General Administration Services for Law

The ministry allows graduates of specialized colleges to have training opportunities in law practice, since training is among the expertise qualifying for obtaining a law practice license. There are two types of training:

Type 1: Training at law firms

Those meeting the requirements and are interested in training at law firms may have an agreement with a lawyer fulfilling the training requirements, then file an application to the Directorate through Najiz.sa

• Requirements for training at law firms:

1. a. To be a Saudi national. However, a non-Saudi national may be registered as a trainee lawyer subject to the terms of agreements concluded between the Kingdom and other countries.
2. b. Holder of a bachelor's in Islamic Law or Law from a Saudi university, or an equivalent; or a two-year postgraduate diploma in legal studies from the Institute of Public Administration.
3. c. To be of good conduct and not under interdiction.
4. d. Have never been subjected to any hadd (Qur’anic prescribed punishment) or any other sentence for a crime that impugns integrity, except where a minimum of five years has expired since the enforcement of the sentence.
5. e. To be residing in the city of professional practice.
6. f. To train under a lawyer who has spent at least five years in practice.
7. g. To be devoted full-time for this work throughout the period of the contract.
8. h. Training shall be under a written contract between the lawyer and the trainee lawyer in accordance with the Labor Law; and the trainee shall be registered with the General Organization for Social Insurance.
9. i. The trainee lawyer’s pleading and counseling shall be under a power of attorney granted by the lawyer.

• Required documents for application:

1. 1. Bachelor’s degree; and master’s degree, if available
2. 2. Employment contract signed by the two parties using the law firm’s official paper
3. 3. GOSI member’s statement of durations and fees stating the registration of the trainee lawyer

    *Link 

• How trainee lawyers are registered for training:

1. a. The coaching lawyer logs into Najiz portal with his account to add the trainee lawyer using “My trainees” button.
2. b. The trainee lawyer logs into Najiz portal to file application to the directorate.

    *Application for adding trainee lawyer is valid for 90 days only; for filing an application, you can use the following Najiz.sa link: Link 

• Application for trainee lawyer transfer:

     Trainee lawyers may move from a coaching lawyer to another in order to benefit from lawyers' expertise and develop their skills.

• Application for trainee lawyer transfer:

    If a trainee lawyer wishes to be transferred from one coaching lawyer to another, the first lawyer must remove him from his trainees’ list, then the second lawyer can add the trainee lawyer to his trainees’ list.

• Required documents for application:

1. 1. Employment contract signed by the two parties using the law firm’s official paper
2. 2. Experience certificate from former lawyer
3. 3. Clearance certificate from former lawyer

    *   Link 

Type 2: Training at Justice Training Center.

    The Justice Training Center is a government center working under the Ministry of Justice. It provides several programs that qualify for applying for a law practice license. For more details, you can visit the center’s website on the following link: Link .

This service enables employees working in legal departments of private entities to apply for a license allowing them to plead on behalf of such entities subject to legal rules and duties.

Requirements of pleading license for representatives of private legal entities:

1. 1. To be a Saudi national
2. 2. To be an employee of the legal entity under the Labor Law
3. 3. To have a bachelor’s, master's or doctorate in Shari’ah or law from a Saudi university or an equivalent degree from a university abroad

Required documents for application:

1. 1. Bachelor’s degree; and master’s degree, if available
2. 2. A valid power of attorney granted by the legal entity
3. 3. GOSI member’s statement of durations and fees stating registration at the entity
4. 4. Copy of employment contract
5. 5. Recent statement from the legal department stating that the applicant is still in office
6. 6. Copy of memorandum of association (for companies)
7. 7. Copy of Commercial Registration
8. 8. Copy of the entity’s basic information from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development
9. 9. Copy of national address

How to obtain a license:

1. 1. Applicant logs into Najiz portal using his account
2. 2. Application is filed to the directorate through the portal

Link to Service

Requirements for Applying for a Law Practice License and the Review and Preparation Process

A. The applicant must be a Saudi national. Non-Saudi nationals may be permitted to practice law in accordance with agreements concluded between the Kingdom and other countries.

