal to be an advocate.