Russian courts to start hiring law students amid staffing shortages
A Russian government commission has approved a draft law proposed by the Supreme Court that would allow courts to hire law students who have completed at least half of their degree programme, business daily Vedomosti reported on Thursday. Graduates of legal vocational colleges will also be eligible.
The relaxed qualification requirements will apply to court hearing secretaries, legal consultants, senior and lead specialists, and other administrative staff of federal and regional courts. Currently, these positions require a university degree. The bill is expected to receive its first reading in parliament this autumn.
The bill’s authors hope it will help alleviate the staffing shortage. According to lawyers, it is not uncommon for a single court secretary and a single judicial assistant to support several judges at once, which delays document preparation and disrupts court operations.
Experts warn that law students typically study civil and criminal procedural law only during the second half of their education. Moreover, lowering qualification requirements will not solve the problems of low salaries and limited career prospects. As a result, courts may receive a stream of temporary employees who leave after gaining work experience.
In practice, court secretaries are already sometimes required to perform duties that go beyond the scope of official job descriptions, while legislation is gradually transferring some of the judges' official functions to court staff.
