2017 EPSO Competition For Lawyer-Linguist Released

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) has just released the EPSO/AD/348/17- EPSO/AD/353/17 Notice of Competition – calling forward applications for the Lawyer Linguist competition.

Under the Lawyer Linguist (AD7) competition, the following profiles and reserve lists have been advertised:

Competition Code	Language	Candidates Sought
(EPSO/AD/348/17)	Danish (DA)	7
(EPSO/AD/349/17)	Estonian (ET)	7
(EPSO/AD/350/17)	Irish (GA)	8
(EPSO/AD/351/17)	Croatian (HR)	7
(EPSO/AD/352/17)	Latvian (LV)	7
(EPSO/AD/353/17)	Slovenian (SL)	7

While this notice covers six profiles, you can ONLY apply to ONE. It is important to note that you will not be able to change your choice once you have confirmed and validated your online application form.

Below we will explore the specifics of this competition and the selection process that you will need to undertake.

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Snapshot of the 2017 EPSO Lawyer-Linguist Competition

The deadline for registrations is 28 November 2017, at 12 midday (CET) giving applicants just about a month to apply.

This competition will recruit Lawyer-Linguist specialists functioning at the administrator level (AD7). Those recruited will be expected to revise legal/legislative texts in the language of the competition from at least two other languages, as well as provide advice on legislative drafting. Please see ANNEX I of the Notice of Competition for specific information about the typical duties to be performed.

Successful applicants will be recruited by the European Parliament and the European Council.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates will need to satisfy the following:

Have EU citizenship
Fulfilled any military service requirements
Meet the character requirements for the duties concerned
Have knowledge of at least THREE official EU languages:
- Language 1: Have a perfect command (minimum C2 level) of the competition language (either Danish, Estonian, Croatian, Latvian or Slovenian) - will be defined as your Language 1
- Language 2: Have a thorough knowledge (minimum C1 level) in English - will be defined as your Language 2
- Language 3: Have a thorough knowledge (minimum C1 level) of either French, German, Italian, Polish or Spanish, and must be different from Language 1 – will be defined as your Language 3
Qualifications & Work Experience:
- No former professional experience is required
- You must have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies in law and satisfy specific diploma requirements, which need to be met for each profile. Please consult ANNEX II of the Notice of Competition for specific information on diploma requirements.

Selection Process

Please note: You must fill in your application form in your Language 2. For this competition there is only one language option and that is English.

1. PRE-SELECTION

This phase of the competition is comprised of a series of computer-based multiple-choice questions and competency-based tests.

The computer based multiple-choice question tests will contain the following:

Tests	Language	Question	Duration	Pass mark
Verbal Reasoning	Language 1	20 questions	35 min	10/20
Numerical Reasoning	Language 1	10 questions	20 min	Numerical + Abstract Reasoning score is combined: 8/20
Abstract Reasoning	Language 1	10 questions	10 min	Numerical + Abstract Reasoning score is combined: 8/20
Language Comprehension	Language 2	12 questions	25 min	7/12

Please note that these tests are eliminatory and do not count towards the other tests held at the assessment centre.

Naturally, candidates need to do much better than a pass mark in the pre-selection exam stage if they wish to progress to the next stage of the competition – the Assessment Centre. So plan your preparation and start practicing right now!

2. SELECTION BASED ON QUALIFICATIONS + TRANSLATION TEST

The eligibility requirements will be checked for each candidate in descending order of the marks obtained in the Pre-selection exam, until the threshold of eligible candidates required is reaches. Candidates are assessed on the data provided in their online application. Those candidates with the highest computer based test score, who also satisfy all the eligibility requirements will be invited to sit a Translation Test in one of EPSO’s accredited centres.

Test	Language	Duration	Pass Mark
Translation of a legal text (without a dictionary)	From Language 2 into Language 1	2 hours	40/80

Please Note: the mark obtained for the Translation Test will be combined with the marks obtained in the Assessment Centre to give you your overall score.

3. ASSESSMENT CENTRE

Those who scored the highest marks in the Translation Test will be invited to the Assessment Centre. A maximum of four times the number of successful candidates sought for each profile will be invited to this phase.

Please note that the Assessment Centre will most likely take place in Brussels and will be undertaken in your chosen Language 1, 2 and 3.

The marks obtained in these tests will count towards your final competition score. Eight general competencies and the specific competencies required for this competition will be tested during the Assessment Centre through four tests:

Competency-based Interview - will be held in your Language 2
Oral Presentation - will be held in your Language 1 (The Oral Presentation will be followed by a question and answer session focused on your job-specific competencies, including your knowledge of European Union law)
Group Exercise - will be held in your Language 2
Summary in Language 1 of a text in Language 3

4. RESERVE LIST

After checking candidates’ supporting documents, the selection board will draw up a Reserve List for each profile of the eligible candidates who have obtained the highest overall scores at the Assessment Centre, until the number of successful candidates sought is reached.

How Can You Apply?

Make sure to ALWAYS check the official Notice of Competition and understand the rules relating to the exams. For full details on the profiles and the selection procedure read the official Notice of Competition and the General Rules Governing Open Competitions to ensure you have the required qualifications and satisfy the eligibility criteria before applying.

To start the application process, click on your language below: