![The first seven federal councillors from Vaud were active in the legal profession. Illustration by Marco Heer.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/anwalte-1-300x225.jpg)
Legal era in the canton of Vaud
Seven of the first 36 federal councillors came from Vaud. And all of them were lawyers. This is not surprising, as jurisprudence was highly valued in the west of Switzerland.
![Seal of Bishop Aymon de Cossonay of Lausanne.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/siegel-aymon-de-cossonay-172x300.jpg)
![](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/2019/04/Berner-Feldzug-300x230.jpg)
![Federal Councillor Henry Druey was a member of the first Federal Council.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/druey-300x290.jpg)
![Louis Ruchonnet was in the federal government for almost twelve years. He died in 1893 during a meeting of the Federal Council.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/louis-ruchonnet-274x300.jpg)
![The Federal Court in Lausanne in a photo from 1898.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/bundesgericht-300x182.jpg)
The fateful year 1898
![The assassination of Sisi, depicted in a drawing.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/ermordung-300x199.jpg)
![Lawyers in conversation. Painting by Honoré Daumier, 1840s.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/anwalte-249x300.jpg)
Seven of the first 36 federal councillors came from Vaud. And all of them were lawyers. This is not surprising, as jurisprudence was highly valued in the west of Switzerland.