Since the German reform on lawyer training, the lawyer's phase for law clerks (Referendare) has gained in importance. Clerks spend upto ten months in training with lawyers. This is one more reason to consider carefully how you want to invest this valuable time.

Hengeler Mueller continuously trains law clerks in the lawyer's phase, the mandatory elective phase and the voluntary elective phase. Training as a law clerk, or also working part-time during the period of training, offers a unique opportunity to get to know each other. Many of our associates decided to join Hengeler Mueller after their experience as law clerks with us.

We match the high demands we place on your qualifications with the high demands we place on ourselves when training you at Hengeler Mueller, where we involve you in the firm and also in a collegial and professional working atmosphere.

You can use your training opportunity in our law clerk programme and experience Hengeler Mueller in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Brussels or London.

Our law clerk programme comprises:

• direct contact to one or two of our partners and the possibility to become acquainted with different areas of the law (depending on the length of your training period with us)
• mentoring by associates
• intensive work on exciting deals
• participation in local training events at the Hengeler Mueller Academy
• continued training in our language course "English Legal Language and Communication Skills"
• participation in special events at your local office such as corporate law seminars, regular training sessions in antitrust law and the "tax lunch"
• monthly corporate breakfasts where our lawyers report about their activities and answer your questions
• regular law clerk evenings for a friendly exchange of experience with each other and also with our associates
• participating in casual recreational events organised by the respective offices.

Interested clerks with the appropriate qualifications have the opportunity to work at Slaughter and May in order to become acquainted with the legal profession in London. Our exchange programme with Slaughter and May takes place in May and November. In appropriate cases, we also enable you to spend time in a foreign country at one of the other law firms we work with in Europe.

Of course, we respect the time limits resulting from your primary training as law clerks. Splitting the long lawyer's phase is also possible if you want to supplement your experience at Hengeler Mueller with other insights.

The qualifications we expect from law clerks correspond in general to those for applicants who have already concluded their legal training. Of course, we are particularly interested in law clerks who express an interest in working with us after they conclude their training.

Please send your application as early as possible (nine to twelve months in advance). In specific cases, however, we can also provide training positions at short notice.

If you are waiting to start your law clerk period or an LL.M. programme after your first state bar exam, this can also be an excellent opportunity to become acquainted with Hengeler Mueller for a few months. You can apply to us at short notice, preferably directly after you have received your grades on the written portion of your first state bar exam.

Application procedure