A government commission on legislative activity has approved a Supreme Court initiative to allow courts to hire people without higher education for certain positions, Vedomosti reported.
The relaxed requirements would apply to senior specialist roles, including secretaries of court sessions, consultants, chief and leading specialists, and other staff in federal courts of general jurisdiction, arbitration courts, and regional courts of general jurisdiction.
Under the proposal, courts could hire graduates of law colleges and law students who have completed at least half of their program. Currently, a university degree is mandatory for these positions.
The bill's authors aim to reduce a staffing shortage. Sofia Zhidkikh, senior lawyer at the labor law practice of Key Consulting Group, said the deficit is most acute among secretaries of court sessions, clerks, and judicial assistants. She noted that one secretary and one assistant often serve several judges simultaneously, affecting the timeliness of court rulings and case management.
Lawyers have warned of potential risks. Attorney Vladislav Vatamanyuk pointed out that students typically only begin studying civil and criminal procedural law — which governs court proceedings — in their senior years. In practice, secretaries often perform some functions of judges themselves, he stressed.
Maria Asmanskaya, head of the educational law practice at the law firm Yakovlev & Partners, said adjusting education requirements alone is insufficient. In her view, courts may attract a stream of temporary employees who will leave for higher-paying jobs after gaining experience. To retain staff, working conditions, motivation, and career prospects must be improved, she argued.
The State Duma Committee on Science and Higher Education supported the bill but recommended individually assessing each candidate's knowledge and skills. The first reading is scheduled for October 2026, one source told Vedomosti.