The modern practice of law was established in Serbia by the Public Attorneys Act proposed by the government of Ilija Garasanin on 28 February 1862 during the reign of Duke Mihail Obrenovic. By adoption of this act the legal aid was performed only by the educated lawyers, registered by the Ministry of Justice.

The legal attorneys founded their first Association in 1886 and on 1 January 1887 they initiated their first professional magazine in Serbia called Branic. From than the magazine has been published till today with certain interruptions caused by wars and lack of financial means. In a period after the II World War it was published under the name Advokatura (Legal Practice).

In this magazine the works of the best known legal theoreticians and lawyers from Yugoslavia and the world were published.

The contemporary bar system was introduced in Serbia by the Legal Practice Act in 1929 and then the Bar Association of Belgrade was founded, as the obligatory association of attorneys at law which decides autonomously about the inscription of new members, writes their Register, determines the norms of the professional behaviour and applies the sanctions for disregarding them, and takes care about education of future attorneys.

Today the Bar Association of Belgrade has about 3.000 of members, among which about 2.300 attorneys at law and about 700 legal assistants.

Bar Association of Serbia consists the Bar Association of Belgrade and Bar Association of Nis, Bar Association of Kragujevac, Bar Association of Cacak, Bar Association of Pozarevac, Bar Association of Zajecar and Bar Association in Sabac.

The supreme administrative organ of Bar Association is Assembly consisting of all the attorney at law and legal assistants and they choose administrative boards, judges of the Court of Honour and Discipline Prosecutor as well members of the Administrative Board of the Bar Association of Serbia and delegates of its Assembly.

The Bar Associations are trying to protect and improve the professional, social, economical position and standing of attorneys and their profession. For that purpose lot of measures are taken and there are numerous suggestions for changing and adopting the regulations regarding the organization of the professional practice, the judicial system, proceeding and other acts. Therefore, they develop the cooperation with other professional organizations in the country and abroad, courts, Ministry of Justice, faculties of law as well as with the international bar associations.

Our Bar Association is together with Bar Association of Montenegro, Vojvodina and Kosovo a part of the Union of Bar Associations of Yugoslavia which is one of the founders of the International Union of Attorneys of Law, and Balkan Union of Attorneys at Law.