In Germany, legislation is quite simple, but it must be applied according to certain principles
As Deutsche Welle notes, lucky ones who pass both state exams at least with a "good" (gut) or "satisfactory" (voll befriedigend, which corresponds to a solid "C") are eagerly awaited on the labor market. After all, there are very few of them, and demand is constantly growing.
At the start, employers are ready to pay a German lawyer beginning a career as an attorney 120,000 euros per year. Only the start of a career is the finish of studies, which at law faculties is a test not for the faint of heart. "Education in Germany cannot be compared to studying in our country," assures Ksenia Ilyina, a graduate of the University of Würzburg. Today she is a lawyer and partner at the law firm Lupp + Partner.
Grades for life
According to her, you need to devote yourself completely to jurisprudence during your studies. Besides the fact that it is a very labor-intensive process, another important factor is added, explains the specialist with a German diploma: "In Germany, the grade for the first and second state exams plays a huge role. It will haunt you all your life: wherever you apply for a job, even 10-20 years after graduation, they will always look at your grades."
Ksenia already has 12 years of work experience. She received her education in jurisprudence at two universities simultaneously – full-time in Germany and part-time in Russia. She knows firsthand how to pass the state exam in Germany.
The first state exam consists of eight exams lasting five hours each. They are taken in writing, one after another every day. The second state exam is a marathon of 11 exams. The grade is given on an 18-point system. "Excellent" is from 14 to 18 points. In most universities and federal states, an exam is considered passed if you have scored at least 9 points – Prädikatsexamen. That is, everything that is in double digits is happiness for a lawyer.
Literally only a few across the country pass the state exam with "excellent." "To get a good job, you need to get at least 9 points on each state exam," says the lawyer from Munich. Therefore, during studies, it is important for a student to aim for good grades.
When good grades don't help
When specialists from post-Soviet countries who already have a completed higher education in jurisprudence try to find a job in Germany, presenting diplomas with honors or high grades, it is difficult for a German employer to understand how good a specialist they really are. After all, an excellent lawyer practically does not exist in German practice.
"You need to try to convince your potential employer with other advantages – for example, complete an internship at a good law firm, gain specialized knowledge," advises Ksenia Ilyina. She assesses the labor market situation as favorable for German lawyers with good grades in their diploma. But lawyers with foreign education will have to put in a lot of effort.
"You need to choose a specific direction, undergo practical training, specialize, and not just position yourself as a lawyer from Russia or Ukraine," says the highly qualified specialist. She is sure that "you cannot concentrate all your efforts on Russian-German relations and try to fully secure your employment through this sphere." The first task is to become a lawyer. Today, almost a third of Ksenia's clients and transactions are related to Russia, but she has acquired these contacts over the years.
Simple rules from a lawyer's mouth
To young specialists with a domestic diploma, she can only advise starting their education in Germany from the beginning. "Up to the age of 25, I would recommend studying jurisprudence anew at a German university," she says. Having a domestic diploma and completing a short course at a German university, for example, an LL.M., a special master's program that gives foreign lawyers the opportunity to master the basics of the German legal system in a short time, there is every chance of getting a job at a law firm. But they cannot become lawyers and have no chance of climbing the career ladder. "Such specialists have no development potential," states Ksenia Ilyina.
And finally, a few simple but very useful tips: "The main thing is to love your work: if someone doesn't like jurisprudence, it quickly becomes boring here." "You need to look for a specialization."
If you haven't lost the desire to study this specialty in Germany, for a specialist with extensive experience, besides the high salary and stability after graduating from a German university, there is another very convincing argument. "In Germany, legislation is quite simple, but it must be applied according to certain principles, which is exactly what is taught at the university," shares her experience Ksenia Ilyina. "The work of lawyers in Germany is more creative."