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This article analyzes the factors that contribute to accessing the status of “Professeur des universités” in law, based on an original database. We show that men and individuals who have defended their thesis in one of the main Parisian universities are more likely to gain this status. These results can be explained by the fact that they are more successful in the concours d’agrégation externe (external competitive examination), but also by the fact that they are more likely to retake the exam if they fail. We also show that having the candidate’s PhD supervisor on the jury of the concours d’agrégation externe more than doubles the probability of success. Finally, we show, in comparison with recruitment through the national competitive examination, that local recruitment is marked by strong localism.