Attorneys on the Two Sides of the Leitha: The Professionalisation of Attorneys in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in the Second Half of the Nineteenth and the Early Twentieth Centuries

Abstract

The study aims to present the most important aspects of the professionalisation of the nineteenth century Austrian and Hungarian attorney professions. The main aim is, keeping in mind the approach of comparative historiography, to draw attention to the similarities and differences between the professions, and to present the state and market aspects of the professionalisation of the Austrian and Hungarian attorney professions. This article offers insight into the history of concepts related to the Austrian and Hungarian attorney professions, before turning its attention to changes in the numbers of practitioners in both professions, as well as the professional challenges underlying these changes. The analysis discusses in detail the organisational differences between the two professions, the social status of attorneys, and the relationship between attorney and other legal professions. The study also highlights the differing situations of Austrian and Hungarian lawyer-politicians. By examining all these aspects, it is possible to gain a better understanding of the challenges attorneys faced and the contemporary responses they offered, as well as the extent to which these reactions influenced the subsequent professionalisation of the attorney profession.