Lawyer Sarajevo - Regional Bar Association Sarajevo

In exercising his/her lawyer activities as well as behaving in his/her private life, a lawyer has the duty to abide by all rules of this Code and to protect the reputation of the legal profession and fight for its improvement and affirmation as an independent professional activity.

In performing lawyer's activities,  a lawyer is obliged to act humanely and sensitively with respect and reverence of all those with whom he/she has contacts in performing his/her professional activity.

Each lawyer is obliged to protect his/her honour, moral character of a lawyer, independence, conscientiousness and professionalism in a way to entice others with his/her behaviour.

A lawyer has the duty to keep his/her independence while representing a party. This independence has to be absolute, free of any influence, especially of those that might come from his/her personal interest or outer pressure. Therefore a lawyer has to avoid circumstances that might endanger his/her independence and be careful not to compromise his/her professional standards to indulge his/her client, court or third party. A lawyer has to energetically discard all attempts of influencing his/her independence and has the duty to inform selfmanaging bodies of his/her bar association of those attempts.

A lawyer may not engage in activities that violate the importance and reputation of lawyer's profession.

Regional Bar Association Sarajevo is founded for the region of Canton Sarajevo and Bosansko-Podrinjski Canton, the seat of the Regional Bar Association Sarajevo is in Sarajevo. Regional Bar Association Sarajevo represents all lawyers, associate lawyers and lawyer's interns from Canton Sarajevo and Bosansko-Podrinjski Canton before canton and municipal bodies and institutions.

Regional Bar Association Sarajevo, through its bodies, performs all competences determined by the law, general acts of the Federal Bar Association and this Statute, pertaining particularly to:

Bodies of the Regional Bar Association Sarajevo are:

Regional Bar Association Sarajevo may found other organs and bodies, whose name, way of election, scope of activities and issues relevant for their functioning are regulated by the Assembly of the Regional Bar Association with its acts.

To perform professional, technical, subsidiary and other activities, Regional Bar Association may engage employees in regular employment and associates on the basis of service contract.
The Assembly of the Bar Association Sarajevo consists of all lawyers from the region of the Regional Bar Association, three associate lawyers delegated by the Organization of associate lawyers, if they organized their association and three lawyer's interns delegated by the Organization of lawyer's interns.

For presidents and vice-presidents of the Regional Bar Association Sarajevo may be proposed and elected candidats who have been performing lawyer's profession for at least ten (10) years and fulfill the conditions from Article 21 of these Rules of Procedure. The same person may not be two consecutive terms proposed and elected as president of the Regional Bar Association Sarajevo.

Sarajevo is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with an estimated population of 369,534. The Sarajevo metropolitan area, including Sarajevo, East Sarajevo and surrounding municipalities, is home to 688,354 inhabitants. Moreover, it is also the capital[10] of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity, the capital of the Republika Srpska entity, and the center of the Sarajevo Canton. Nestled within the greater Sarajevo valley of Bosnia, it is surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans.

Sarajevo is the leading political, social and cultural center of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a prominent center of culture in the Balkans, with its region-wide influence in entertainment, media, fashion, and the arts.

The city is famous for its traditional cultural and religious diversity, with adherents of Islam, Orthodoxy, Judaism and Catholicism coexisting there for centuries. Due to its long and rich history of religious and cultural variety, Sarajevo is sometimes called the "Jerusalem of Europe" or "Jerusalem of the Balkans". It was, until late in the 20th century[when?], the only major European city to have a mosque, Catholic church, Orthodox church and synagogue within the same neighborhood. Sarajevo is also a metropolis due to being the most important and influential city in the whole country.

Sarajevo is located close to the center of the triangular shape of Bosnia and Herzegovina in southeastern Europe. Sarajevo city proper consists of four municipalities (or "in Bosnian and Serbian: opština, in Croatian: općina"): Centar (Center), Novi Grad (New City), Novo Sarajevo (New Sarajevo), and Stari Grad (Old City), while Metropolitan area of Sarajevo (Greater Sarajevo area) includes these and the neighbouring municipalities of Ilidža, Hadžići and Vogošća (before the war and new (Deyton) administrative division, Metro of Sarajevo consisted also, beside above mentioned, three municipalities today's divided between Federacija Bosne i Hercegovine and Republika Srpska - Trnovo, Federacija Bosne i Hercegovine / Trnovo, Republika Srpska, Lukavica and Pale). The city has an urban area of 1,041.5 square kilometres (402.1 sq mi).
Sarajevo is home to the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the operational command of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Sarajevo's Municipalities are further split into "local communities" (Bosnian, Mjesne zajednice). Local communities have a small role in city government and are intended as a way for ordinary citizens to get involved in city government. They are based on key neighborhoods in the city.

Frequently asked questions:

How much does a lawyer in Sarajevo cost and how are lawyer’s prices determined?
A lawyer in Sarajevo, like any other lawyer in FBiH, determines the prices according to the current lawyer’s tariff. Unless otherwise agreed in written contract between the lawyer and his/her client, the lawyer is entitled to a reward for the work performed in accordance with the provisions of the Tariff on Remuneration and Reimbursement of Expenses for the Work of FBiH Lawyers.

