From Market Stalls to Criminal Court: Judge’s Journey Inspires Legal Diversity Initiative

Of Moroccan origin, Youssef Badr was born in 1981 in Levallois-Perret (Hauts-de-Seine). The magistrate had a difficult university career in Villetaneuse (Seine-Saint-Denis). "I didn’t start on an equal footing with everyone. The difficulties were numerous. I dropped out of my first degree in the third year and I finally got it the second time during the resits, even though I was often absent. At the same time, I had to work to finance my studies. Delivery, flyer distribution, insurance sales, market... I did everything in terms of student jobs. I had to make sacrifices and work like crazy," he confides to actu Seine-Saint-Denis.

Despite these difficulties, Youssef Badr, through determination, was able to join the National School of the Judiciary (ENM). "I was lucky to meet a professor who was able to help me and who allowed me to have access to preparations that I would not have had without money. I was also lucky to have parents who, without knowing the university system, supported me and pushed me," details the magistrate, who already has a well-filled career, having served as a judge in Bobigny (2012 to 2016) and Paris, and as a spokesperson at the Ministry of Justice under Nicole Belloubet.

Youssef Badr is back at the Bobigny court after several years at the ENM where he teaches. "It’s a department I’m very attached to, especially thanks to my studies. I think there is also a lot to be done there, because its inhabitants face multiple difficulties," he explains. Strongly committed to helping law students in difficulty, the magistrate decided to create the Courte Échelle association in 2021. "The idea is to help students so that they don’t drop out, because there are 1,000 reasons to drop out... The idea of the association is that a student, anywhere in France, can contact us so that a professional can help him," he emphasizes.

"In the short, medium and long term, the students are followed up on several competitions (ENM, clerks, commissioners...). Internship offers are also proposed. We have had promising results with admissions. My goal for next year is to hire someone to manage the association, because we have more and more requests," projects Youssef Badr, who notes "a very high dropout rate for first-year students. We are trying to change things on a small scale, but there are still so many inequalities".