Franz Kafka took his last university examination on 13 June 1906, and on 18 June he was awarded a doctorate in law. Even before finishing university, he had joined the legal practice of the Prague lawyer Richard Löwy on the Old Town Square.
Having completed his university course as quickly as possible, he likewise endeavoured to waste no time afterwards, no doubt on account of his parents. The choice of career was particularly difficult in his case. It was affected by his father’s ideas about finding a place in society, as well as by his own aversion to private legal practice (advocacy) – confirmed by his first three months as a legal clerk, his only average examination results and, in particular, his dreams of finding a good job somewhere abroad. The later aspiration was supported by several members of his family who had already taken that route and whom he regarded as role models. However, he had enough time to reach a final decision during his compulsory year of clerkship in court.
Kafka’s year of clerkship in court, which was compulsory for lawyers who wanted to enter civil service, lasted from 1 October 1906 to 30 September 1907. The first six months were spent at the civil court on Ovocný Trh, the last six months at the criminal court on Charles Square. His clerkship does not seem to have been of any particular benefit to him and he himself regarded it a waste of time. It was a year of no notable achievements.