English

The Office

The Icelandic name of Icelandic Bar Association is Lögmannafélag Íslands.

Three persons works at the office: Secretary General, employee for Service Department and receptionist/Accounter. See more information

Address of the Icelandic Bar Association is: Álftamýri 9, 108 Reykjavík, Iceland, see on map Tel: + 354 568 5620, email: http://lmfi.is/admin/Pages/lmfi@lmfi.is

Opening hours: Winter: 9:00-17:00, Summer: 8:00-16:00 See Time Zones

The Board of Icelandic Bar Association

The Board of the Icelandic Bar Association is composed of five members. The board members are elected by a majority vote of the Association's members for a term of two years at a time. The Chairman is however elected for a term of one year. Information about the board

You can search for a lawyer in nine languages or by field of interest, see here

Organisation of the Bar

Under Icelandic law, attorneys shall be members of the Icelandic Bar Association. See Statutes - See Lawyers´ Trausteeship Account - See Lawyers´ Professional Indemnity

The role of the Association is to represent the legal profession to judicial and administrative authorities as regards matters affecting the profession. The Association also seeks to ensure that any person needing the assistance of an attorney obtains, for payment, such assistance, and issues rules of ethics applying to professional lawyers. The Association also exercises a supervisory function, in that it is to control that an attorney fulfils at all times the requirements for the right of legal representation, ensure that the office of an attorney remains open to the public, control that a professional lawyer preserves any funds in the ownership of others by the use of trust accounts, and that a professional liability insurance is maintained. See law on lawyers

Categories of Lawyers

Three classifications of attorneys exist in Iceland: lawyer, a district court attorney, and a Supreme Court attorney. While a lawyer may not represent a party in a case before the courts, he or she can act as a deputy for an attorney. District court attorneys can practice before all the district courts in both criminal and civil cases. Supreme Court attorneys can present all cases before the Supreme Court, as well as before the district courts. Information about The Supreme Court

A Disciplinary committee

A Disciplinary committee is active under the auspices of the Icelandic Bar Association, with the role of resolving disputes that may arise on account of alleged violations by attorneys of law or the attorneys' Code of Ethics. The committee is empowered to criticise, in its resolutions, the procedures or conduct of attorneys, and to warn or admonish attorneys. In case of grave misconduct the committee may recommend to the Minister of Interior (Minister of Justice), in a reasoned opinion, that a attorney's right of representation be suspended provisionally or indefinitely. The committee is also entrusted with the role of resolving disputes between an attorney and a client concerning a right to payment for services rendered, or the amount of such payment. A resolution of this committee may be appealed against to the courts.

The Disciplinary committee is composed of three members, with three alternates. Each member serves for a term of three years, subject to the rule that the seat of one member shall become vacant each year. One member is elected by the Icelandic Bar Association, one is nominated by the Minister of Interior, and one, who shall be qualified for the office of a Supreme Court judge, is nominated by the Supreme Court.

See rules on proceedure before the Disciplinary Committee

Requirements for the Practice of Law

In order to become a lawyer and to practice as an attorney one must have has completed legal studies with a final examination or a master's examination from the legal faculty of a university recognised in Iceland in accordance with the Act on Universities.

In addition the title of district court attorney can only be granted persons who fulfil the following conditions: a) Having full legal competence under the Majority Act as well as mental capability to practice law; b) Never having been declared bankrupt; c) Having an untainted reputation as required for being eligible in Parliamentary elections; and completed a test (Bar Exam).

The right to practice law as a Supreme Court attorney can be granted to any person who has been a district court lawyer for five years, fulfils the requirements enumerated under (a - c) above, has presented at least thirty cases orally in district court or a court of special jurisdiction and, in addition, has demonstrated his or her suitability to be a Supreme Court attorney by presentation of four cases orally before the Supreme Court.

Codex Ethicus