APPLICATIONS OPEN! Lawyer-Linguists | EP-EC-Council | EPSO Exams

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-Linguists/legal revisers who are fluent in the following eight languages: 

• DA | Danish 
• DE | German 
• EN | English 
• ET | Estonian 
• HR | Croatian
• NL | Dutch
• RO | Romanian
• SL | Slovenian

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

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Competition Snapshot

• EPSO reference #: EPSO/AD/423/25
• Opened for applications: 4 March 2025
• Application deadline: 10 April, 2025 (noon, Brussels Time)
• Grade: AD7
• This competition covers 8 languages - you may only apply to one
• Posts will be based in Brussels (Belgium), Luxembourg (Luxembourg) and Strasbourg (France).

The following reserve lists have been advertised for a total of 208 successful laureates, 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 translated into the language of the competition from at least two other languages. Your role includes ensuring legal and linguistic accuracy, advising on legislative drafting, and checking compliance with formal drafting rules. You will follow legislative procedures from start to finish, helping to draft and review amendments and ensuring consistency between different language versions of legal texts. The role involves regular contact with various participants in the legislative process and requires the use of standard IT and office tools.

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ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

GENERAL criteria:

• Have EU citizenship
• Fulfilled any military service requirements
• Meet the character requirements for the duties concerned

SPECIFIC criteria:

Language requirements*

• You must be proficient in three official EU languages:
  • Language 1: The language of the competition (native-level, C2).
  • Language 2: Any official EU language other than Language 1 (thorough knowledge, minimum C1).
  • Language 3: Another official EU language, different from both Language 1 and Language 2 (thorough knowledge, minimum C1).
• For English-language candidates (EPSO/AD/423/25 – EN):
  • Language 1: English (C2 native-level proficiency).
  • Language 2: Any official EU language except English (minimum C1).
  • Language 3: Another official EU language, different from both Language 1 (English) and Language 2 (minimum C1).
• For the other language profiles, English must be selected as Language 2, as most EU legal texts are translated from English. Candidates must be able to revise texts translated from English into their competition language and ensure consistency in legal terminology between the English version and the target language.
• The role of Language 3:
  • Required to verify the legal and linguistic accuracy of translated texts by comparing different language versions.
• Testing languages:
  • The competition tests will be conducted in different languages based on the candidate’s language choices in line with these requirements.

*Make sure to read Section 3.2 of the NoC for the official and full details of the language requirements.

Qualifications*

• Education requirement:
  • Candidates must have a university degree in law from the country corresponding to the language of the competition.
  • The degree must qualify them to practise law or provide legal expertise in that country.
• Additional requirements for some candidates:
  • If the law degree is only three years long, candidates must also have at least one year of legal experience.
  • Legal experience can come from working as a lawyer in private practice, in an EU institution, a national government, an international organisation, an NGO, or a university.
• Diploma deadline: If a diploma is required, it must be obtained by 14 September 2025.
• English-language profile differences:
  • The eligibility criteria for the English-language competition are more complex and include specific requirements based on legal qualifications from Ireland, Malta, the UK (before 2021), or common law degrees from outside the EU.
  • Candidates applying for EPSO/AD/423/25 – EN should check Section 3.3.3 of the Notice for the full details.

*All candidates should make sure to read Section 3.3 of the Notice of Competition as the only official source for information regarding eligibility requirements.

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SELECTION PROCESS

1. APPLICATION

Candidates applying to this competition must submit their application online through the EPSO website by 10 April 2025 at 12:00 noon Brussles time. The application can be submitted in any official EU language, although the NoC states that using Language 1 for the application is highly recommended.

Then, the next step is for candidates to upload, through their EPSO accounts, scanned copies of documents that support the declarations made in their applications. This has to be done latest by 15 September 2025 at 12:00 noon Brussels time.

2. TESTS

All EPSO candidates who submit and validate their applications by the due date will be invited to sit a series of tests:

EU LAW TEST

• Multiple-choice test on EU law, institutions, and policies.
• 30 questions in Language 1 (competition language).
• 60 minutes, minimum pass score: 15/30.

LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION TESTS

• Measures reading ability, vocabulary, grammar, and understanding.
• Candidates for the English-language profile (EPSO/AD/423/25 – EN) take tests in Language 2 and Language 3.
• Candidates for other language profiles take a test in Language 3 only.
• 12 questions per test, 25 minutes per test (no pass score required).

REASONING TESTS

The reasoning tests (verbal, numerical, and abstract) do not count towards the final score. They are only used to determine if a candidate meets the minimum pass score of 15/30 to proceed in the competition.

REVISION TESTS

Candidates must revise a legal text to reflect real-life work. 

• English-language candidates: Revise a text originally written in English.
• Other candidates: Revise a text translated from English into their competition language and translate missing sections.
• 90 minutes, pass score: 50/100.

3. SCORING and ELIGIBILITY CHECK

How tests are scored

• Reasoning tests (verbal, numerical, abstract) are scored first. Candidates must get a combined pass score of 15/30 to continue.
• EU law test is scored next. Candidates must score at least 15/30 to remain in the competition.
• A preliminary ranking is created based on EU law test scores.

Eligibility Check

• The selection board will review candidates’ qualifications in rank order until four times the number of available spots is reached.
• Only those ranked high enough will proceed further.

Scoring of Revision and Language Comprehension Tests

• Only eligible candidates will have their revision test and language comprehension test(s) scored.
• Candidates must get at least 50/100 in the revision test to remain in the competition.

Final Ranking

• Candidates are ranked based on their combined test scores.
• The highest-scoring candidates are added to the reserve list for recruitment.

Candidates who fail to meet the minimum scores at any stage are disqualified.

4. RESERVE LIST

Candidates who pass all tests and achieve the highest combined scores are placed on a reserve list. The number of candidates selected matches the available spots per competition.

• The final reserve list is not ranked, it is in alphabetical order
• If multiple candidates tie for the last spot, they all get included.
• Being on the reserve list does not guarantee a job but makes candidates eligible for recruitment.
• Results are final, and candidates will be notified once the list is established.

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HOW CAN YOU APPLY?

ALWAYS double-check the official EPSO Notice of Competition to comprehend in its entirety the rules related to your specific competition. For more information on the EPSO selection procedure read the official Notice of Competition and the General Rules Governing Open Competitions to be sure you have the required qualifications and satisfy the eligibility criteria before submitting your application.

The first step is always to create an EPSO account if you haven't yet!

The link to apply is on your chosen profile's page:

• DA | Danish
• DE | German
• EN | English
• ET | Estonian
• HR | Croatian
• NL | Dutch
• RO | Romanian
• SL | Slovenian

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GOOD LUCK ON YOUR EPSO EXAMS!

The EU Training Customer Service Team is at your service: contact us for more information on how to prepare for this EPSO competition.

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