The article is devoted to the study of current problems of development of legal regulation of the activities of the legal profession in the mechanism of ensuring the adversarial nature of the parties in court. The paper substantiates that the legal regulation of the organization of the Soviet legal profession did not fully introduce and support the fundamental constitutional principles of legality, independence, self-government, corporate character and equality in advocacy in their interrelation and systemic unity. This, in turn, did not allow for a full guarantee at the constitutional level of genuine adversarial proceedings. In relation to modern Russia, it cannot be said that an unconditional level of adversarial proceedings has been achieved, when the rights and legitimate interests of clients are fully realized in the administration of justice thanks to the exceptionally effective organization of the legal profession and qualified legal assistance. Such a scientific and public position would seem utopian, idealistic, and not in line with the realities of public life. However, the presence of a number of progressive tendencies does exist, as evidenced by the content of legislation and judicial practice