Law (Rechtswissenschaft), Erste Prüfung (Staatsexamen) at Justus Liebig University Giessen

Students work with the three major areas of German law (private law, public law and criminal law) using statutes, case law and case constellations, supplemented by legal-historical, legal-philosophical and legal-sociological perspectives. The Giessen Model offers intensive small-group work and close links to practice. From winter semester 2025/26, students may apply for a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) once they meet the admission requirements for the compulsory-subject examination and have passed the academic paper.

Faculty: Fachbereich 01 - Law  |  Department: Law  |  Duration: 10 semesters  |  Study mode: full-time; Staatsexamen; German-taught  |  Intake: Winter semester and summer semester  |  Location: Gießen, Hessen, Germany

What you will study

Four phases: an intermediate examination (eight written examinations in core legal areas, six of which must be passed by the end of semester 6), advanced exercises in private, public and criminal law, a focus area (about 10 percent of the programme: for example Foundations of Law, Labour Law with Social Law, Economic Law, International and Foreign Private and Procedural Law, or Constitution and Society) and the First State Examination. The programme can be combined with the Magister Juris Internationalis (MJI) or followed by a doctorate.

Career pathways

After the First State Examination and a two-year legal preparatory service ending with the Second State Examination, graduates acquire the qualification for judicial office (Volljurist). Besides legal careers in the bar, judiciary and administration there are opportunities in business and chambers.

Official programme page