20 Magistrate positions in the social order: who can apply and how to request them in 2026

Key data

Practicing registered lawyers, prosecutors, court administration lawyers, legal officials and full-time university law professors have a concrete opportunity to access the Judicial Career without going through the traditional civil service examination. The Agreement of June 9, 2026 of the Permanent Commission of the General Council of the Judicial Power convenes this selective process to fill 20 positions in the Magistrate category, social specialty.

This call is part of a unified process together with those of other jurisdictional orders. Participating in more than one specialty simultaneously is expressly prohibited: whoever applies for the social order cannot compete at the same time in another specialty of the same process.

What does this call establish?

The CGPJ convenes a selective process for access to the Judicial Career in the Magistrate category, specifically for the social jurisdictional order. The access route is that of "jurists of recognized competence", a mechanism provided for in the Organic Law of the Judicial Power that allows incorporating into the judiciary professionals with extensive experience, without needing to pass the ordinary civil service examination.

The positions are distributed with the following reserves:

• One third of the 20 positions is reserved for Court Administration Lawyers of first or second category.
• 1 position is reserved for persons with disability equal to or greater than 33%.

The process is incompatible with simultaneous participation in calls for other specialties of the same unified process. Candidates must choose a single specialty.

Professional and operational impact

For labor and social law professionals, this call represents one of the few direct routes to the magistracy without civil service examination. The leap implies a significant change in professional status, remuneration and responsibility: moving from practicing as a lawyer, prosecutor or court administrator to administering justice in the social order.

For law firms and organizations that have among their staff lawyers or court administrators with more than 10 years of specialization in labor law, the call may mean the loss of key senior profiles. It is advisable for HR managers and managing partners of law firms to identify whether any professional on their team meets the requirements and assess the impact of a possible departure.

For the candidates themselves, the deadline is tight: 20 business days from October 1, 2026, with preferably electronic submission through the general access point of the Administration.

Who does it affect?

The following professional profiles can compete in this selective process, provided they accredit more than 10 years of practice in matters of the social jurisdictional order:

• Practicing registered lawyers specialized in labor law, social security or matters related to the social order.
• Court Administration Lawyers of first or second category (with specific reserve of one third of the positions).
• Prosecutors with experience in the social field.
• Legal officials with professional practice in matters of the social order.
• Full-time university law professors specialized in matters of the social order.
• Those who exercise jurisdictional functions without belonging to the Judicial Career.
• Persons with disability equal to or greater than 33% who meet the other requirements (1 position reserved).

Practical example

A registered labor lawyer with 12 years of practice in a law firm specialized in collective disputes and collective bargaining negotiations meets the requirement of minimum experience of more than 10 years in matters of the social order. She can submit her application between October 1, 2026 and the end of the 20 business day deadline, preferably electronically through the general access point.

However, if that same lawyer were also interested in a call for another specialty of the same unified process (for example, the administrative-contentious order), she must choose: the regulations expressly prohibit simultaneous participation in several specialties of the process.

A Court Administration Lawyer of first category with experience in social courts would also have access to the positions of the specific reserve of the third reserved for this group, which in practice reduces direct competition for those positions.

What should interested parties do now?

1. Verify compliance with the experience requirement: accredit more than 10 years of professional practice in matters of the social jurisdictional order. Gather documentation that proves it (contracts, registration, certificates of services rendered).
2. Identify the access category: determine if you are a Court Administration Lawyer of first or second category (with access to the reserve of the third) or if you compete in the general round.
3. Prepare the application before October 1, 2026: the 20 business day deadline is short. Gather all documentation in advance so as not to waste time once the deadline opens.
4. Choose specialty: if you are interested in more than one jurisdictional order of the unified process, decide which is your priority. Simultaneous participation in several specialties is prohibited.
5. Submit the application preferably electronically through the general access point of the Administration, as established by the call.
6. Law firm and legal department managers: identify whether any professional on the team meets the requirements and plan possible coverage of the position in the event of incorporation into the Judicial Career.

Official source

Consult complete regulations in official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-12917