2019 EPSO Specialists in Legal Research Competition Released

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) has just released the EPSO/AD/365/19 - EPSO/AD/370/19 Notice of Competitions – calling forward applications for the EPSO Administrators Specialising In Legal Research (AD5 & AD7) competition.

• Reference Number: EPSO/AD/365/19 - EPSO/AD/370/19
• Open for Applications: 7 March, 2019
• Application Deadline: 9 April, 2019 (12-noon Brussels Time)
• Grade: AD5 & AD7
• This notice covers six competitions, each competition has two grades. 
  You may only apply to one competition and one grade.
• This competition includes a Talent Screener

Under the EPSO Administrators Specialising In Legal Research competitions, the following profiles and reserve lists have been advertised, from which the Court of Justice in Luxembourg may recruit new members:

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

Want to join the conversation and talk to other candidates about this competition? 
Get helpful hints and advice from other candidates via the EPSO Legal Specialists Exams Facebook group.

Getting ready for the EPSO Specialists in Legal Research competition?
Access the Specialists in Legal Research practice package here, and view methodology webinars here - some are even FREE!

Snapshot of the 2019 EPSO Specialists in Legal Research - Lawyers Competition

The deadline for registrations is 9 April 2019, at 12 midday (CET).

This competition will recruit Specialists in Legal Research at AD5 and AD7 level, specifically looking for lawyers with qualifications in either Cypriot, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian or Polish law,

As a lawyer with experience in legal research, you will assist the Court of Justice and the General Court in carrying out their judicial duties and help disseminate EU case law. You will carry out analyses of case law of the courts and preliminary analysis of new cases. You will also research EU and national law as well as comparative law. If you are an experienced lawyer in a particular area, you will also steer field specific projects, and design/refine legal research tools and tools for disseminating national and EU law.

Please see ANNEX I of the Notice of Competition for more specific information.

Successful applicants will be recruited by the Court of Justice in Luxembourg, in particular, the Research and Documentation Directorate.

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 TWO official EU languages:
  • Language 1: Have a thorough knowledge (minimum C1 level)  of the competition language (either Cypriot, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian or Polish) - will be defined as your Language 1.
  • Language 2: Have a good command (minimum B2 level) in French - will be defined as your Language 2. (Please note that the application's Talent Screener component must be filled out in Language 2)
• Qualifications & Work Experience:
  • Grade AD5: You must have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma in law. The diploma in law must relate to the legal system covered by the competition chosen. NO professional experience is required.
  • Grade AD7: You must have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma in law. The diploma in law must relate to the legal system covered by the competition chosen. PLUS at least 6 years’ professional experience relevant for the duties. Experience of legal research acquired while preparing for a doctorate may be counted as professional experience, up to a maximum of 2 years, and only if the doctorate has actually been obtained. 

Please consult ANNEX IV of the Notice of Competition for examples of minimum qualifications.  

Selection Process

1. Eligibility Check

EPSO will check the data provided by each candidate via their online application against the eligibility requirements of this competition. Remember that you can fill out your application in any of the 24 Official EU languages - except for the Talent Screener!

It is also important for Grade AD7 applicants to note that during the check for eligibility, the selection board may reassign an application to Grade AD5. This will happen if the data given in the application does not meet the eligibility requirements for Grade AD7 but it does for Grade AD5, and the applicant gave consent for reassignment to Grade AD5 when they applied. In such cases, the applicant will be considered a candidate of Grade AD5 for the rest of the procedure. 

2. Talent Screener

You MUST complete your Talent Screener in Language 2 - FRENCH.

The selection board assigns a weighting to each selection criterion and based on the information provided in the Talent Screener each candidate will receive a score. Only those candidates with the highest overall marks will go through to the next stage. Therefore, you should include all relevant information in your Talent Screener answers, even if you have already mentioned it in other sections of your application form. The questions are based on the selection criteria included in this notice - see ANNEX II for the list of criteria.

Need help with your EPSO application or Talent Screener?
Take a look at our Application Assistance service

3. Written Test In The Field

Those who scored the highest marks in the Talent Screener will be invited to sit the Written Test In The Field. A maximum of 9 times the number of successful candidates sought for each competition and grade will be invited to this phase.

This test will need to be completed in Language 2 - FRENCH.

During the written test, you will be asked to draft a note based on an area of European Union law and analyse legal issues relating in particular to the national law of the competition you have chosen: Cypriot, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian or Polish law.

The written test will be marked out of 40 with a pass mark of 20/40. Your written communication in French during the test will be marked out of 10 with a pass mark of 7/10. If you do not reach the pass mark for the written test and the written communication component you will not progress further in the competition.

4. Assessment Centre

Those who scored the highest marks in the Written Test In The Field will be invited to the Assessment Centre. A maximum of 3 times the number of successful candidates sought for each competition and grade will be invited to this phase.

Please note that the Assessment Centre will most likely take place in Luxembourg.

You will be required to sit a series of computer-based multiple-choice questions and reasoning tests. 

These tests must be completed in your chosen competition's language - Language 1. 

One point will be awarded per question and the overall mark will be out of 40.
The marks obtained in these tests will count towards your final overall competition score that's why it is so important to get the highest marks possible for each reasoning test.

Then 8 general competencies, as well as the field-related competencies required for each competition and grade, will be tested through 4 tests:

1. Case Study
2. Group Exercise
3. General Competency-Based Interview
4. Field-Related Interview

These tests must be completed in Language 2 - FRENCH.

Each competency will be awarded a mark out of 10, with a total pass mark required of 40/80. 

4. Reserve List

After checking candidates’ supporting documents, the selection board will draw up a Reserve List (for each competition and grade) of the eligible candidates who obtained the highest overall score, until the number of successful candidates sought is reached.

• Want to get posts on developments and connect with other candidates about this competition? Get helpful hints and advice from other candidates via the  EPSO Legal Specialists Exams Facebook group.
• EU Training offers practice EPSO computer-based test simulations for Specialist Competitions – click here to try out our practice tests for this competition.
• EPSO Case Study simulations (with the option to have your completed answers evaluated) are available here.
• Browse our extensive library of methodology webinars. You might find the following recordings a valuable resource to better understand the methodology of each exam: Case Study Exam Insights, EPSO Group Exercise Insights, EPSO Competency Based Interview Insights or our FREE Beginners Guide webinars covering the various EPSO reasoning tests. 
• We also hold EPSO Assessment Centre simulation sessions and Master Classes regularly. Alternatively, you can request a Personal Coaching session with one of our EPSO experts here.

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 this profile 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 below for the various profiles:

Specialists in Legal Research - Cypriot (CY) law (AD5)
Specialists in Legal Research - Cypriot (CY) law (AD7)

Specialists in Legal Research - Greek (EL)  law (AD5)
Specialists in Legal Research - Greek (EL)  law (AD7)

Specialists in Legal Research - Hungarian (HU) law (AD5)
Specialists in Legal Research - Hungarian (HU) law (AD7)

Specialists in Legal Research - Italian (IT) law (AD5)
Specialists in Legal Research - Italian (IT) law (AD7)

Specialists in Legal Research - Latvian (LV)  law (AD5)
Specialists in Legal Research - Latvian (LV)  law (AD7)

Specialists in Legal Research - Polish (PL)  law (AD5)
Specialists in Legal Research - Polish (PL)  law (AD7)

Are You New to EPSO Competitions? 

EU Training offers a wealth of practice materials for all stages and levels of the EU institutions’ selection exams.

Check out our FREE E-books, webinars, webcasts and e-learning materials to help you excel.

If you have a question or need additional help in understanding the EPSO processes, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Want to see what these EPSO Pre-Selection exams look like? 
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Unsure how the EPSO selection process works? 
View our short video - ‘New To EPSO Competitions’

Useful reading:

The Motivation Challenge - What To Write In Your EPSO Application?

How To Make The Most Of Your EPSO Talent Screener

13 Best EPSO Preparation Resources - Free and Paid

What EU Job Applicants Should Always Keep in Mind

6 Reasons Why EU Exam Candidates Fail