Procedure descriptions
Admission as a European lawyer
You are not qualified to work as a judge in accordance with the German Law Pertaining to Judges (Richergesetz), but you wish to practise as a solicitor in Germany. In order to do this, you can sit a suitability examination.
Once you have passed this qualifying examination, you have the right to be admitted to the German Bar Association.n addition to your admission, you will also become a member of the relevant bar association and may use the professional title "Lawyer" to work in Germany.
Responsible department
Judicial examination office (Justizprüfungsamt)
Details
Prerequisite
In order to sit the suitability examination, you must meet the following requirements:
- You are a citizen of one of the following countries (or community of states):
- A Member State of the European Union (EU)
- A Member State of the European Economic Area (EEA) or
- Switzerland.
- Your qualifications entitle you to direct access to the German legal profession or
- you have worked for at least three years as a solicitor in Europe.
Procedure
You have to file an application for admittance to the qualifying examination at the responsible authority. The application and the documents to be attached have to be submitted in German.
The State Law Examinations Board will check whether the formal requirements in order to sit the suitability examination are fulfilled. By means of the suitability examination, it will be determined whether you possess the capabilities needed to practise as a solicitor in Germany.
This examination consists of written and oral components. Should you already possess knowledge of German law, you can apply for exemption from component parts of the examination in full or in part.
Tip: Extensive information on the qualifying examination and the examination dates (Informationen über die Eignungsprüfung und die Prüfungstermine) can be found on the website of the Justizministeriums Baden Württemberg.
Required documents
- hand written CV
- proof of authorisation to access the profession of European lawyer directly
- proof that you have spent more than half of the minimum qualification period in EU/EEA states or Switzerland or confirmation of a previous occupation in one of these states with a duration of at least three years
- proof of nationality of an EU/EEA state or Switzerland
- determination of one elective from each of the two elective groups and the subject for the second proctored examination
- assurance that you have not applied for admission to the qualifying examination at any other examination authority
- declaration about whether and at which examination authorities you have taken the qualifying examinations without success
Legal basis
- § 1 Gesetz über die Tätigkeit europäischer Rechtsanwälte in Deutschland (EuRAG) (Europäischer Rechtsanwalt)
- § 16 Gesetz über die Tätigkeit europäischer Rechtsanwälte in Deutschland (EuRAG) (Eignungsprüfung)
- § 17 Gesetz über die Tätigkeit europäischer Rechtsanwälte in Deutschland (EuRAG) (Eignung)
- § 18 Gesetz über die Tätigkeit europäischer Rechtsanwälte in Deutschland (EuRAG) (Landesjustizprüfungsamt)
- Verordnung über die Eignungsprüfung für die Zulassung zur Rechtsanwaltschaft
Release note
The German original version of this text was drafted in close cooperation with the relevant departments. The Justizministerium released it on 07.08.2015. Only the German text is legally binding. The Federal State does not assume any liability for the translated texts.
In cases of doubt or if you have any questions or problems, please contact the relevant authorities directly.
Contact
Bürger- und Standesamt (Bürgeramt)
eMail buergeramt@heidenheim.de
Telefon (0 73 21) 3 27-33 42
Fax (0 73 21) 3 23-33 32