B. The applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree in Islamic Law (Sharia) or a bachelor’s degree in Law from a university within the Kingdom, or an equivalent qualification, or a law diploma from the Institute of Public Administration, provided that the diploma includes at least two years of accredited study following the completion of the university degree.

C. The applicant must have a minimum of two years of relevant professional experience. This requirement is waived for applicants holding a doctoral degree in the relevant specialization (see below for specific experience requirements).
The required experience period is reduced as follows:

1. To one year for applicants holding a master’s degree in Islamic Law, Legal Studies, or their equivalent, as well as for holders of a law diploma from the Institute of Public Administration where the approved study period is two years, in addition to the former Diploma in Legal Studies.

2. To six months for holders of a law diploma from the Institute of Public Administration where the approved study period is three years.
3. Each year of training completed in legally approved programs—as determined by the Minister of Justice in coordination with the Saudi Bar Association and the Education and Training Evaluation Commission—shall be considered equivalent to one year of the required experience, provided that the trainee successfully completes all program requirements.

D. The applicant must be of good character and conduct and must not be subject to guardianship.

E. The applicant must not have been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude or dishonesty, unless at least five years have elapsed since the completion of the sentence.

F. The applicant must reside in the Kingdom.

Upon satisfying the requirements for applying for a law practice license and completing the mandatory experience period (two years for bachelor’s degree holders and one year for master’s degree holders, calculated according to the Hijri calendar), the applicant may submit an application. The submission must include a declaration confirming compliance with the regulatory requirements set forth in Article 3 of the Law, a certificate of no criminal record, and a clear, professional photograph in formal attire on a white background. This applies to applicants qualifying under one of the following experience categories:

First: Training Experience at Law Firms and Offices

Required Documents:

1. Experience report completed by the supervising attorney, in accordance with the training plan templates appended to the Ministerial Circular issued on 17/10/1447 AH (available on the General Directorate of Law Practice’s page on the Ministry’s website). The report must indicate the training completion date and the total duration of the training period, be printed on the law firm’s official letterhead, and bear the attorney’s signature and official seal.
2. Proof of having met the minimum theoretical training requirement (professional accreditation for lawyers from the Saudi Bar Association or completion of the Lawyers Development Program offered by the Judicial Training Center).
3. The experience period must have been previously registered with the General Directorate of Law Practice.

Second: Experience in the Government Sector

Required Documents:

1. End-of-service decision.
2. Statement of employment services.

Third: Experience in the Private Sector

Required Documents:

1. Employment contract.
2. Experience certificate (certified by the Chamber of Commerce or through the Qiwa platform).
3. Certificate of Periods and Wages from the General Organization for Social Insurance.
4. A signed detailed log of legal work performed during the training period, including reference numbers and samples of completed work. The submitted experience must be legal in nature, as required under Article 3 of the Code of Law Practice. Administrative or non-legal work will not be considered qualifying experience.

Fourth: Doctoral Degree Experience

Required Documents:

1. End-of-service decision (for those previously employed in the government sector).
2. Bachelor’s degree in Islamic Law, Law, or equivalent.
3. Specialized master’s degree.
4. Specialized doctoral degree.

Fifth: Teaching Experience in Jurisprudence, Principles of Jurisprudence, or Law at Universities or Graduate Programs at Institutes or Other Educational Institutions within the Kingdom

Required Documents:

1. End-of-service decision (including all end-of-service decisions if employment involved multiple entities).
2. Cooperation agreement (for part-time lecturers).
3. Official statement from the university detailing the courses taught, including academic course titles and number of semesters.
4. Lecture schedules.

 Sixth: Experience on Legal Committees for Applicants with Non-Legal Job Titles or Military Sector Backgrounds

Required Documents:

1. End-of-service decision.
2. Assignment decisions to legal departments or committees.
   
3. Statement of employment services.
   
4. Certificate of experience in legal work, specifying the duration of such work.
   

Seventh: Experience Completing the Higher Diploma in Law Program Offered by the Judicial Training Center

Certificate of completion from the Judicial Training Center. The program completion certificate must be submitted; a statement from the center or an academic transcript alone is not sufficient.

