Distance learning law

The profession of lawyer is still one of the most respected in germany. And so it is not surprising that the number of law students has grown significantly in recent years. In rows, parents want this profession for their children, with which comes a certain status in our society and corresponding earnings streams.

But as everyone knows, the profession of a lawyer requires an appropriate study of law – popularly known as "jurisprudence" – to be successful. And this study has it quite in itself. Of course, the basic requirement for this is first of all that you have passed high school graduation. Due to the great interest in the law course, however, almost all universities have now switched to applying the numerus clausus in this field of study. In concrete terms, this means that only high school graduates with a good grade point average have the opportunity to enroll in a law degree program at the respective university.

Furthermore, it should be known by now that studying law is very time-consuming and can take quite a few years, including the subsequent state examinations and the legal clerkship. The standard period of study alone – depending on the federal state and university – is between four and a half and five years. However, it is not uncommon for this standard period of study to be exceeded by far, so that such a course of study can easily last six, seven or even eight years.

Let's take a closer look at what components make up a law degree at a humanities university in germany:

First of all, the standard period of study already mentioned must be completed. During this time, the student learns the most important contents of the three major areas of german law (civil law, public law and criminal law). The standard period of study ends with the so-called "first law examination". In the past, this was usually referred to as a "first state exam". Today, however, this is no longer entirely true, as the first state law exam consists of a state and a university part. The state part accounts for 70 percent of the total grade, while the university part accounts for 30 percent of the total grade.

If you successfully pass this exam, you will then have the opportunity to complete a two-year traineeship. During this time, the prospective lawyer learns to practically apply the theoretical knowledge acquired during the university studies and gains corresponding experience. The two-year legal clerkship is followed by the second state examination in law, also known as the second state examination. If you have also successfully completed this, you may henceforth call yourself a fully qualified lawyer. Numerous career paths are open to him from now on.

Unfortunately, not everyone has the opportunity to go to the arduous and time-consuming course of law school. The good news is that many distance-learning colleges now offer law degrees through distance learning as well. However, this study program is usually somewhat different than the familiar law study program in the form of a presence study at a german university. Distance learning colleges usually offer a six-semester regular course of study as a basis, with which the degree "bachelor of laws (LL.B.)" can be acquired. However, this does not yet involve a state examination. Following the completion of the "bachelor of laws" program, a master's program can then be taken, which leads to the degree "master of laws", in short: LL.M. With this degree, which is now comparable to the former title of diplom-jurist, the graduate has access to a career as a lawyer or even to higher government service.

As you can see from the above, distance learning in the field of law is now a very interesting alternative to the traditional study of law. It can usually be completed in a much shorter time, with job prospects little different from those of classroom-trained lawyers.

If you are now interested, you can find all the important information about studying law at a german distance learning university on this website. We will introduce you to the different providers, clarify all the details of the various study programs and provide you with the basic knowledge you need to quickly and easily find the study model that best suits your needs.

Who is eligible for a distance learning law program?

Basically, you have to know that a distance learning law program makes different demands on the student than a conventional face-to-face study program. However, there should be no impression here that a distance learning law degree is a quasi-shortcut to the popular legal profession. If you think you can avoid the arduous path of university study and open your own law firm in a matter of months, with the exception of distance learning, you're thoroughly mistaken.

In some respects a correspondence course of law makes even more difficult demands than the well-known presence course of studies. So, above all, the student must be able to keep motivating himself and learning on his own – even content that is so dry and boring that no one likes to deal with it.

Above all in the first study months besides the personal partner is missing, although there is professional assistance always over telephone or internet with the remote universities. So the distance learning law program is best suited for people who have no problem working independently, who are equally independent in gathering information and learning materials, and who can also motivate themselves over and over again.

For some, this has certainly taken away an illusion, but it is better to state the facts now than later, after studies have already begun. However, one must also compare the facts mentioned here with the many positive sides, which are connected with a correspondence course in law. Thus, this form of study is ideal for people who, for personal or professional reasons, are unable to enroll in a university in germany for face-to-face law studies. Such groups of people are, for example, already employed, mothers, disabled, etc.

Thus, a major advantage of studying law at a distance is that most of the study can be done from home. For this purpose, all study materials are delivered to your home by mail by the provider, only the exams and examinations usually have to be written at a college or a base of the provider. But even here there is the possibility to make individual arrangements, for example if the journey to the university is too far or does not seem possible for other reasons.

So as a distance learning student, you have much more flexibility and can even complete the degree in part-time form alongside an existing job. So you do not have to accept any cuts in your standard of living and can still set the course for a successful future.

Prerequisites

There are various requirements that must be met in order to be able to take up a distance learning course in law. These are both official requirements, without which permission to study will not even be granted, but also personal requirements, without which it would be possible to start studying, but this would make little sense.

Let's stay with these personal requirements. Nowadays, there are many people who are not happy with their current or. Are simply not satisfied with the profession they have learned. This may be due to the hours of work, but also to the duties of the job or – and this is very often the case – the earning potential. It is all too understandable that everyone would like to develop professionally and improve financially. This is also one of the most important reasons why many people flirt with taking up a course of study alongside their current job. The advantages are obvious. The accustomed standard of living can be maintained, there is no need to cut back on housing, cars, vacations, etc. Be made.

It should be clear to everyone, however, that the personal requirements for taking up a distance learning law course include, above all, time. And this is usually rather scarce in addition to an existing profession. To put it bluntly: a distance learning law course cannot simply be successfully completed in a few hours every weekend. Rather, for the duration of your studies, you will need to schedule several hours each day to study and acquire the content of your studies. Free time is rather a foreign word during this period, so you should get used to it in advance.

For this reason, it is also enormously important that the partner or. Who's family shares their desire to go to college. Only if there is sufficient understanding on his part of the scarce time you will have in the next few months, the study can ultimately be completed successfully.

One of the personal requirements for a successful law degree is also to have a certain affinity for legal topics. Good grades in school in subjects like german, social studies or economics will help a lot. If you have always found dealing with tricky legal issues and the corresponding laws exciting, you have the right personal qualifications for studying law.

The general requirement for law school is a passing grade in high school graduation. However, there are now opportunities to study law at some distance learning colleges even without a high school diploma. In this case, however, you should have a completed vocational training, in some cases the subject areas of the training are also specified by the university. However, courses that can be taken without a high school diploma often have restrictions on the degrees that can be earned – for example, they may not allow you to become a fully qualified lawyer. However, such a degree program can easily qualify you for an interesting job in the legal department of a prestigious corporation.

With a passing baccalaureate degree, on the other hand, an even wider world of law is open to you, even through distance learning. Through various basic study modules and postgraduate studies, everyone can decide for themselves which study path they would like to take and which degree should crown the completed studies at the end.

Study contents & attainable degrees

Surely no one takes up a law degree in order to be left without a corresponding degree afterwards. For the different occupational fields, different degrees are required, so that the question is very interesting, which degrees can be achieved with a distance learning program. Do these differ from degrees in a purely face-to-face study program? We would like to clarify these questions here.

Basically, the attainable degree in a distance learning law program always depends on which modules are added over and above the basic course of study. Here's what it looks like at most distance learning universities: the subject of law is first offered as a basic course of study, which usually takes ca. Six semesters. If this basic course of study is successfully completed, the student earns the degree "bachelor of laws" (LL.B.). However, this degree does not lead to a state examination.

Thus, if you only complete the basic studies, you can continue the distance learning program with the degree LL.B. Finish and work in a legal profession from then on. However, this degree does not qualify you to become a lawyer, nor does it qualify you to become a public prosecutor or judge. However, if you are considering a career in the legal department of a company (for example, a bank, an insurance company or similar), the "bachelor of laws" degree gives you a good chance to do so.

Here is another tip: lawyers with a bachelor of laws degree who subsequently work in companies such as banks or insurance companies often specialize in business law and are therefore in great demand. Sometimes they even have an advantage over the fully trained lawyer, because the latter had less contact with the subject matter of business law during his studies. For this reason, there are a number of companies today that prefer people who have completed a distance learning program and have a "bachelor of laws" degree to a fully qualified lawyer. So this circumstance could be a very good chance also for you!

After obtaining the degree "bachelor of laws" the student has the possibility to add further semesters and thus obtain the degree "master of laws". With this degree, you can already do a lot, for example, you can work in various positions in a law firm or also work in the legal field as a business consultant. However, it is important to know that even the title "master of laws" cannot be equated with a passed state examination and therefore does not qualify to practice as a lawyer. In the meantime, however, many universities offer to credit the acquired certificates from a bachelor's or master's distance learning program. Thus one can change under circumstances later from the remote study into a presence study and start there nevertheless still the way to the full lawyer – sometimes even in shorter time, than with a conventional study.

As you can see, the issue of attainable degrees in distance learning is quite tricky. The main reason for this is that in germany the training to become a fully qualified lawyer via the usual face-to-face studies is still considered a kind of quality marker, and therefore the barriers are only slowly being softened, so that the path to becoming a lawyer, public prosecutor or judge via distance learning is still very difficult in this country.

However, as you can see, the career prospects after completing a law degree are quite good, and there are many interesting jobs for the graduate. Specialization is the secret here, and as we know, specialists are increasingly in demand in germany. This will hardly change in the future.

Part-time or full-time study?

The beauty of a distance learning law degree is: the student can choose whether to complete the degree full time in as short a time as possible, or opt for the part-time option, allowing more time to do other things besides study, such as a job they are already doing.

Of course each student can divide its time with a correspondence course in principle itself. However, care should be taken to allocate the time available as objectively as possible and without false hopes. This means: if you already have a job and work full time every day, it would be difficult for you to complete a law course full time in addition to your job.

In order to make this clear, we must first clarify what is meant by full-time and part-time studies in the form of distance learning in law. At the beginning of the studies, each student receives a study plan, in which it is clearly specified in which time which contents should be learned and which examinations should be taken. If the correspondence course in law is taken up as a full-time course of study, this study plan at most correspondence colleges provides for a study period of six semesters – i.E. Three years – for the degree "bachelor of laws. All contents are thus laid out that the complete course of studies can be accomplished within this time with a normal learning expenditure.

In the full-time variant, however, this only works if several hours are available every day to deal with the learning material. So it is hardly enough to take an hour or two after work in one's original profession to study for one's law correspondence course. Full-time study is thus an option for students who, at most, have a part-time job and can keep most of their day free to work for their studies.

