A practice in Europe, an office in Morocco: what is changing for Moroccan lawyers

The measure appears in Article 36 of Law 66.23, published in Official Gazette No. 7536 on 20 August 2026. It concerns Moroccan nationals who practise their profession effectively and continuously in one or more foreign countries.

They may open an additional office in Morocco under one of the forms of practice provided for by Article 26 of the law. However, an important condition is imposed: the lawyer must be registered with the roll of one of the professional bodies of lawyers in Morocco.

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The major development is found in the remainder of Article 36. The lawyer may retain their professional registration and continue practising in their office or offices abroad. A Moroccan lawyer established as a lawyer in France can therefore maintain their activity in France while opening a professional office in Morocco, provided they meet the conditions laid down by law.

The scheme is not limited to Europe. The text refers to practising in “one or more foreign countries,” which also allows a Moroccan lawyer established elsewhere in the world to benefit from it.

Maintaining activity abroad

The new rule therefore does not allow just any Moroccan lawyer living abroad to automatically open a practice in the Kingdom. They must already be effectively and continuously practising the profession outside Morocco, and then obtain the required registration with a Moroccan bar association.

It is this combination that changes the situation: registration in Morocco does not require the professional concerned to end their foreign activity. The law expressly recognizes the possibility of maintaining both establishments.

This cross-border aspect comes as the rules allowing a judgment obtained abroad to be enforced in Morocco are also set to change from 24 August. Cases involving both Morocco and the main countries where Moroccans abroad reside are therefore affected by several closely timed legal developments.

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Law 66.23 reforms the legal profession much more broadly. Regulating fees and the relationship between the lawyer and their client was notably among the changes announced by the text before its final adoption.

For Moroccan lawyers established abroad, however, Article 36 brings a very concrete change: they no longer have to choose between their professional establishment outside the Kingdom and a presence in Morocco. Subject to meeting the conditions laid down by law, the two can now coexist.