Aromatic copolyamides, soluble in organic polyamide solvents, comprise at least 95 mol % of the recurrent structural units of the formulae ##STR1## and up to 5 mol % of structural units containing m-bonds. Here, --Ar--and --Ar'-- are divalent, unsubstituted or substituted aromatic radicals, the valency bonds of which are in the para-position or in a comparable coaxial or parallel position, and --R is a lower alkyl radical.