Different for part-time studies. Here the study time is much more generous. Most distance learning colleges allow exactly twice the time of a full-time course for part-time study. This means that you have twelve semesters – or six years – to complete the bachelor of laws degree as part-time students. The situation is similar for the master of laws program, which builds on this: here, the basic period of study is four semesters in full-time form, and doubles to eight semesters for part-time studies.

Interesting is the possibility to combine full-time and part-time studies semester by semester. So you can do some semesters full time and others part time. In this way, the study program can be flexibly adapted to personal possibilities and the study time can be shortened accordingly. However, not all distance learning universities offer this path uniformly yet.

Make sure to be as generous as possible with your study time. Because even if you prioritize your studies and spend a lot of time learning in addition to the job you do, everyone needs breaks and downtime at regular intervals. A vacation should also be included in any case at fixed intervals. Otherwise, there is a risk of completely exhausting oneself and ultimately not being able to complete the studies with the desired success.

Is it possible to study law purely online by distance learning?

It is certainly the dream of every student: to simply sit down at the comfort of your desk or sofa at home, pick up your study notebooks and books, and do all of your studying over the internet. But is this possible at all, especially in the law degree program?

Basically, any distance learning program is designed so that much of the activity required for study can be done from home. Hence the name distance learning. However, it is also important to know that until today it is not yet possible to write even the necessary exams, exams and exam papers from home. The necessary control possibilities would not be given, so that all possibilities for manipulation would then be open to the student. However, the examination regulations do not allow this.

Let's therefore take a look at what content can be worked on from home in a distance learning law course, and for which the student must go to a university or a provider's location.

In principle: it is not at all meaningful to want to prove itself with a remote study as pure single fighter and to compile all learning contents from at home. This is convenient, but it makes the road to success very rocky. For this reason, almost all distance learning universities offer so-called voluntary practical and attendance phases for their students. In these phases, the student can attend lectures on site or work together with other students in small groups, and thus acquire and internalize the learning content more easily. In this context, many distance learning colleges take care to keep the practical and attendance phases flexible in terms of time and location. To be laid out in such a way that also employees – for example in the evening hours or on weekends – can participate in it.

Not to forget is also that later employers see it very gladly, if the student had to prove itself during its correspondence course also in a group and thus already first practical experiences to collect could.

Regarding the exams, on-site attendance is even mandatory in the distance learning law program. In addition a good remote university has several locations in germany, so that the journey for the student does not turn out too long. Examinations take place at the end of each semester and are written and subsequently evaluated at the locations of the distance learning universities. The result comes then again by post office or over internet.

There are, however, a few exceptions, which concern the presence on site for writing exams. Students from abroad can usually write their exams at the relevant german embassy, where they are supervised by embassy staff. Who is physically disabled and therefore has no possibility to appear on site, there is also an exception, which allows in this individual case, to write the exam at home. For it then an coworker of the remote university is sent, which supervises the studying with the preparation of the examination. However, since such arrangements are naturally expensive for the provider, they can only be granted in absolute and justified exceptional cases.

Conclusion: A pure online distance learning law is not yet possible today. At least for the exams, the student has to meet with his fellow students at a location provided by the provider, with a few exceptions. But also for the remaining study time applies: practice & presence phases are quite meaningful and should be taken up in regular distances by each student.

The costs

The costs of a law correspondence course may appear relatively high to some prospective students at first glance. If one goes however somewhat into the detail and looks at the whole thing more exactly, then this cost amount relativizes itself fast.

Most distance learning universities offer law studies in exchange for convenient monthly installments that almost anyone can afford to pay. Who these rates appear however still too high, which should lead itself once before eyes, which large equivalent value it for its money gets offered. Already benjamin franklin said: "the investment in knowledge still brings the best interest".

If you are working in a learned profession today and would like to earn more money in the long term, you should first put the cost of distance learning in relation to what you will be able to earn after successfully completing your studies. Especially in the legal field, the salaries in germany are quite respectable, so the cost of distance learning can be relativized very quickly, respectively. These can be amortized within a few years after completion of the studies again.

And there is still an important point, which should be considered regarding the costs of a law remote study. Contrast these costs once with the costs incurred for a face-to-face-only study program. This includes tuition and fees, but also the cost of daily travel to the university, learning materials, and any costs incurred because the student usually cannot hold down a regular job while studying in a classroom setting. If you add up all these cost factors, the costs for a presence study usually add up to an amount that is far higher than that of a distance learning course.

It should also be noted that for distance learning, the content is prepared by experts for the students. This means that in a face-to-face course you usually have to work out all the content yourself, it is only given by the lecturing professor, whereas in a distance learning course you get the learning material delivered to your home in a ready prepared form by mail or via the internet. This expense must also be taken into account and rewarded accordingly.

Of course, a correspondence course in law is not cheap, but if you compare the costs with the resulting much higher standard of living in the future, the investment will be more than worth it for you too. Consider: for a nice vacation including flight and hotel one spends gladly once a few thousand euro. However, this one is history after that, so you have nothing left over. It's different with distance learning: here, every euro invested pays off in cash later on. There can't be a better investment!

Career fields

With a completed distance learning law degree, many different career fields open up – even if the path to becoming a fully qualified lawyer is not yet open with these requirements.

So let's take a look at what career fields open up with a degree in "bachelor of laws" or. "Master of laws" open up. These are the degrees that can be earned through distance learning law after six semesters (twelve semesters for part-time study) or. The master's degree program is completed in four additional semesters (eight semesters part-time).

