APPLICATIONS OPEN for 2021 Lawyer-Linguists Competition!

The Council of the European Union, European Commission, and European Parliament, with the support of the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) has just released an Official Notice of Competition calling forward applications for Lawyer-Linguist roles, who are fluent in the following languages: 

• Bulgarian-language (BG) Lawyer-Linguists 
• Czech-language (CS) Lawyer-Linguists 
• French-language (FR) Lawyer-Linguists 
• Hungarian-language (HU) Lawyer-Linguists 
• Irish-language (GA) Lawyer-Linguists 
• Polish-language (PL) Lawyer-Linguists 

Below we 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 Lawyer-Linguists Facebook group.

Getting ready for the EPSO Lawyer-Linguists competition?
Access practice packages here, and view methodology webinars here - some are even FREE!

Competition Snapshot

• Open for Applications: 21 January, 2021
• Application Deadline: 23 February, 2021 (12-noon Brussels Time)
• Grades: AD7
• This competition covers six profiles - you may only apply to one
• Posts will be based in Brussels (Belgium), Luxembourg (Luxembourg) and Strasbourg (France).

Under this competition, the following reserve lists have been advertised, from which the Council of the European Union, European Commission, and European Parliament may recruit new members:

As a lawyer-linguist, you will revise EU legal texts in the language of the competition from at least two other languages and provide advice on legislative drafting. Your main tasks will be to follow the legislative procedures throughout the process and act as advisers, checking the quality of drafting and compliance with the formal rules on the presentation of legislative texts. The work of a lawyer-linguist involves frequent contact with the various participants in the legislative procedure.

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 knowledge (C2 level - mother tongue or equivalent) of the language of the competition (Bulgarian, Czech, French, Hungarian, Irish OR Polish) - will be defined as your Language 1.
  • Language 2: Have a thorough knowledge (minimum C1 level) of English - will be defined as your Language 2.
  • Language 3: Have a thorough knowledge (minimum C1 level) of one of the 24 official EU languages and MUST BE different to your Language 1 and NOT English - will be defined as your Language 3. 

Please consult ANNEX I of the Notice of Competition, which outlines the language combinations being sought in greater detail.

Qualifications & Work Experience

1. Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies, attested by qualifications required for the specific competition you are applying for. Please consult ANNEX I of the Notice of Competition for the specific qualifications sought for each competition listed in this notice.  
2. No professional experience is required.

Selection Process

Please note: You can complete your application in any of the 24 official EU languages​.

1. PRE-SELECTION COMPUTER-BASED TESTS

This phase of the competition is made up of a series of computer-based multiple-choice reasoning tests. 

• The results of the computer-based MCQ tests are eliminatory and will not be taken into account in your final overall marks.
• However, you must reach the minimum pass mark in all tests and get one of the highest scores in order to move on to the next stage of the competition.

2. 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. 

Eligibility will be checked in descending order of the overall marks obtained in the Pre-Selection Computer-Based Tests.

Approximately 7 times (but no more than 8 times) the number of successful candidates sought for each language profile will move on to the next stage of the selection process. 

3. TRANSLATION TEST

Candidates will need to complete a computer-based translation test without the help of a dictionary:

• The test will require you to translate a legal document from Language 2 (English) into your chosen Langauge 1.
• The test will last 2-hours.
• The test will be marked out of 80, with a pass mark required of 40/80.

The marks obtained in the Translation Test will be added to the marks obtained during the Assessment Centre phase, to give you your final overall mark.

You must score one of the highest overall marks in this test to move on to the Assessment Centre stage of the competition.

4. ASSESSMENT CENTRE

A maximum of 4 times the number of successful candidates sought via each language profile will be invited to this phase.

You will be invited to attend an Assessment Centre (online or in-person) over one or several days in your languages 1, 2 and 3. (Further details and instructions will be included in your invitation letter.)

8 general competencies, as well as field-related competencies required for such a role, will be tested through 4 tests:​​

1. General Competency-Based Interview (CBI) - Language 2 (English)
2. Situational Competency-Based Interview (SCBI) - Language 2 (English)
3. Oral Presentation - Language 1. The presentation will be followed by a question and answer session to assess your general competencies, your field-related competencies, as well as your knowledge of European Union law.
4. Field-Related test - Summary in Language 1 of a text in Language 3 (without a dictionary) - to assess your Language 3 skills.

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

In addition to this, the Field-Related Oral Presentation component will require a minimum pass mark of 20/40, and the Field-Related summary test a minimum pass mark of 30/60.

5. RESERVE LIST

After checking candidates’ supporting documents, the selection board will draw up a Reserve List for each language profile of eligible candidates who obtained the highest overall score, 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 this 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 different language profiles:

• Bulgarian-language (BG) Lawyer-Linguists 
• Czech-language (CS) Lawyer-Linguists 
• French-language (FR) Lawyer-Linguists 
• Hungarian-language (HU) Lawyer-Linguists 
• Irish-language (GA) Lawyer-Linguists 
• Polish-language (PL) Lawyer-Linguists 

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? 
Try our FREE EPSO Exam Demo

Unsure how the EPSO selection process works? 
View our short video - ‘New To EPSO Competitions’

Useful reading:

How To Make The Most Of Your EPSO Talent Screener

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

13 Best EPSO Preparation Resources - Free and Paid

What EU Job Applicants Should Always Keep in Mind

6 Reasons Why EU Exam Candidates Fail