In this beautiful story to tell and which starts from Bari and then ends up on the front pages of newspapers, including national ones, the numbers make the difference and surprise anyone who reads them: the first girl at five years old, the diploma at sixteen, the degree at twenty and at twenty-two the title of lawyer. Record times for a responsible boy who seems to want to enjoy life like his peers. He is Nicola Vernola, born in 2001, from Bari and with a determination that is never over the top. The title, like a Guinness Book of Records, is now black and white and bounces across all social media: in 2022 the youngest graduate in Italy and in 2024 the most premature lawyer in the Bel Paese. Today he works in the Roman firm Chiomenti, based in front of the Quirinale, specializing in tax law.
Lawyer, did it bother you to work so hard to achieve certain goals so soon?
«My advance on the schedule during the school years was fruitful. I have interacted with older classmates since I was little, obviously, but I haven’t had any kind of problem in this regard. In fact, no one ever made me worry about the age difference and for me studying was therefore normal, like the others. The goals you mentioned on the topic of time were also made possible thanks to the high school I attended in Bari, the international classic at the “Orazio Flacco” institute and which lasts four years.”
Which subjects are most congenial to you?
«In the beginning Italian and even more mathematics».
Was the choice to study law the result of a family atmosphere, given that your parents are lawyers?
«They gave me maximum freedom and I thank them for this. I remember that my predisposition and curiosity towards legal subjects also started with the essay prepared for the eighth grade exam on the topic of the Italian Constitution”.
Pronouncing the surname Vernola in Puglia means inevitably remembering his paternal grandfather, Nicola, lawyer and exponent of the Christian Democrats, who passed away in 2000: he didn’t know him, but he will have heard about him…
«Yes and always in positive terms, especially outside the home, by anyone. And this makes me so proud.”
Do you like politics too?
«I inform myself but I am focused on studying the Constitution starting from the fundamental foundations of our nature as a democratic state».
Do you miss your homeland?
“Very. Rome is splendid but Bari is in my heart. I have many friends and I come back as soon as I can. Then the stadium awaits me, I’m a passionate fan.”
And the story written in other newspapers that tells of his dream of being president of Bari?
“Mine was just a joke.”
Is studying really everything for you?
“Not at all. Work doesn’t have to be all-encompassing. I think the trick is to stay calm and also look for other interests: only in this way can you have the right energy to dedicate yourself to study or profession.”
And what passions do you have besides football?
«Tennis and, after Sinner’s victories, I like this sport even more».
How do you imagine your future?
«In this Roman studio I feel very comfortable and I have everything to learn, day after day, despite the difficulties of this sector. It’s a job that requires continuous updates, but I’m happy. Here, without wanting to be obvious, another secret to being happy is to find a job that you can enjoy with enthusiasm.”
Do you also see yourself projected into other areas?
«I am also fascinated by a university career but now I have no particular expectations: I have to learn and grow professionally».
What advantages did you achieve by wasting time?
«First of all, guarantee yourself the possibility of making up for lost time and therefore getting back on track. In the meantime, now I can’t wait to return to Bari to hug friends and family again, with my brother Michele and my sister Mariaiole but for everyone “Ioiò””.
A final joke about “your” Puglia?
«In the capital there is a lot of good talk about it and, with the G7, the Heel of Italy was at the center of the world. I support Bari football and my city.”