Higher career in government service

By completing the "bachelor of laws" followed by further education to "master of laws", graduates have the opportunity to enter a higher career in government service. However, the conditions for enrollment vary from district to district and municipality to municipality and must be inquired about in each individual case. Many people are interested in civil service careers because they offer attractive earning potential and an extremely high security factor or. Of the personal workplace goes hand in hand. Civil servants in germany are still virtually tenured and enjoy numerous privileges, for example in the granting of loans and financing for real estate, vehicles, etc. These advantages should not be underestimated.

Advocacy abroad

Those who are not tied to a particular location have the opportunity, after completing their distance learning course, to work as a lawyer or. To work as a lawyer abroad. The reason: abroad – especially in germany's EU neighboring countries – LL.M. And LL.B. Degrees from distance learning universities already much more recognized than in this country. In some countries, they even serve as a fully-fledged substitute for the previous training to become a fully qualified lawyer. Therefore, pretty much every door is open to the graduate abroad.

So it's worth considering moving to another european country after graduation and working as a lawyer there. Those who live close to the border also have the opportunity to commute to their workplace every day and thus do not have to give up their residence in germany in the first place.

The syndicated attorney as an opportunity

The field of syndicated advocacy is still quite little known in germany. This is a lawyer employed by a company who works for it in an advisory capacity. It is particularly responsible for the relatively simple legal issues, thus ensuring that the respective expensive trip to a full lawyer can be avoided in many cases. Thus, one could somewhat jokingly refer to the syndicated lawyer as "lawyer light".

The nice thing about it is that you don't necessarily have to be qualified as a lawyer to become a syndicated lawyer. Therefore, there is a real opportunity for graduates of a distance learning law program with the degrees "bachelor of laws" and "master of laws".

In addition, more and more companies are looking for employees who will work in an advisory capacity in the legal field. So you perform similar activities to the syndicated attorney, only the job titles may be slightly different. In recent years, this has become a real trend, which can only be positive for graduates of a distance learning program. The modern economy is increasingly softening the rigid, unbending boundary between classical (and established) baccalaureate university legal education and modern distance learning. No wonder: while fully-fledged lawyers usually "dabble" in each subject at most once (unless they become a specialist lawyer), graduates of distance learning colleges with "bachelor of laws" and "master of laws" degrees very often develop into real specialists, z. B. In the area of business law.

The bottom line: more and more opportunities are opening up in the private sector for graduates of a distance learning law program. Good thing! Especially those who are thinking of working as an employed lawyer in a modern company currently (and certainly in the future) have the best prospects of finding a lucrative job.

Financing of the studies / funding possibilities

Even though distance learning of law can be financed relatively comfortably today, some people find it difficult to raise the necessary funds. However, as with any conventional course of study, it is also possible to take advantage of special forms of financing and/or various funding opportunities in individual cases.

Basically, a distance learning program can consist of the cost items down payment and monthly installments. Some distance learning colleges, however, also waive a deposit and allocate the costs for the respective course of study completely to the monthly installments. But not everyone can necessarily cope with this either. However, since education is a fundamental right in germany, there are numerous options for paying the tuition fees for distance learning in the form of alternative payment models or claiming grants for it.

Those who are already working in a profession will usually not have any problems financing their correspondence course. The situation is different for people who start studying law out of unemployment and/or who want to study full time, while they can only work sporadically due to time constraints. Here are innovative financing models and assistance – z. B. In the form of grants – often urgently needed.

Self-funding

Self-financing is by far the most widely used form of study financing. This means that you finance your studies completely yourself. As a rule, you can take advantage of the favorable option of monthly installment payments. Tip: some providers offer a hefty discount if the student pays the full tuition fees or at least part of them in advance.

You should also check whether there are any opportunities to take advantage of subsidies. The reason: most grant programs are not based on how you finance your studies, but on individual requirements.

Reductions by the provider

Aid for financing your studies can come not only from the state or other institutions, but also from providers of the study program. For example, many providers give a discount if you start your studies together with your partner. There is often also a reduction if the same provider has already offered a course or a course of study. A course of study has been taken. In addition, many providers already provide discounts on their own initiative, if the study is taken up by a member of a group of people such as the unemployed, trainees, military service or the disabled.

Important: all benefits must be applied for and approved before the start of studies. Otherwise all claims are forfeited.

Subsidy from the employer

Those who are already working in a profession can improve their careers through distance learning and move up in the hierarchy of the company accordingly. This should also be quite appealing to many an employer. It is therefore not uncommon for employers to financially support or even completely fund a course of study for their employees.

Especially in the field of law, this can be quite worthwhile for a company, if z. B. The employee is to work as an expert in commercial law in the company after completing his studies. Thus, employers can save the expensive trip to a specialized attorney for many issues.

If your employer doesn't offer a promotion on its own, it may still be worth asking about it. In this case, have good arguments ready to present to your boss. Among other things, it is important to emphasize that performance at work will in no way suffer from the extra burden of studying. Generally, the benefit to the company (not to you personally should be!) are most clearly emphasized in a conversation with the boss.

