Becoming a lawyer-linguist at the Court
Lawyer-linguists are lawyers specialised in legal translation. The Court of Justice of the European Union employs around 600 lawyer-linguists. Most of these are permanent staff recruited through open competitions organised by EPSO. In order to become a lawyer-linguist you need have a law degree awarded in a Member State relevant to the language in question, a perfect command of that language and a good knowledge of at least two other official EU languages. Each language has its own dedicated unit in the Court.
Becoming a lawyer-linguist
A lawyer-linguist is responsible for translating judicial texts – including Court judgments and Opinions of Advocates General – into the EU’s official languages.
The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) organises competitions for lawyer-linguists according to the Court’s needs. Notices of the competitions are published in the EU’s Official Journal.
What do I need to apply?
In general, the requirements do not vary much between competitions for each language. However, they may be adapted to suit the particular market of the competition and the specific needs of the language unit.
To be eligible for the role, you must satisfy the general and special conditions, which are common to all the EU institutions. However, you must also satisfy the following minimum requirements.
- You must hold a law degree awarded by a Member State relevant to the language of the competition.
- You must have a perfect command of the language of the competition.
- You must have knowledge of at least two other official EU languages.
Please note that lawyer-linguists carry a great responsibility. They must have high-level legal and linguistic skills, be able work to quickly and under pressure, and be ready to adapt to changes including technological progress and to continue learning throughout their career.
How does selection work?
Following a procedure to determine the admissibility of candidates, you will be asked to complete written tests.
The written tests involve translating and revising legal texts from two official EU languages of your choice into the language of the competition. You must complete these translations without the use of a dictionary.
If you are successful, you will be added to a reserve list. This means that you may be invited for an interview for a post as and when the need arises and posts become available for your language.
