Official Study Guide for Germany
Law
In a law degree programme, you will learn to understand the numerous and often very abstract legal norms and apply them to different concrete situations.
Overview of the academic discipline
In the field of law, there are, on the one hand, degree programmes at universities that conclude with the First and Second State Law Examination. After a preparatory service (legal clerkship), students acquire the qualification to become a fully qualified lawyer. The Bachelor's or Master's degree programmes, on the other hand, combine the elements of legal training relevant to business or administrative practice with the content of a business administration degree. The programme is geared towards later practical work, for example in business.
Which topics are included in the curriculum?
In the law degree programme, you deal with the fundamentals of law.
- In modules such as civil law, you will learn how contracts are concluded and what legal claims arise from them.
- In criminal law, you will learn which actions are punishable and how offences are punished.
- Public law deals with topics such as constitutional law and administrative procedures in order to understand how the state is organised.
- You can specialise in European or international private and procedural law, criminology, labour law and human resources management, corporate law, commercial and company law, media and telecommunications law, financial services, commercial legal protection, construction law and the real estate industry, as well as competition and insolvency law.
- The degree programme is often supplemented by legal methodology, which helps you to systematically interpret laws and develop legal arguments.
What are the requirements?
A good understanding of texts, logical thinking and the ability to work precisely are essential. You should enjoy analysing and solving complex legal issues. An interest in social and political issues rounds off your profile. Good knowledge of the following school subjects is also important: Economics/Law, Politics/Social Studies, History and German.
What study programmes are there to choose from?
In addition to traditional law, this field of study includes subjects from the areas of ‘Business Law’, ‘German and French Law’, ‘Public Law’ and ‘Commercial Law’.
What job opportunities are there after graduation?
The prerequisite for qualification to work as a judge or public prosecutor is the completion of a law degree at a university with the First Law Examination and the subsequent preparatory service with the Second State Examination (Volljurist*in). This also applies to admission as a lawyer and for the higher administrative service (except for the Federal Foreign Office). An additional specialised notarial examination is required for a career as a notary.
Hint:
With a Bachelor's or Master's degree, it is not possible to enter the preparatory service and therefore not to work as a judge, public prosecutor, solicitor, notary or in the higher administrative service. However, lawyers can also work in public administration or in business (e.g. in banks, insurance companies, large industrial and commercial enterprises), in business consulting and in associations.
Business lawyers not only work in legal departments, but also in the finance, sales, procurement and HR departments of companies. They also work in retail, banks, insurance companies, management consultancies, tax consultancies and auditing firms. The service industry and trade associations are also potential employers.