BaföG

For decades, the so-called baföG has been the lifeline for many students who do not have the privilege of being fully or at least partially financed by their parents. It's important to know that baföG is not a grant or. Is a grant in the true sense, but a mixture of 50% repayment-free grant and 50% loan. They must therefore pay back half of the money in installments after completing their studies.

In order to receive baföG, a number of conditions must also be met. Initially, eligibility is exclusively for students in a full-time study program. So people who are studying part-time can't take advantage of it. In addition, the student must complete an academic distance learning program that is state approved or. Is offered by a state-approved university.

The baföG regulations also state: "baföG is granted to those who, taking into account their own income and assets, are eligible for baföG. Of the parents' or spouse's income, the financial resources necessary for living and education are not available". Accordingly, it is considered on a case-by-case basis whether the applicant meets these requirements. There are special baföG commissions for this at almost all universities. You can also find more information on the website of the federal ministry of education and research at: http://www.Bafoeg.Bmbf.En/

By the way, there are still some special cases in terms of baföG. For example, students who complete their high school diploma via distance learning can receive a special student grant, which is awarded entirely as a subsidy and therefore does not have to be repaid. Furthermore, a meister-baföG is offered, which is specifically aimed at graduates of master courses and supports them with about one third of the costs incurred in the form of a grant. Other grants can be added as a loan.

Student loans

If you didn't get your application for baföG approved and have no other way to independently finance your law correspondence course, you can take out a student loan. Such a loan can be obtained either from the kfw (kreditanstalt für wiederaufbau), a credit institution under public law, or from many well-known banks. There are numerous differences between a student loan and a traditional installment loan. Thus, the student loan is not awarded as a lump sum, but in the form of monthly installments. The maximum payment amount is currently 650.- euro per month. In addition, the repayment period is extra long – up to 25 years – and the interest rate is kept very low at around 5-7 percent. Any consumer with an ordinary installment or overdraft loan can only dream of this!

Keep in mind, though: by taking out a student loan, you're putting yourself under some pressure to do so. The degree should be completed quickly and the repayment will put a strain on the household budget after graduation. It becomes quite bitter for students who do not complete their distance learning studies. You still have to repay the student loan in full.

Student financing/grant opportunities

Now that we've covered all the options for self-financing your studies and financing through loans, we turn to a very interesting topic: financing your studies through funding programs and scholarships.

But what is a scholarship anyway, and who is eligible to receive funding from the state or private institutions?

The term scholarship comes from latin and translates as "payment" or "remuneration". What is meant here is the so-called "begabtenförderung". Historically, both government and private institutions have sought to give exceptionally talented students, etc. To promote, in order to create an incentive for the provision of services. In this case, the incentive is created by financial aid granted to the holder of the scholarship. In plain english, those who receive scholarships have their studies financed in whole or in part by outside sources. The scholarship can be granted either as a single payment or in the form of continuous monthly payments.

As the name implies, it refers to the promotion of gifted students. So a scholarship can only ever be given to those whose achievements stand out from the crowd. So the first thing to do is to perform!

You should find out in advance about the award conditions for the different scholarships. Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to list all the providers of scholarships that are also active in the field of distance learning. In addition, there are always scholarships that are only available for a limited period of time. You can find actions like this and a lot more info about scholarships for distance learning students at stipendienlotse.De

However, we do not want to deprive you of some very interesting scholarships at this point:

The "advancement through education" program

The so-called "aufstiegsstipendium" is offered on a permanent basis by the federal ministry of education and research (BMBF). The special thing about it: this scholarship is aimed at people who are already working or. Were. Specifically, the following conditions must be met:

• Studying at a university or. – as in our case – a distance learning college must be a first degree program. The applicant must not have studied thus before already.
• The applicant must have completed his professional training or. Have completed final exams or advanced education with an overall grade of at least 1.9.
• Professional experience of at least two years must be proven.
• If the student has already started his or her studies, the second semester of study must not yet have been completed.

If these requirements are met, the student – if approved for the "advancement through education" program – may enjoy a monthly grant of 650.- euro are pleased. In addition, there are 80.- euro book money.

The educational premium

The BMBF also awards the education premium. This program is specifically designed to assist and financially support people in their continuing professional education. In principle, the education premium is also available to students in distance learning if the relevant requirements are met.

The education premium consists of two parts: the premium voucher and the further education savings.

First to the premium voucher. It will be in an amount not to exceed 500.- euro is paid out and can only be used for further training measures such as courses, certificates and examinations. Prerequisite: the student must already be gainfully employed and have a gross annual income of no more than 25.600 euros at your disposal. In the case of married couples who are jointly assessed, the amount is increased by 100 % to 51.200 euros.

Now to save for further education. This is a special program for saving credit balances. After the savings phase, capital can then be withdrawn from this credit balance to finance further training measures such as those described above.

If you are now interested, you can find detailed program descriptions and detailed information on the BMBF website.

Scholarship opportunities for the unemployed, civil & military service members

Anyone who is unemployed or who is currently on his or her civil or. Military service (now only possible on a voluntary basis), who usually does not have a lot of money at his disposal. Nevertheless many humans would like also from these occupational groups on a further training and/or. Do not renounce a vocational advancement. But financing, for example a distance learning course, is difficult in most cases.

Several good possibilities for financing are offered by the respective responsible agencies, for example, in case of unemployed persons the employment agency. Here there are the so-called education vouchers, with which the unemployed can participate in further education courses without having to pay for them and without losing unemployment benefits.

Basically, the responsible case worker decides whether an unemployed person is entitled to an or. Several education vouchers receives. The chances are at least not bad, if you manage to convince the clerk of your motivation and the unconditional will to continue your professional education. The unemployed person should also have completed vocational training, ideally combined with sufficient work experience. If you have not completed an education, you can also compensate with at least three years of work experience.

In order to be able to issue education vouchers for a course or other training measure, it must be recognized by the federal employment agency. If the applicant is suitable, he or she will not only be reimbursed for the costs of the course itself, but also for all other expenses, e.G., the costs of the course itself. B. For books, work clothes or examination fees.

By the way, something similar exists for civilians and military service members. Here, too, the respective offices are responsible for deciding, after a brief examination, whether the applicant can be approved for the desired financing of the funding measure.

First, let's turn to the group of military service members and soldiers: here there is no general subsidy, this must be negotiated in each individual case. It is only stipulated that regular soldiers receive the full allowance for courses, books and other working materials, while those doing military service receive a certain share of this allowance. If you are interested in this support, you can contact the berufsförderungsdienst der bundeswehr (vocational support service of the german armed forces).

For those doing community service, the maximum possible allowance is 665.- euro. It too can be used for course fees as well as to finance work materials and examination fees. The grants are awarded by the awarding authority for civilian service places and are expressly intended for educational measures of a professional, inter-professional or scholastic nature.

Support possibilities by the individual lands of the federal republic

Support measures for students in distance education do not necessarily have to be awarded at the state level. The individual federal states are also interested in people wanting to improve their professional skills so that they can be of greater benefit to the economy.

We cannot list all the programs of each individual federal state in detail at this point. However, this is not necessary in principle, since the programs are similar and differ from each other at most in details. This starts with the name. This is – depending on the federal state – either education check or qualification check. The amount of the grant is also the same in almost all federal states and amounts to ca. 500.- euro per person and year.

In some states, the funding programs are exclusively for employees at small and medium-sized companies, while in others, the self-employed can also benefit from the funds. More detailed information can be obtained by entering an internet search engine – z. B. Google.De – enter the terms "bildungsscheck" and/or "qualifizierungsscheck" as well as the name of your federal state.

The educational leave

The so-called educational leave is no financial promotion, but a possibility for the purposeful release of coworkers for the perception of (further) training offers. Again, the design of the educational leave framework is not subject to the state, but to the individual states. Except for baden-Württemberg, bavaria, saxony and thuringia, all german states have therefore established their own laws regulating educational leave.

We can't cover the laws in great detail here, but we'll try to give you an overview of the options and regulations for educational leave in germany.

In principle, the individual states provide for paid time off from work within the framework of five working days for taking educational leave. The only exception here is saarland, where only three working days are granted for educational leave.

In recent years, educational leave has evolved or. Changed. In the past, it could be used for any kind of educational opportunity, but today it is more likely to be for continuing professional education. That means concretely: the permission for the use of the education vacation is granted today long no longer so simply, as it was still few years ago the case. By the way, an exception to this rule is political training, for which educational leave is usually granted regardless of the chosen profession.

As part of a distance learning law program, educational leave can be used, especially for those courses that require attendance, z. B. Exams, group work or lectures that require a presence. If you are clever, you can get here almost without further, unpaid leave or. Annual leave from.

Conclusion: there are many ways to finance a law correspondence course

Sometimes it is simply the time which is lacking to tackle a distance learning program. In some cases, however, it also fails due to financial possibilities. After all, tuition fees are not cheap – but if you look at the extremely increased semester fees for a presence study at a german school in recent years, you will notice that financing has become more difficult here as well.

In order to receive funding resp. In order to be granted a subsidy – in whatever form – you have to prove your neediness in an appropriate way. No sponsor awards grants to students who could actually afford the distance learning program without any problems. In addition, one must keep in mind that not every funding or. Funding is provided without any quid pro quo. Partly the borrower has to pay back all or part of the money after finishing his studies. However, it becomes difficult in such a case if the studies are not completed, but are prematurely discontinued.

So it is worthwhile to let parents, grannies and other relatives and acquaintances in on your plans first and maybe get support there. The use of financing and subsidies should only be made when the study could not be completed without them in any case.

Basic knowledge law

What are the legal sciences anyway? And why should you choose to study law?? What is the history behind it, and what are the individual disciplines of the law? And in which legal system do we live in germany at all??

Questions about questions, which should certainly be interesting for those interested in studying law. After all, you have to realize that the profession you have learned will accompany you for the rest of your life, and you will spend a large part of your life doing it. In this case, it is only advisable to first thoroughly familiarize oneself with the course content and the entire subject of study and its background before taking up a course of study. This is exactly what we want to do in this section.

Definition of law

If you decide to go to law school, you'll study what's known as the law in depth. The term law is derived from latin from the words "iuris prudentia". This means the systematic and conceptual penetration as well as the interpretation of legal texts and legal sources.

In order to be able to understand and interpret legal texts correctly, the person must have studied in depth the origins as well as the application of legal norms and their sources. This is exactly what he does in his law studies.

