Over the past two decades, there has been a notable expansion in legal education, driven by the establishment of new faculties and an increase in quotas. This expansion has been accompanied by a diversification of the educational landscape, with the inclusion of students from a broader range of social backgrounds. In this context of accelerated change, the expedient, seamless, and remunerative transition facilitated by the traditional pathways between law faculties, which produce approximately 16,000 graduates annually, and the legal profession is no longer a viable option. The difficulties young lawyers face in maintaining their position within the profession indicate that the old pathways to entry are no longer as effective as they once were.

This report is based on research conducted by Dr Elyesa Koytak, an expert in the field of sociology of law. Professor Dr Elyesa Koytak, an expert in the sociology of law, presents the principal findings of a survey conducted by his research team. The research is centred on an investigation of the experiences of legal education as perceived by students in the present context, characterised by the dissolution of the traditional pathways between legal education and the legal profession. From class attendance to relations with academics, from preparation for the profession to socialisation patterns, from definitions of the 'notion of law' to the Law Professions Entrance Examination, the phenomena in students' lives are evaluated holistically.

Has the increase in the number of law graduates resulted in a decline in the social benefits traditionally associated with a law degree, such as earnings, reputation and career prospects? Alternatively, is it the absence of meritocratic mechanisms within the education and professional markets to facilitate the integration of new graduates, to advance them in accordance with their qualifications and skills, and to provide them with opportunities to become proficient? In order to address these questions, this report aims to contribute to the role that the law faculty, which is still regarded as the most prestigious among faculties, and the legal professions, which still have a high reputation among professions, can play in the construction of a more just and equitable legal field. This will entail recognising their own functioning and their role in the wider socio-political context.