The dissertation deals with the process of the development of the professional competence of future lawyers. The thesis reveals the methodological basis of the research. The structure of the professional competence was proposed. The additional functions of the lawyer are shown, such as a predictive one, a cross-cultural function, a humanistic one and a designing function. The structural-functional model of the development of the professional competence of future lawyers is constructed. This model is based on the theoretical analysis of scientific literature. It contains the program of facilitating the formation of the professional competence. The program consists of three parts: a) motivational modeling; b) content-operational; c) reflexive. Basic psychological factors of the development of the professional competence of future lawyers were determined: a) a teacher has to account a complex structure of the professional competence of lawyers, namely motivational target, cognitive, social, axiological and auto-psychological components and structural elements of the professional competence, which greatly facilitate the formation of the professional competence of lawyers; b) the organization of future lawyers to update domineering cognitive style execution of legal activity, including such styles as "flexible cognitive control", "field-independence", "latitude band in performing legal activities", "latitude scanning right information", "cognitive complexity execution of legal activity"; c) the willingness of students to participate in the program of formation of the professional competence, namely psychological training, business and role-playing games, which facilitate the development of personal and professional reflection of future lawyers, communicative competence and social competence of the person, tolerance, emotional flexibility, emotional stability, etc.; d) the willingness of students to do exercises, to make up legal and professionally informed decisions, to form capabilities to professional self-actualization, to the development a professional orientation of future lawyers. In the forming experiment the author's psychological training "The development of the professional competence of future lawyers" was successfully approved.
