# Italian Senate advances professional reforms

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/italian-senate-professional-reforms
> Updated: 2026-08-02T21:30:01.000Z. Sources: 13. Developments: 2.

In July 2026 the Senate began delegating a comprehensive overhaul of Italy’s professional orders. After approving a delegation law on 22 July, the Senate on 3 August passed DDL 1163 covering fifteen regulated professions. The legislation was published in the Official Gazette on 1 August and entered into force on 16 August, giving the government six months to issue implementing decrees.

The reforms shorten the liability period for private clients to five years (ten years for public administrations), introduce paid internships, mandate continuous digital‑competence training and require compensation parameters to be reviewed every two years. Professional societies must have at least two‑thirds of their capital and voting rights owned by members, and new collective forms such as lawyer networks are recognised. The vote was recorded in two stages: an initial reading of 81 votes in favour with 50 abstentions, followed by a final approval of 114 votes in favour and 19 abstentions. The measures will affect roughly 699 000 registered professionals and now await approval by the Chamber of Deputies before detailed decrees are drafted.

## Claims

- The vote count was 114 in favour, 19 abstentions and zero against. (disputed by 2 sources)
- The Senate vote recorded 81 votes in favour, no votes against and 50 abstentions. (disputed by 2 sources)
- The Italian Senate approved a delegation law to reform fifteen professional orders. (corroborated by 12 sources)
- The reform will define reserved activities for lawyers, restore the lawyer oath, and set compensation parameters every two years. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The reform will affect about 699,177 registered professionals. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Liability period for private clients is reduced to five years. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Professional societies must have at least two‑thirds of their capital owned by professionals. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The delegation gives the government six months to issue legislative decrees to reform the legal profession. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The reform allows lawyers to form professional associations, networks, societies and to hold managerial roles in commercial companies. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The Italian Senate approved a delegation for the reform of the forensic order on 22 July 2026. (single source)
- Marco Giustiniani said the market of legal services has profoundly changed and the law reflects a new vision of the profession. (single source)
- The delegation law had previously been approved by the Chamber of Deputies before Senate approval. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-08-02: Italian Senate passes delegation to overhaul 15 professional orders

Italian Senate approved a delegation law to revamp 15 professional orders, with vote counts of 81‑0‑50 and 114‑0‑19, affecting ~699 k professionals, reducing liability periods, introducing paid internships and

13 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/italian-senate-passes-professional-reform-bill-sending-it-to-the-chamber

### 2026-07-07: Italy Senate Advances Professional and University Governance Reforms

Italy's Senate will review a professional reform bill cutting liability periods and adding trainee reimbursements, while ANDU pushes for a new university self‑governance body to replace the CUN.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/italy-senate-advances-professional-and-university-governance-reforms

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Cite as: Italian Senate advances professional reforms. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/italian-senate-professional-reforms