A group of lawyers on Monday joined judicial trainees' move against the Justice Ministry's controversial plan to employ the first-ever class of graduates from law schools next year, adding fuel to the ongoing debate about the two-track legal hiring system.
Some 20 lawyers, mainly in their 30s, staged a rally in front of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul, following the judicial trainees' boycott of the admissions ceremony last week against the ministry's plan to interview dean-picked third-year law students as candidates for prosecutors when they graduate early next year.
"If (the government) hires prosecutors recommended by the (law school) deans, the system cannot guarantee the objectivity and fairness as much as the current bar examination," the junior lawyers said in a statement. "The government should make a system that can fairly assess (candidates) and hire prosecutors."
Although they are not directly related to the hiring system, the lawyers said the protest was aimed at raising awareness about the ministry's unilateral plan, noting they will hold the rally twice a week until the government rolls out fresh measures to resolve the current problems.
Under the current judicial laws, after passing the national bar examination, some 1,000 prospective judges, prosecutors and lawyers undergo training for two years at the Judicial Research and Training Institute (JRTI) run by the Supreme Court. Some outstanding trainees are selected to become judges or prosecutors, and others choose to practice law.
In 2007, the government passed a law to create U.S.-style three-year law schools. The old system of selecting law professionals by examination is expected to be phased out.