Editing Advocate (section)

==Asia==

===Bangladesh===
In Bangladesh, after passing the [[Higher Secondary School Certificate]], one can apply for admission for studying law in Universities. There are several [[Universities in Bangladesh|public and private universities]] which provide [[Bachelor of Laws]] and [[Master of Laws]] degree in Bangladesh. Generally, the LL.B. course is equivalent to a four-year bachelor's degree. Graduate lawyers have to seat for and pass the Bar Council Exam to become Advocates.<ref>{{cite news|title=Students lock Bar Council|url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2013/09/04/students-lock-bar-council|access-date=28 February 2015|work=[[bdnews24.com]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402183720/http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2013/09/04/students-lock-bar-council|archive-date=2 April 2015}}</ref>

====Advocate of Supreme Court====
By passing the [[Bangladesh Bar Council]] Exam, Advocates are eligible to practice in the [[Supreme Court of Bangladesh]] and other courts. A license is obtained after successful completion of two year's practice in the lower courts by applicant, which is reviewed by a body of the relevant provincial Bar Council. Most applications after successful completion of the requirement, are accepted.

===India===
[[File:Advocate (5581476838).jpg|thumb|right|Advocate's office in Rajasthan]]

In [[Law of India|India]], the law relating to the Advocates is the Advocates Act, 1961 introduced and thought up by [[Ashoke Kumar Sen]], the then law minister of India, which is a law passed by the Parliament and is administered and enforced by the [[Bar Council of India]]. Under the Act, the Bar Council of India is the supreme regulatory body to regulate the legal profession in India and also to ensure the compliance of the laws and maintenance of professional standards by the legal profession in the country.

Each State has a Bar Council of its own whose function is to enroll the Advocates willing to practice predominantly within the territorial confines of that State and to perform the functions of the Bar Council of India within the territory assigned to them. Therefore, each law degree holder must be enrolled with a (single) State Bar Council to practice in India. However, enrollment with any State Bar Council does not restrict the Advocate from appearing before any court in India, even though it is beyond the territorial jurisdiction of the State Bar Council which he is enrolled in.

The advantage of having the State Bar Councils is that the workload of the Bar Council of India can be divided into these various State Bar Councils and also that matters can be dealt with locally and in an expedited manner. However, for all practical and legal purposes, the Bar Council of India retains with it, the final power to take decisions in any and all matters related to the legal profession on the whole or with respect to any Advocate individually, as so provided under the Advocates Act, 1961.

The process of being entitled to practice in India is twofold. First, the applicant must be a holder of a law degree from a recognised institution in India (or from one of the four recognised Universities in the [[United Kingdom]]) and second, must pass the enrollment qualifications of the Bar Council of the state where he/she seeks to be enrolled. For this purpose, the Bar Council of India has an internal Committee whose function is to supervise and examine the various institutions conferring law degrees and to grant recognition to these institutions once they meet the required standards. In this manner, the Bar Council of India also ensures the standard of education required for practicing in India is met with. As regards the qualification for enrollment with the State Bar Council, while the actual formalities may vary from one State to another, yet predominately they ensure that the application has not been a bankrupt /criminal and is generally fit to practice before courts of India.

Enrollment with a Bar Council also means that the law degree holder is recognised as an Advocate and is required to maintain a standard of conduct and professional demeanor at all times, both on and off the profession. The Bar Council of India also prescribes "Rules of Conduct" to be observed by the Advocates in the courts, while interacting with clients and even otherwise.

All Advocates in India are at the same level and are recognised as such. Any distinction, if any, is made only on the basis of seniority, which implies the length of practice at the Bar. As a recognition of law practice and specialisation in an area of law, there is a concept of conferral of Senior Advocate status. An Advocate may be recognised by the Judges of the High Court (in case of an Advocate practicing before that High Court) or by the Supreme Court (in case of the Advocate practicing before the Supreme Court). While the conferral of Senior Advocate status not only implies distinction and fame of the Advocate, it also requires the Senior Advocate to follow higher standards of conduct and some distinct rules. Also, a Senior Advocate is not allowed to interact directly with the clients. He can only take briefs from other Advocates and argue on the basis of the details given by them. From the year 2010 onward a mandatory rule is made for lawyers passing out from the year 2009–10 to sit for an evaluation test named AIBE (All India Bar Exam) for one to qualify as an advocate and practice in the courts. However, to practice law before the Supreme Court of India, Advocates must first appear for and qualify in the Supreme Court Advocate on Record Examination conducted by the Supreme Court.