As early as ancient rome, jurisprudence was interpreted as follows: "it is the knowledge of human and divine things; jurisprudence embodies the science of the just and the unjust". Nowadays, the divine can be left aside without any problems, so that jurisprudence can be simply defined as "the science of the just and the unjust". In this science, then, what is considered fair and what is considered unfair in a human community – whether that means a relationship, a family, or the community of the population of an entire country – is determined.

Along with other subjects such as medicine, theology or philosophy, law is one of the classic subjects for university study. This means: in other educational institutions such as universities of applied sciences, a study of law can not be taken up to this day. So it takes a general high school diploma to go to law school.

Basically, legal science in germany deals with what is known as secular law. This refers to the field of law, which is different from the religiously based legal sciences. There are therefore two basic forms of law, secular law and religious law. In germany, religious law is also known as canon law and is part of the study of theology, but is at best only marginally touched on in general law studies. The same is true for the law of islam – also known as sharia law. Islamic jurisprudence, which is also dealt with only marginally in conventional law studies, is concerned with it.

The history of law

"Being right and getting right are two very different things". This saying, which is very well known in the vernacular, unfortunately proves to be true again and again. And so it is not surprising that over the centuries and millennia people have always had different opinions about what is right and what is not. Thus, the applicable law is always oriented to the currently prevailing moral concepts of a society.

Even today, there is no unified legal system on our planet. In all countries, continents and communities of states, sometimes completely different legal systems prevail. For example, in germany an action can be legally compliant, while in other countries it is severely condemned and punished. It is not uncommon for travelers abroad to get into trouble with the local judiciary because of careless actions and sometimes even to be sentenced to severe penalties.

Similar to the animal kingdom, there was no established legal system among humans at the beginning of our existence. The so-called natural law, also known as the "law of the strongest", applied. However, it quickly became clear that orderly coexistence among people only functions to a large extent if there are legal norms and rules to which every member of society must adhere. The opposite of this would be anarchy, in which coexistence among people virtually reverts to the law of the strongest, and in which society is characterized by violence, oppression and suffering. Surely no one would want to see that happen today.

Basically, legal rules can only be issued by an institution that also has the authority to enforce those rules and take appropriate action for rule breakers. Therefore, in germany, the state is responsible for setting the laws, which at the same time also has the appropriate institutions (for example, police or customs) to ultimately enforce this law.

Legal systems

Over the centuries, more and more different legal systems have been developed and introduced. This gave rise to two basic categories of legal system that are still known today. On the one hand this is the codified law, on the other hand it is the so-called case law. The difference between these two basic legal systems is relatively easy to understand: under codified law – the word derives from code – what ultimately counts is the particular text of the law or. The law book that goes with it as the deciding authority. This is also referred to as customary law. In this case, the legal norms and rules are implemented in legal texts or. Written down in books, and these books are subsequently used as a reference and to determine the verdict in each individual case.

Things are a little different when it comes to case law. While there are legal standards and rules here as well, written down in relevant works, they are only considered rough guides and guidelines. The decisive factor in reaching a verdict is the previous legal decisions on which the judge bases his decisions. This type of law is also referred to as "common law", which already indicates that such a legal system is still used today, especially in the anglo-saxon world. Common law is also widely used in the U.S. To this day, but with some limitations.

In germany, strictly speaking, a mixture of both legal systems is used. Although there is also basically the codified law here, all legal provisions, rules and laws are thus written down in the law books as clearly as possible, however, judges in germany are usually also guided by similar judicial cases in the past to make their judgment as best as possible. In the end, however, the decisive factor is always the relevant legal text, which is why the legal system in this country is based more on codified law than on case law.

Laws in germany

With its legal system, germany is considered a modern but highly complex country. This includes, among other things, the fact that there is an almost unmanageable amount of laws and legal norms in this country. In concrete terms, this means that at the state level alone – i.E. With regard to the ordinances and laws of the federal government – there are more than 5.000 different provisions. To this, however, add the laws and ordinances that the individual states as well as the counties, municipalities and administrative communities establish. Furthermore, there are special administrative guidelines, which in principle do not have a legal character (because they were issued, for example, by committees, institutes and associations of the private sector), but which de facto have almost the force of law.

In view of this situation, it is no wonder that a general lawyer today is no longer in a position to know all the specific facts in all areas of law and to advise his clients accordingly. This is the reason why there are more and more specialized lawyers in germany, whose field of work covers only one specific area of expertise – sometimes even more than one.

To make matters worse, norms, ordinances and laws in germany are generally by no means unambiguous and complete, and thus not free of contradictions. Although they initially appear unambiguous when read, it turns out in each individual case that they can be interpreted and construed differently in practical application. In germany, there is also repeated criticism that there are a large number of legal regulations and standards that fall far short of their actual goal and thus have more of a negative impact than making a legal situation unambiguous.

The course content doesn't make it any easier to decide to study law. It is important to know that you are entering one of the most complex areas of science, and that lifelong learning and development is virtually obligatory for a lawyer. Law studies can at best provide the necessary basics, but the really important skills are acquired by the lawyer in the course of his or her professional activity.

Training as a lawyer in germany

When it comes to the basic factors involved in training to become a lawyer in germany, the first thing to do here is not to distinguish between conventional face-to-face studies at a university and distance learning studies. As we have already described in the relevant articles on this website, the opportunities and fields of activity of lawyers who have completed their studies as face-to-face studies at a university are quite different from those of a lawyer who has acquired his knowledge through distance learning, but many basic factors are also the same.

