acquire good knowledge of the main disciplines of Swiss positive law : private law, public law, criminal law, social law and procedures;
understand the growing interactions between Swiss and international and european law as well as analyse foreign legislations using a comparative approach (comparative law) ;
develop critical and analytical skills by looking at law through the perspective of other disciplines: history of law, philosophy of law, legal methodology, sociology of law, etc.
Law studies open the door to all the legal professions, such as barrister, notary, corporate lawyer and public authority employee, as well as careers in the courts and in international organisations and businesses.
Career prospects depend partly on the choice of Master’s course.
Areas of activity
Barrister
Most barristers remain generalists, working in small firms and practising at the bar. Others specialise in a particular field of law (commercial law, tax law, etc.) and mainly provide advice to businesses. Barristers generally begin their career as salaried employees in a firm, before setting up on their own or as part of a partnership.
Notary
Notaries advise and assist their clients impartially, particularly in drafting contracts for property transactions, marriage, inheritance or company formation. Notaries in French-speaking Switzerland must work independently.
Judge
A common route to appointment as a judge is for lawyers to work in the registry of a court (such as a district or cantonal court, or those that deal with cases involving leases or minors), and then, if appropriate, to spend a period in the public prosecutor’s office as a deputy. The next step would be appointment as an investigating judge, public prosecutor or presiding judge of a district court. Others opt to qualify as a barrister.
Outside the judicial sphere, certain state authorities and insurance firms, positions for lawyers that only involve practising the law are limited, as not every company has its own legal department. Corporate lawyers will therefore often have to work in areas such as financial and administrative management, staff management, commercial management or sales, and will find themselves in competition with holders of other qualifications, particularly in economics. Lawyers will therefore need to make good use of other skills they have acquired on an individual basis, such as language skills and/or commercial experience, knowledge of IT or community activities.
Miscellaneous
Trade unions, political parties and some non-governmental organisations or associations hire lawyers. Moreover, like other graduates with a qualification in the humanities, lawyers can look for a position in communications (such as journalism or public relations), the arts or diplomacy. As mentioned above, non-academic skills play an important role.
Lawyer at the Centre Social Protestant and the City of Lausanne
In figures
Every two years, the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (OFS) conducts a survey on graduate employment, one year after students have completed their course. View the results for Law graduates online:
Results of the survey for UNIL graduates specifically
Lydia Voelke
Student, Bachelor of Law
How did you choose your studies?
"The subject matter is very accessible, and the cliché that 'you have to learn everything by heart' is not true: you have to learn a lot by heart, but there's also a lot of understanding, and it's all in the texts."
I did the Latin option at secondary school, then the Greek option at grammar school, which just goes to show that you can come from any option and still have a place in law school! In fact, a lot of students didn't do economics and law at grammar school. They are actually quite literary studies: there are lots of texts, you have to know how to analyse, write and so on.
I've always worked a lot, so I wasn't really hit by the workload when I came here. The first year of law is reputed to be difficult, but I think that if you fail, it's because you haven't found the right way of working. The subject matter is very accessible, and the bias "that you have to learn everything by heart" is not true: you have to learn a lot by heart, but there's also a lot of understanding, and it's all in the texts. For me, the challenge of the transition from grammar school to university was above all learning how to take notes.
Law isn't necessarily a course that's known for leaving a lot of free time on the side, but it's doable. Personally, I play the violin at the conservatoire, and I've had to give up intensive practice. On the other hand, I still do orchestral projects on the side, concerts, rehearsals and so on. In general, about a month and a half before exams, we spend our days in the library. The rest of the year, as long as you keep up to date with the courses, you don't necessarily need to study as much. You can go and have a drink in one of the student bars, for example. The student atmosphere on campus is really great!
Initially, like many students, I wanted to be a lawyer. But as my studies progressed, my idea developed a little. I realised that I really liked the human aspect of law, the things that really help people, such as conflict resolution. So I'd rather go into a field that focuses more on mediation or legal advice than on litigation.
There's no need to put pressure on yourself, if you give yourself the means it's really accessible! In the first year, it's all about finding your own way of working and understanding how to take notes. The second year is more complex in terms of subjects, but by then you're already used to working at university, which helps a lot. I'd also advise you not to be impressed by the distance between you and the teachers compared with at grammar school: if you have a question, don't hesitate to ask it. I remember what surprised me in my first oral exams was that the teacher didn't know me, but I did! And don't hesitate to get involved in associations, and for first-year students to benefit from mentoring: there's a system where students who are further along in their course sponsor first-year students who want it. Personally, it helped me a lot to have a mentor.
Exchanges and mobility
Going on a university exchange is a unique and highly rewarding experience, provided you prepare well. The first thing to remember is that you need to start taking steps well in advance. For example, if you're planning to go away in your 3rd year of a bachelor's degree, you should start taking steps at the beginning of your 2nd year at the latest.