Further, under the Constitutional structure, there is a provision for the elevation of Advocates as judges of High Courts and Supreme Court. The only requirement is the Advocate must have ten years standing before the High Court(/s) or before the Supreme Court to be eligible for such. (Article 217 and 124 of the Constitution of India for High Courts and Supreme Court respectively)

===Pakistan===
There are four levels of Advocates exist in [[Pakistan]], 1. Advocate 2. Advocate High Court 3. Advocate Supreme Court 4. Senior Advocate Supreme Court:

====Advocate====
The first level is that of an Advocate, who is eligible to practice in the district courts or lower courts in their respective province. An Advocate is considered an officer of the court. To become an Advocate, one can qualify by completing a five-year law degree (LL.B (Hons)), or by obtaining a foreign LL.B degree of a shorter duration, recognized by the relevant authorities. Additionally, they must complete six months of [[pupillage]] under a senior Advocate in their chambers. Afterward, they are required to pass a GAT test recognized by the [[Higher Education Commission (Pakistan)|Higher Education Commission of Pakistan]] (HEC) and the [[Pakistan Bar Council]], achieving a minimum passing score of 50%. Subsequently, they must successfully clear the Bar admission test and undergo an examination conducted by the Bar Council of their respective province to determine their suitability for becoming an Advocate and confirm that they have no criminal convictions. Upon passing a multiple-choice question examination and an interview conducted by members of the provincial Bar Council, the Bar Council will issue them a license to practice before the Subordinate Courts up to the High Court.

====Advocate High Court====
After completing two years of practice as an Advocate, with a minimum of ten successfully litigated cases, the Advocate will be required to submit a list of these cases for examination by a committee appointed by the High Court. The committee, chaired by a High Court Judge, will review the cases and, if satisfied, grant their approval for the Advocate's elevation to practice as an Advocate of the High Court. Upon approval, the committee will send the recommendation directly to the Bar Council, and the Advocate will be issued a license to practice as an Advocate of the High Court. As an Advocate of the High Court, they will have the right to practice in any court throughout the country, except for the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

====Advocate Supreme Court====
Advocate Supreme Court is the third level. After successful completion of ten years of practice in the High Courts by the applicant, the panel of members of [[Pakistan Bar Council]] and one judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, review the application. (Before 1985 the requirement was successful completion of five years practice in the [[High Courts of Pakistan]].) Over fifty per cent of applications are accepted, after successful completion of the requirement. An unsuccessful application in one year does not bar the candidate from re-applying in the next judicial year.

The highest level is the Senior Advocate Supreme Court. It is Pakistan's title equivalent to [[Queen's Counsel]] in the [[United Kingdom]]. 
After at least fifteen years of practice, by invitation or by an application to a panel of Supreme Court Judges headed by the [[Chief Justice of Pakistan]], one can become Senior Advocate of Supreme Court of Pakistan. Very few applications are accepted and even fewer invitations are made. [[Attorney General of Pakistan|Attorneys General]] are usually invited by the Supreme Court on the appointment, to the office. So are some notable High Court judges who upon retirement choose to practice before the Supreme Court, where they are still eligible to do so.

===Sri Lanka===
In [[Sri Lanka]] (formally Ceylon) till 1973 Advocate was a practitioner in a [[court|court of law]] who is legally qualified to [[Prosecutor|prosecute]] and defend actions in such court on the [[Retainer agreement|retainer]] of clients. Advocates had to pass the HSC exam and enter the [[Ceylon Law College]] and follow the Advocates course and sit for the relevant exams. Thereafter, they would have to practice under a senior advocate before being [[Call to the bar|called to the bar]] for admission as an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Ceylon. Members of the English, Scottish and Irish Bars are permitted to be admitted to a Barrister without examination on payment of a fee. Ceylonese Advocates with three years standing were allowed to be called to the English Bar without examination on completing three terms. The ''Justice Law No. 44 of 1973'' of the [[National State Assembly]] created a single group of practitioners known as [[Attorneys in Sri Lanka|Attorneys-at-law]]. The current equivalent to an advocate is a [[counsel]] who is a trial lawyer distinguished from an instructing attorney.