Take the second state examination in law

The second state examination in law consists of a written and an oral examination.

In the written examination, you will be asked to complete a total of eight written papers, each lasting 5 hours. Four of these are from the area of activity of the ordinary courts and the legal advisory professions in civil matters, two are from the area of activity of the public prosecutor's office, the ordinary courts and the legal advisory professions in criminal matters and two are from the area of activity of public administration, the courts of general administrative jurisdiction and the legal advisory professions in the area of administrative law.

In the oral examination, you will first give a free presentation on a case selected for you. The preparation time for the presentation is 90 minutes. This is followed by four examination interviews in civil law, public law, criminal law and an elective subject.

Please contact the State Examination Office for Lawyers at the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Justice.

Responsibility lies with the State Examination Office for Lawyers at the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Justice

You can take the second state examination in law if you have completed a law degree at a university with the first examination and have completed a subsequent two-year preparatory service, the legal clerkship, in Rhineland-Palatinate. The examination can be repeated once.

By the end of the 16th month of training, the president of the higher regional court at which you are completing your preparatory service will send the president of the examination office a list of trainee lawyers who are due to take the second state examination in law. All you have to do is send the State Examination Office a registration form with your contact details. The form is available on the homepage of the State Examination Office.

There are generally no fees for the second state examination in law.

If you wish to retake the examination to improve your grade, which is possible once within one year of passing, a fee of 400.00 euros will be charged.

You will be registered for the examination by the President of the Higher Regional Court at which you are completing your preparatory service. If you have already completed your preparatory service, it is up to you to register for a specific examination campaign to prepare the supervisory papers for the second state examination in law by February 15 (spring campaign) or August 15 (fall campaign) of each year at the latest.

The examination procedure, including the written examination, correction of supervisory work and oral examination, takes approximately 7 months. It begins in the 18th month of the preparatory service with the written examination and ends with the oral examination, which takes place after the 24th month of training.

• §§ 5 ff. German Judges Act (DRiG)
• German Judges Act (DRiG)
• State law on legal education (JAG)
• Legal training and examination regulations (JAPO)

Appeal against the assessment of individual examination results and the final examination decision.

Registration form for the second state examination in law.

06.08.2021