<![CDATA[As a public official, a notary plays a strategic role in providing legal certainty and protection through the drafting of authentic deeds. This position demands a level of professionalism rooted not only in a mastery of laws and regulations but also in the capacity for legal reasoning—enabling the notary to identify facts, interpret norms, construct arguments, and make legal decisions rationally and responsibly. This article aims to analyze the importance of strengthening legal reasoning as a pillar of notary professionalism while identifying the challenges associated with its practical implementation. Theoretically, legal reasoning is viewed as the link between legal competence and professional action, whereas notary professionalism requires an integration of competence, independence, integrity, prudence, and professional ethics. This study employs a normative research method, utilizing both statutory and conceptual approaches through an analysis of primary and secondary legal materials. The findings indicate that strengthening legal reasoning is crucial for preventing overly formalistic notarial practices, enhancing the quality of legal deliberations, and minimizing the risk of errors and professional misconduct. However, implementation faces several challenges: the gap between legal norms and actual practice, inconsistent ethical understanding, limited access to legal training, a curriculum that remains heavily theory-oriented, significant costs, and pressure from the parties involved. Consequently, there is a need to bolster legal reasoning education and training, foster continuous ethical development, and implement preventive oversight to cultivate a standard of notary professionalism grounded in reasoned professional judgment.]]>
