The move by the Ministry of Justice to grant Arwa Al-Hijeli a license to practice law as a trainee has opened the door for other women to seek their place in the courtroom to argue cases.

But what kind of law Saudi women will be permitted to practice and when they can stand before a judge remains unclear. Yet Saudi legal experts say the ministry’s decision marks a watershed for women in the legal profession.

Lina Al-Qhadhi, a trainee lawyer, told Arab News yesterday that she is traveling to Riyadh next week to apply for a license although she has no idea what specialty she will be permitted to practice.

“The decision did not restrict practice of women lawyers,” Al-Qhadhi said. “It did not cite certain type of cases but allowed women lawyers to practice law.”

However, she anticipates women will be given the opportunity to open their own law firms.

“For me, I am interested in commercial and administrative disputes,” Al-Qhadhi said. “My colleagues are interested in civil affairs.”

Ministry of Justice spokesman Fahd Al-Bakran said that issuing the trainee-lawyer definition for women lawyers and the subsequent step to grant women licenses to practice law would serve Saudi women largely in terms of discussing the case with another woman.

The license to practice law is granted in two days for lawyer trainees who file a request with a letter from a legal firm attached. The practice license is granted by a ministry panel of four members: an undersecretary, director of the Advocates Administration (at the ministry), a judge and an experienced lawyer, Al-Bakran said.

Ahmad Al-Malki, vice chairman of the lawyers committee at Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the recent decision shows that women may not be allowed to plead cases, but they may provide consultation services and be involved in domestic reconciliation cases.

Sofana Dahlan of Tashkeil Center said she applied for a legal practice license five years ago. “We have been waiting for such a decision for a long time,” said Dahlan , who specializes in contract law.

Dahlan said she will concentrate on legal tasks within her field of work. As head of the center, she has been preparing contracts of creative designers. She is already preparing the contracts and intends to obtain a legal practice license “to work in the field of creativity that suits me.”