To begin with, similar prerequisites apply here as to the study of law in general: You should have a profound interest in working with texts, language, and argumentation, as well as a passion for societal, political, social, and economic issues. You should be interested in exchanging arguments and in constructive and professional disputes, while being able to empathize with people. You should also possess a sound, structured way of thinking and an interest in the issue of what justice is and how to act justly.

When studying in a German-French program of study, good language skills are required. For this course of studies, you will therefore need French skills at level B1 of the European Framework of Reference, or proof of having studied the language for five years in secondary school. If you lack proficiency in the language, you can continually improve your French language skills in the courses on French law throughout the three years prior to your year abroad. When you begin your year in France, you should have reached a C1 level. In addition to proficiency in the French language, good English skills are also important.

For the internships and study periods abroad, the ability to self-organize is also vital. In addition, you should possess both intellectual and intercultural openness, as well as good communication and teamwork skills in order to work with others in the Franco-German group.

Regarding German law:
You will learn the norms and their application and interpretation in the area of private law, public law, criminal law, and European law.

Regarding French law:
In addition to German law, you will learn the basics of French law starting in the first semester and focusing on private law, public law, and European law. You will become familiar with French legal terminology as well as specific French legal methods. This includes certain ways of working such as the French method of solving cases (“cas pratique”), the systematic discussion of a juridical topic (“dissertation”) and the commentary of a sentence (“commentaire d’arrêt”). This will prepare you for the mandatory academic year abroad in France, during which you will earn a French master’s degree. In doing so, you can choose between several options to specialize in separate topics in private law or public law at our three partner universities in Dijon, Nantes, and Paris-Est. A four-week internship in a French-speaking country completes the degree program.

Program structure

1st–2nd year:

• Foundational lectures in German law in the three legal fields of private, public, and criminal law.
• Methods for processing a case
• Introduction to French law
• French legal methods
• Informational excursion to partner universities
• Internship in France

3rd year:

• Special in-depth lectures in the three fields of law
• Practice classes for advanced students in the state examination program with case solutions of greater complexity
• Subject-specific specialization
• Course on French European Union law
• Intensive course on French international private law leading up to your stay abroad
• Seminar on comparing the laws of Germany and France

4th year:

• Study in France in a master’s degree program (you can choose between different areas of civil and public law, depending on the university)
• Bachelor’s thesis

Stay abroad

A master’s degree at one of our French partner universities is a mandatory part of this program of study.

Please note:
The program in France can only be started in the winter semester. The year abroad therefore takes place during the 7th and 8th semesters. If you begin this program of study in the summer semester, the year abroad can take place during your 6th and 7th or 9th and 10th semesters.

Internships

You will complete a mandatory four-week internship in a French-speaking country within the context of this program of study. However, you may choose in what area you would like to carry out your internship: jurisprudence and the judicial system, legal counselling, or administration.

Voluntary internships are another good opportunity to obtain more in-depth insight into a professional field.

An internship allows you to discover whether everyday life in a particular occupation suits your career expectations and interests. You can gain qualifications for a professional field and acquire important professional and personal skills to start a career. An internship helps you both shape your career path, and mold the remainder of your course sequence – in particular by selecting specializations that suit your practical experience.

You can find further information and relevant internships on the Career Service website.

Even if laws are primarily characterized by the nation in which they written, knowledge of other legal systems is gaining importance in professional practice in this age of Europeanization and globalization. The European Union in particular is experiencing a strong tendency toward the harmonization and standardization of previously autonomous legal systems. The ability to see beyond one’s own country’s legal system and to work with different legal systems is therefore becoming more important.

Students are technically able to take up a profession after earning the bachelor’s degree and the French master’s degree, but options are limited. Further study and completion of the two standard legal qualifications (the state examination with the first and second legal exams in Germany, the M2 degree program in France) greatly improve your job prospects.

Therefore, a majority of students decide to take the first legal exam by studying the Law state examination degree program at the same time.

After completing the bachelor’s degree, many students additionally complete the related master’s degree in International Private Law and European Uniform Law; the University of Dijon recognizes it as an M2 qualification for students who completed their stay abroad in Dijon.

In some cases, students continue their professional career path in France, usually with an M2 degree. Subsequently, the direct transition to a profession in economics is possible, while special schools exist for the regulated legal professions in France (e.g., school for lawyers) and specific selection processes must be completed for further professions in public service (concours).

Upon completing the program of study in German and French Law, a variety of professional fields are open to you, including in the following:

• National and international organizations and corporations
• Economic and social associations
• Politics
• Journalism
• Other freelance professions (tax advisor, statutory auditor)

Professions in the field of law (second state examination for Law necessary):

• Judge
• Attorney
• Prosecutor
• Notary

Passing the second state examination also qualifies you for entry into the higher level of the civil service.

Graduates of the Law program at JGU have found work as:

• Minister-president of Rhineland-Palatinate
• Lawyer for a publicly financed broadcasting company
• Judge for the Federal Social Court
• Evaluator for the EU’s Competition Commission
• Head of the code enforcement office for a large city in Rhineland-Palatinate
• Specialist lawyer for inheritance law
• Notary in a Hessian town
• Professor of Public Law at a university
• Professor of Regulatory Law at a university of applied sciences
• Prosecutor in Bavaria
• Employee in the research service of the German Bundestag
• Advisor for a labor union
• Head of division for the association of Hessian cities (Hessischer Städtetag)