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State Examination in Law

Legal training consists of two parts: the Law program and a legal clerkship. The Law program spans nine semesters, and is completed upon passing the First State Examination in Law. At this point, students are awarded a Diplom.

At the different stages of the following two-year legal clerkship, students must complete internships at various obligatory and optional stations. At the end of the clerkship, students must pass the Second State Examination in Law. Only those who have successfully completed both cycles will qualify as a Volljurist (fully-qualified lawyer), enabling them to be appointed to judgeships or the general upper-level civil service, or to perform other legal duties.