"Dla edukacyi, lub też dla dalszej professyi promocyi": uwagi o edukacji młodzieży szlacheckiej w palestrze w XVIII wieku

ENThe Old Polish Bar not only provided legal advice to clients, legal representation in a trial or legal assistance in landed or city chancelleries. It also constituted the centre of legal education (in the field of national law) for young noblemen and their future place of employment. Studying law in the Bar followed a strictly practical model and consisted in executing some of the duties of the patron or chancellery clerk under proper supervision. Thus, studying law was reduced to the practical execution of professional duties. Owing to the fact that the Bar in the 18th century was one of the few institutions where national law could be learnt, the one-sided character of the education of legal sciences did not discourage young noblemen from entering the Bar. However, what made the 18th century Bar so popular was the legal and political situation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The poor administrative apparatus and the small army could not provide noblemen with appropriate employment. Th us, the Bar served as a kind of “substitute” of positions held in the administration and the army. Having completed the apprenticeship, the young nobleman could be employed in the landed or city chancellery, or acquire the position of the patron, which was considered attractive. Patrons were respected among noblemen, and the profession was regarded as quite lucrative.