The examination comes as a relief for many after the last session in 2007.

The 2014 session of the examination to qualify as advocate-in-training will take place on February 22 and 23, 2014 at the University of Yaounde. The examination comes as a relief for many young aspiring candidates after the last session in 2007.

In Yaounde, midnight candles are burning in many homes in order to ensure success. When Cameroon Tribune visited some of the law offices in the city on January 23, 2014, they were relatively calm as most of the aspiring candidates and law graduates on internship were absent. One of the secretaries, Marilyn K. said the law graduates on internship were busy compiling documents for the Bar Examinations.  

Rosette Mandeng, an aspirant, who had submitted her documents for the Cameroon Bar Examination said the examination was welcome as she had long waited for it. After obtaining her Master’s Degree in Law in the University of Yaounde II, Soa, in 2010, Rosette did internship with one of the law offices in town.  She expressed her determination to work hard in order to succeed.

To attain her objective, Rosette said she had started preparing long before for the examination and she intends to attend private classes for better orientation before the examination. She said the major problem facing the candidates was the Letter of Sponsorship. Another problem was the deadline for the submission of documents which she said was too near. Her dream, however, is to succeed and become a full lawyer.

Pierre Tsoungui, another aspiring candidate on his part was still to submit his documents. He said he obtained his Master’s Degree in Law from the University of Yaounde II Soa four years ago and since then he has been on internship. He is determined to pass the examination. As a result, he is studying hard. He said he will not attend private classes but he will revise the notes he took during his second year Master’s Degree programme in the university.

Concerning the advocacy-in-training examination, applicants’ files comprised, among other things, a Letter of Sponsorship from an advocate who had been practicing for at least five years. Sources close to some cabinets said the cost for obtaining a Letter of Sponsorship ranged between FCFA 300,000 and FCFA 400,000 for applicants who had never been interns in law cabinets. Worst still, some lawyers had not yet met with their financial obligations making it difficult for them to sponsor candidates. Furthermore, a lawyer is not supposed to give Letters of Sponsorship to more than three candidates. This, according to our source, left many candidates stranded.