Avukatlık mesleğinde eşitsizlikler ve varyasyonlar: Genç avukatların mesleki sosyalizasyonu ve kariyer yolları üzerine bir araştırma

This study explores how these structural changes influence the professional socialization processes of young lawyers in Turkey, shedding light on the inequalities shaping their career trajectories. The research also highlights the bifurcations observed in these trajectories, that is, decisive moments where young lawyers, faced with structural constraints or specific opportunities, choose or are forced to redefine their professional orientation. It focuses on comparing the professional trajectories and socialization processes of young lawyers from diverse social backgrounds, graduates of various types of universities, and those practicing either independently or within law firms. Analyzing these processes is essential to understanding how young lawyers navigate their careers amidst structural inequalities, societal expectations, and strategic choices imposed by the realities of the legal field. The study adopts an abductive methodology, integrating in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 young lawyers—7 men and 8 women. The collected data are analyzed across three main axes: university years, including experiences of disenchantment; professional socialization of young lawyers, encompassing mandatory internships and early years of practice; and gendered professional socialization, which highlights the impact of gender on career development. During the university years, the analysis focuses on how law students experience their initial stages of professional socialization during their undergraduate studies. This period, while critical, is neither homogeneous nor fully structuring. Individual dispositions and strategies developed by students, despite structural inequalities and institutional constraints, play a key role in shaping their experiences. Undergraduate years, although imperfect in terms of professional preparation, serve as a laboratory for socialization where initial professional identities are formed. Furthermore, summer internships represent a key opportunity to enhance professional socialization, although access to these internships is often unequal. Regarding disenchantment, the study shows how the professional aspirations of law students, initially characterized by meritocratic ideals and high ambitions, evolve in the face of the realities of the legal field. The disenchantment of law students, far from being an individual phenomenon, reflects deep structural dynamics. The trajectories of young lawyers are marked by bifurcations and compromises, shaped by tensions between their initial aspirations and the constraints of the field. This socialization process, often imbued with meritocratic illusions, redefines their professional priorities while exposing the inequalities and reconfigurations that structure the legal field in Turkey. Moreover, the mandatory internship constitutes a pivotal stage where continuities and ruptures between university education and professional life intersect. While this period can offer an opportunity to strengthen symbolic and professional capital, it also tends to reproduce existing disparities, influenced by available resources and adopted strategies. The career trajectories of young lawyers after obtaining their bar certification reveal crucial choices between salaried work and independent practice—two regimes reflecting not only the social, economic, and cultural resources of individuals but also their personal dispositions and strategies. These choices, though often constrained by structural limitations, are also shaped by the aspirations and experiences of the lawyers. Gender norms play a significant role in the career trajectories of female lawyers, revealing the structural and cultural challenges they must overcome. Despite the growing presence of women in the legal profession, persistent inequalities linked to gender stereotypes and professional expectations limit their advancement. This research demonstrates that, while some female lawyers develop individual strategies to navigate these obstacles, the patriarchal structures of the legal field continue to reproduce gender hierarchies. By examining professional bifurcations, mechanisms of social reproduction, and individual strategies, this study sheds light not only on structural inequalities but also on the agency of individuals within a transforming field. By focusing on the diversity of experiences, resources, and strategies, this research broadens the understanding of the social and economic dynamics shaping the career trajectories of young lawyers, while establishing links between macro-structural processes and individual practices. Thus, it fills a significant gap in the current body of knowledge by providing a comparative and intersectional analysis of professional socialization processes in a context marked by complex structural changes. One of the main contributions of this work lies in its analysis of the professional trajectories of young lawyers through the dynamics of social class, individual bifurcations, and mechanisms of social reproduction. This approach highlights how structural inequalities influence professional choices and individual agency.