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LITHUANIA

1. Vilnius University, Faculty of Law

2. Vytautas Magnus University, School of Law

1. Vilnius University, Faculty of Law
Sauletekio al. 9, Vilnius LT-2054, Lithuania
Phone: +370 5 2366 160; Fax: +370 5 2366 161; Email: tf@tf.vu.lt

• Awarded degree is Master of Law (LL.M.), a qualification for a lawyer. Vilnius University does not confer the degree of Bachelor of Law. The curriculum is designed as an integrated five-year program that is completed with the degree of a Master of a Law. The program can be attended in the format of full-time studies, or in the format of part-time studies for persons who do not have prior higher education, or in the format of part-time studies for persons who already have obtained higher education in another field.
• The University has a clinical program.
• The admission requirements – Individuals who have acquired a high school living certificate by successfully passing the state examinations in Lithuanian, in History, in a foreign Language (in English, German or French), and in Mathematics.
• The number of admitted students is 550 each year.
• The number of graduate students is nearly 300 each year.
• The University charges tuition fees to students.
• The number of full-time faculty – 38
• The number of part-time faculty – 63
• The University has a separate law library with 91.000 books and periodicals. Also the University Library has 42.000 law related volumes.
• The library provides 17 computer terminals for students.

Process from the Law School to practice:

A law school graduate shall be recognized as a lawyer if he/she:

1. is a master of law or bachelor of law, or has the lawyer’s qualification degree (one-level university education of law). Education of law acquired abroad shall be recognized under the procedure established by the Government;
2. has no less than a 5-year length of service as a prosecutor, investigator or any other legal work according to the list of offices approved by the Government of the Republic Lithuania, or has undergone 1-year length of apprenticeship;
3. has passed the lawyer’s qualification examinations.

2. Vytautas Magnus University, School of Law
Daukanto 28, Kaunas 3000 Lithuania
Phone: 370 37 323609; Fax: 370 37 323177; Email: dir@ti.vdu.lt

• Awarded degree is LL.M. (masters degree). It is three-year post bachelor degree program. Additionally, since many of the courses have been approved by Michigan State University Detroit College of Law pursuant to an agreement with that school, most of the students also are awarded a Michigan State University-Detroit College of Law Certificate in Transnational Law.
• The University has a clinical program.
• The admission requirement is a bachelor degree in any field, including at least 12 credits in the social sciences. A person not having this minimum amount of social science credit cannot obtain a state-sponsored (non-pay) spot and must therefore pay tuition. He must take extra coursework at the bachelor level while in law school to make up the difference.
• Additionally, the student must have a command of the English language equivalent to having passed a two-year college course of study in English.
• The number of admitted students is about 100 each year.
• The number of graduate students is about 60 each year.
• Tuition fees – there are 70 state-funded scholarships each year. These are tuition-free for the students which win them. Other students can study while paying tuition.
• The number of full-time faculty – 3
• The number of part-time faculty – 25
• The University has a separate law library with 3.000 volumes.
• The library provides 12 computer terminals for students.

Process from Law School to practice:

Anyone can practice law in Lithuania in the sense that it is understood on the USA. Anyone at all can be in-house counsel. To become judge or notary, there are certain educational requirements. In both cases an exam must be passed.

To become an advocate, who is a person who is authorized to represent individuals and businesses in civil cases and criminal cases, one has to meet certain educational requirements and to pass an oral examination. A certain amount of experience is required and an apprenticeship is provided for. Advocates are subject to ethical rules and other regulation imposed by the Advocate’s Council.

Anyone can represent anyone in the administrative courts.