Can a lawyer from Sarajevo represent clients in another town in BiH?
A lawyer from Sarajevo can represent his/her clients throughout the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina and vice versa, that is, a lawyer from any town in BiH can represent his/her clients in Sarajevo or before competent courts in Sarajevo or state bodies. When a lawyer from FBiH represents a party in the Republic of Srpska / Brcko District Bosnia and Herzegovina, he/she is obliged to act in accordance with the Code of Ethics of Lawyers of the RS Bar Association, if the principles of that Code are not contrary to the principles and content of this Code of Lawyers of FBiH.

Do you and your lawyers represent clients in Sarajevo?
In those cases in which we specialize, we represent clients in Sarajevo and throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, while in those legal areas in which we do not specialize, we recommend to clients our colleagues lawyers in Sarajevo who can provide them with adequate legal assistance and legal representation in a particular legal area. For example, our law office does not represent in criminal law, misdemeanor law, intellectual property, labour law, mobbing and the like. The collective spirit of the legal profession requires a relationship of trust and cooperation among lawyers for the benefit of their clients.

What is the difference between a joint law office in Sarajevo and a law firm?
Several lawyers may have a joint law office, on which they conclude a written agreement. The joint law office may start operating on the day of entry in the records or directory of the Sarajevo Regional Bar, which shall inform the Federal Bar Association in Sarajevo.
A law firm as a legal entity is established in accordance with the Law on Companies as a limited liability company. The work of a law firm is limited to the practice of law. Only lawyers can be members of a law firm.
The practice of law within a law firm may be entrusted only to members of the law firm, lawyers employed with the law firm or lawyer interns in the law firm.

How do I know which court in Sarajevo has jurisdiction over my legal problem?
The Municipal Court in Sarajevo has jurisdiction in civil cases to adjudicate in the first instance: in all civil disputes and non-litigious proceedings, in enforcement proceedings, to perform land registry activities, to register legal entities and other activities prescribed by law. The Municipal Court in Sarajevo Canton is the Municipal Court in Sarajevo for the area of the municipalities: Stari Grad Sarajevo, Centar Sarajevo, Novo Sarajevo, Novi Grad Sarajevo, Ilijas, Vogosca, Hadzici, Ilidza and Trnovo. On the other hand, jurisdiction of the court in Sarajevo for criminal proceedings derives from a criminal offense or an expected sentence. The Municipal Court in Sarajevo is responsible for criminal offenses punishable by a fine or imprisonment of up to 10 years, unless a special law determines the jurisdiction of another court, as well as in all misdemeanor cases, the Sarajevo Cantonal Court for serious criminal offenses.

Is there are a lawyer in Sarajevo who works for free?
It is the obligation of the lawyer to provide free legal aid to socially disadvantaged persons in accordance with law and lawyer will perform this duty as conscientiously and carefully as in providing legal aid to other parties. Each lawyer in Sarajevo or BiH will, in accordance with their capabilities, take over as many cases per year as they are able to provide free legal representation or provide free legal aid or legal assistance. However, there are also associations that provide free legal aid, such as the association “Vasa Prava” with an office in Sarajevo, or the Institute for Free Legal Aid of Sarajevo Canton.

What is a lawyer’s secret?
A lawyer’s secret is everything a lawyer learned as confidential from his/her client or in another way when providing legal assistance. In its essence, the lawyer’s secret, in addition to lawyer’s knowledge, is represented by all files, audio, computer, pictorial and similar records, and deposits of the parties kept in the law office. The obligation to keep lawyer’s secret extends to all lawyers in the joint law office, to all lawyers in the Law Firm and to all employees of the law office.

Does a lawyer in Sarajevo have to be insured against liability for damages?
Lawyers, joint law offices and law firms must be insured against liability for damage caused to a party during rendering the legal aid. The minimum amount of insurance and the type of insured damage are determined by general acts of the Federal Bar Association. The Bar Association can agree the terms of insurance of its members from liability for damages that may occur during the performance of the activities of lawyers, joint law offices and law firms.

Does a lawyer have to be loyal to his/her client?
The lawyer is obliged to dedicate all his/her expertise and conscientiousness to representing the client and to provide him/her with the expected and timely legal assistance. Loyalty to the client is the basic duty of a lawyer. It is more important than the interests of lawyers and collegial considerations. The overburdening of lawyers in their work must not jeopardize the integrity, conscientiousness and timeliness in providing legal professional assistance to the client. Every lawyer is obliged to take this into account when taking over new jobs from clients. A lawyer who is approached by too many parties should refer the parties to other lawyers in order to avoid overburdening them with legal representation.

Can a lawyer from Sarajevo represent clients outside Bosnia and Herzegovina, that is, abroad?
When practicing law abroad, a lawyer is obliged to act in accordance with the Code of the International Union of Lawyers, as well as with the Code of Lawyer’s Ethics of the country in which he/she practices law, if principles of these codes are not contrary to the principles and content of the Code of Lawyers of Federation Bosnia and Herzegovina.