The history of the profession of an attorney-at law dates back to 13 December 1961 when the Council of Ministers adopted a resolution regarding the legal servicing of enterprises, unions and banks. The resolution made it possible to use the services of attorneys-at-law employed by these entities and these services became the primary domain of the work of attorneys-at-law. In 1982, the Parliament passed the Act on Attorneys-at-law, which specified the basic rules regarding the performance of services by attorneys-at-law in Poland.

The law also laid down specific rules on the organisation and operation of the bar of attorneys-at-law. This date can be regarded as the cornerstone in the process of creating the profession of an attorney-at law in Poland and the structures of the bar. Six years later, on 23 December 1988, another important statute was passed – the Act on Economic Activity, which is regarded as another crucial stage in the process of creating the profession.

The law in its Article 24 indicated that the provision of legal assistance is one of the authorised types of an economic activity provided for the benefit of economic enterprises. In 1989, the Bar of Attorneys-at-law was granted powers to carry out the legal training of lawyers wishing to become attorneys-at-law and to register those newly-qualified on special lists – rolls of attorneys-at-law.

Nowadays attorneys-at-law are authorised to represent clients in all areas of law and in all courts including the Supreme Court, Supreme Administrative Court, Constitutional Tribunal, Court of Justice of European Union and European Court of Human Rights.