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Overview

Law and German is a demanding programme that gives you the opportunity to learn about the law, language and culture of one of the principal continental civil law jurisdictions, in addition to receiving a full grounding in Irish and EU law. Far more is involved than simply attaching a language component to a law degree. Students study German law, both constitutional and civil, in their first two years. These law subjects are taught and examined through the relevant language. The language component of each programme is integrated so that language skills are developed in the context of studying the general, as well as the specifically legal, culture of the country concerned. Each programme is taught over four years with a compulsory year abroad.

Is this the right course for you?

In addition to a desire to study law, you will need a specific and strong interest in the general culture, legal, political, economic and sociological make-up of Germany. You should also be willing and have the ability to become fluent in the relevant language.

Course content

In the Freshman (first two) years you will study a variety of legal subjects. In each semester, you will have two Irish law modules, with three hours of lectures in each per week. These shared law modules include The Irish legal system, Torts, Constitutional law, Criminal law, Contract law, Land law, Private law remedies and Legal systems: statutes and regulatory law. These lectures are complemented by compulsory law seminars and modules in legal writing and mooting. Law and language students also study the constitutional and civil law of their chosen jurisdiction. Alongside their law modules, students take integrated modules on language and civilisation, covering aspects of sociology, legal systems and politics. Lectures, tutorials and listening comprehension work are all involved.

Junior Freshman modules

• The Irish legal system*
• Tort law*
• Constitutional law 1*
• Criminal law*
• Legal research and writing
• German language
• German area studies
• German constitutional law

Junior Freshman Law and German students study, alongside German language and textual analysis, the political institutions and aspects of society and economy in the German speaking countries. The course involves an introduction to German constitutional law and the German legal system, German legal history and legal philosophy.

Senior Freshman modules

• Contract law
• Land law*
• Private law remedies*
• Legal systems: statutes and regulatory law
• Mooting programme
• German language
• German cultural history
• German civil law

Senior Freshman law and German students take modules in German language, including legal translation and an introduction to the specialist language used in legal texts; German cultural history; German civil law and jurisprudence and German criminal law.

* See TR004: Law for course details.

The Sophister years

The Junior Sophister (third) year is spent studying legal or related subjects in a German university. For students of Law and German this will be at the universities of Würzburg, Hamburg, Mainz, Humboldt (Berlin), Passau, Munich, Freiburg, Marburg, Tübingen or Erlangen-Nürnberg in Germany. The results obtained studying abroad constitute a substantial part of your final degree grades.

In the Senior Sophister (fourth) year, you select four legal modules from about twenty four options (though if you wish to practise professionally as a solicitor or barrister the range of options is significantly restricted). In addition, you will engage in language and oral work and project/report writing. Students may choose from a number of options to take the place of a law module, including a Broad Curriculum module (see www.tcd.ie/Broad_Curriculum), a research dissertation or a module offered by the relevant language department.

Senior Sophister Law and German students take advanced oral and written language modules, including Translation and rhetoric, attend a seminar on German Law, as well as taking their law modules.

Assessment

A combination of assignments and aural, oral and written examinations is used. There is a strong element of continuous assessment in language and German law subjects.

Career opportunities

The increasing Europeanisation of legal practice means that graduates of the law and a language degree programme have much to contribute to the legal and other professions in Ireland, as well as enjoying career opportunities in Europe. In addition to careers in the legal profession, Law and German graduates also find employment in business, journalism, accountancy, banking, insurance, politics, foreign affairs and diplomacy and public services.

Law Degrees and Professional Qualifications

No law degree entitles a person to practise law as a solicitor or barrister. If you wish to go on to obtain a professional qualification, the governing bodies for the profession require that you study certain specific modules in your primary law degree. These modules are taught as compulsory modules during the Freshman years and/or as optional Sophister modules.

Students contemplating a career as a barrister will need to continue their studies with the Honorable Society of the King’s Inns. To qualify as a barrister, law graduates must complete the one-year degree course with the King’s Inns before ‘devilling’ with a qualified barrister for a year. Further information on becoming a barrister is available from www.kingsinns.ie

Prospective solicitors must undertake the professional training programme for solicitors delivered by the Law Society of Ireland (www.lawsociety.ie).

Separate requirements apply in Northern Ireland. Prospective barristers should consult the Under Treasurer, The Inns Court of Northern Ireland, (www.barlibrary.com), while prospective solicitors should consult the Secretary, the Incorporated Law Society of Northern Ireland (www.lawsoc-ni.org).

In view of rapid changes relating to the rules of entry into professional study, all students are advised to maintain regular contact with the relevant professional bodies so that they are aware of any new requirements coming on-stream.

Further information

www.tcd.ie/Law
Tel: +353 1 896 1125

Graduate Profile

David Hughes

The Law and German programme provided me with perspectives on language and on society which I think are unparalleled in any other programme. We had the opportunity to take our knowledge of the German language to degree level, with the help of an extremely competent and thorough German Studies Department. However, the real gem of the Law and German programme is the meeting place between the two disciplines; so few law students in the world are privileged to study a foreign legal system to such a level. We were thoroughly versed in the basics of German law in our first two years, before embarking on the Erasmus programme in a colourful variety of German legal faculties - this year was undoubtedly the highlight of the programme. Upon our return to Trinity, we consolidated our experience by studying four final-year law subjects (in preparation for training as barristers and solicitors) and we polished our written, aural and oral German skills, as well as taking a more in-depth look at the German and European legal systems in a class taught by a prominent German lawyer. All in all, the Law and German programme was an excellent first step toward a career in any number of areas - and we have found that, with this degree, we have simply strolled through job interviews!

Graduate Profile:

Sarah Palmer

I graduated from the Law and German degree course in Trinity in 2005. Of course, everyone knows that Trinity is a beautiful and historic place to spend four years. More importantly though, it is very diverse, with students from all over Ireland and beyond, so that it has a uniquely open and relaxed atmosphere. As a result, there are much fewer opportunities for cliques to get in the way of making friends and feeling at home. The Law School is also one of the most student-oriented departments on campus: law students have the support of both their peers, through the mentoring programme and the Law Society, as well as their teachers from Day 1. The Law and German programme has even more advantages: smaller class sizes make it a more intense academic and social experience. My Law and German classmates are still my closest friends because there was such a special atmosphere in the group. Studying German law also improved my understanding of Irish law. The main bonus of the Law and German degree, however, is the opportunity to study abroad in third year, become fluent in German and have a lot of fun at the same time. Without exaggerating, it is probably the most exhilarating year of your life. Since graduating, I qualified as a barrister and am now working as a lawyer linguist in the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, using the German skills and knowledge of Irish and European law that I gained in Trinity. I can say with confidence that a degree in Law and German definitely opens up many opportunities at home and abroad, whether in law or other areas. The language aspect and studying German law are not only challenging but also gave me a much broader perspective than I would otherwise have had and enhanced my ability to think critically, logically and analytically, skills which employers value highly in any field. From my own experience, I have found that the degree is extremely well recognised in Ireland and abroad and gives graduates a real edge, which is what matters, in the job market later on.