Eighth: Experience with Diplomas Offered by Universities

Diplomas offered by universities are acceptable, provided that the diploma has been accredited by the Lawyers Registration and Admission Committee.

The Code of Law Practice regulations state that lawyers must file for renewal of their licenses at least 90 days before expiration date. The Ministry has enabled renewal applications through Najiz portal; the following conditions should be taken into consideration:

First: Lawyer who has independent law firm:

Required documents:

1. 1. Personal photo with white background
3. 2. Law practice license
4. 3. Lawyer card
5. 4. Geographical sketch on the firm’s official paper with signature and stamp
6. 5. Work report on the firm’s official paper with signature and stamp
7. 6. Law firm’s GOSI certificate
8. 7. Certificate from General Authority for Zakat and Income

Second: Partner lawyer in a professional company:

Required documents :

1. 1. Personal photo with white background
2. 2. Law practice license
3. 3. Lawyer card
4. 4. Geographical sketch on the firm’s official paper with signature and stamp
5. 5. Work report on the firm’s official paper with signature and stamp
6. 6. Certificate of registration for professional company (professional partnership certificate + memorandum of association)
7. 7. Law firm’s GOSI certificate
8. 8. Certificate from General Authority for Zakat and Income

Third: Lawyer employed by a law firm or professional company:

Required documents :

1. 1. Personal photo with white background
2. 2. Law practice license
3. 3. Lawyer card
4. 4. Employment contract
5. 5. Geographical sketch on the firm’s official paper with signature and stamp of the lawyer who owns the law firm
6. 6. Work report or statement on the firm’s official paper with signature and stamp of the lawyer who owns the law firm or one of the partners
7. 7. GOSI member’s statement of durations and fees stating the registration of the lawyer at the law firm or professional company
   

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This service enables a lawyer to apply for removal of his or her name from list of practicing lawyers, providing a reason for the request.

"This application requires appearance of lawyer or his agent to the Directorate’s office". Location

This service enables a lawyer to apply for removal of his or her name from list of non-practicing lawyers, providing a reason for the request.

"This application requires appearance of lawyer or his agent to the Directorate’s office". Location

This service enables a lawyer to apply for transfer of his or her name to list of non-practicing lawyers, providing a reason for the request.

"This application requires appearance of lawyer or his agent to the Directorate’s office". Location

When a lawyer wishes to be re-registered in the list of practicing lawyers, the applicant files an application through Najiz portal, following the steps provided on the portal. Link to Service

This service allows a lawyer to update his or her information through Najiz portal at any change in personal or professional information. The following conditions should be taken into consideration:

First: Lawyer who has independent law firm:

Required documents:

1. 1. Law practice license
2. 2. Lawyer card
3. 3. Geographical sketch on the firm’s official paper with signature and stamp
4. 4. Work report on the firm’s official paper with signature and stamp
5. 5. Copy of bank account certificate including IBAN
6. 6. IBAN of law firm
7. 7. Unified national corporate number (starting with 70)

Second: Partner lawyer in a professional company:

Required documents :

1. 1. Law practice license
2. 2. Lawyer card
3. 3. Geographical sketch on the firm’s official paper with signature and stamp
4. 4. Work report on the firm’s official paper with signature and stamp
5. 5. Certificate of registration for professional company (professional partnership certificate + memorandum of association)
6. 6. Copy of bank account certificate including IBAN
7. 7. IBAN of law firm
8. 8. Unified national corporate number (starting with 70)

Third: Lawyer employed by a law firm or professional company:

Required documents :

1. 1. Law practice license
2. 2. Lawyer card
3. 3. Employment contract
4. 4. Registration under the name of the lawyer owning the law firm
5. 5. Geographical sketch on the firm’s official paper with signature and stamp of the lawyer who owns the law firm
6. 6. Work report or statement on the firm’s official paper with signature and stamp of the lawyer who owns the law or one of the partners
7. 7. GOSI member’s statement of durations and fees stating the registration of the lawyer at the law firm or professional company
8. 8. Copy of applicant’s bank account including IBAN
9. 9. Applicant’s IBAN

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Find licensed lawyers by city and name .
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A service that helps you verify the validity of licenses issued by the Ministry of Justice .
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