More interesting, however, are the differences in the training you receive to become a lawyer. Let's take a look at the following basic ways to become a lawyer in germany.

Attendance studies at a university

This is the classic way to study law. After passing high school, one enrolls in the law program at a university, resp. Applies for a place at university if selected by numerus clausus. Almost every humanities university in germany offers a law degree program. However, both the admission requirements and the study regulations vary greatly from one federal state to the next. For example, the standard period of study is shorter in some states and longer in others. However, one can assume an average standard period of study of four and a half to five years.

In law studies, the first state examination marks the end of the standard university period of study. It is also called the "first law exam". Since 2005, this, formerly completely governmental check has been split into two parts. There is a state portion, which accounts for 70 percent of the exam, and a university portion, which contributes the remaining 30 percent. Overall, the examination material for the first state examination consists of the three major sub-areas of german law – public law, civil law and criminal law. In particular, the problems of substantive law are dealt with in the first state examination.

For the so-called compulsory subject examination – i.E. The state part of the first state exam – the student has two regular attempts at a time. This rule applies in all german states. In addition, there is a so-called free attempt, which applies to students who take the exam directly after completing their standard period of study. In some federal states, there is also the possibility of improving grades.

Once the student has completed the standard period of study and passed the first state examination, this is followed by a two-year traineeship. We had already touched on it: due to the countless laws, ordinances and regulations in the german legal system, the theoretical study of law can only provide a basic knowledge, which, however, is in most cases not sufficient for practical use. For this reason, the legal clerkship was made obligatory. During this time, each prospective lawyer acquires initial practical experience, which should later enable him or her to enter the profession unhindered.

After completing the legal clerkship, the graduate has the possibility to take a second state examination. In contrast to the first state examination, this is a purely state examination, so the university is no longer involved. Anyone who successfully completes this second state examination is henceforth considered a fully qualified lawyer. Almost all opportunities in the german legal system are open to him, for example, the qualification to become a lawyer, but also a judge or – depending on the grade point average – a public prosecutor.

Before the second state examination can be taken, there is usually a theoretical preparation phase. In this phase, various courses can be attended, which are intended to prepare the graduate for practical work as a fully qualified lawyer. Such courses are offered and led, for example, by prosecutors, judges or lawyers. But that's not all: in addition, each participant (also known as a trainee lawyer) is assigned to an existing fully qualified lawyer (for example, a judge, prosecutor or lawyer) in order to follow their work in practice and acquire as much knowledge as possible in the process. For the work as a legal trainee, the respective state pays a salary, which is in the amount of about 800.- euro net moves. The exact amount varies from state to state.

If the second state examination is passed, the graduate automatically has the qualification for higher service in a state administrative activity. Those who are interested can begin this career with the position of government councillor and in time take on further, higher positions. The career of a fully qualified lawyer in the service of the state is particularly popular with people who want the greatest possible security in life and therefore prefer the status of a civil servant to self-employment or employment.

Law as a minor subject in university studies

For those who are interested in law but have chosen another subject as their major, there is the possibility of studying law as a minor subject. This is particularly suitable for courses of study such as business administration or economics.

As a rule, the minor runs in conjunction with a bachelor's, master's or magister degree program and is referred to in this context as a "subfield of law". The completion of the minor is a written final examination (in the form of a written exam), which is supplemented by an oral examination of approximately 30 minutes.

It is important to know that the study of law as a minor subject does not entitle to a career as a fully qualified lawyer. So if your career goal is to become a lawyer, prosecutor, or judge, there is very little you can do with a minor in law.

Study at a university of applied sciences

For some years now, people who do not have a general university entrance qualification have also had the opportunity to pursue a career in law in conjunction with a course of study. One such option is to study at a university of applied sciences.

Although not every university of applied sciences in germany offers such programs yet, the offer is growing from year to year. However, one must be aware that with such a degree the path to becoming a lawyer, public prosecutor or judge is barred. The courses of study at the university of applied sciences focus in particular on media law and business law. The degrees that can be obtained are called "diplom-informationsjurist" and "diplom-wirtschaftsjurist".

This opportunity first arose in 2001 at darmstadt university of applied sciences, which offered (and still offers) the information law program. Later, the course of studies of the business lawyer was added, which today enjoys much greater popularity. This course of study combines the classical economic subjects (business administration, economics, etc.).) with the basic knowledge of business law, making it a "well-rounded" package. There are tangible advantages for graduates of this program, particularly in light of the fact that many companies – especially those in the SME sector – are now reluctant to hire an or. Hire several fully qualified lawyers, because they are simply too expensive for them. An all-rounder like a business lawyer has a much better chance in this regard.

For a legal career, the degrees attainable at a university of applied sciences (z.B. Master of laws – LL.M) but only conditionally sufficient. Although this may make it possible to pursue a career as a lawyer in the public sector, it does not make it possible to become a fully qualified lawyer.

Law subjects in other courses of study

In the meantime, law-related topics have been integrated into many courses of study – whether in university studies or at a university of applied sciences. Finally, it also made sense for doctors, for example, to acquire at least basic knowledge, especially in the area of liability. Here are some more areas in which basic legal knowledge is (absolutely) necessary in later careers:

Engineering

Engineers usually take on a lot of responsibility and develop and design products that ordinary people must be able to rely on. Often, human lives depend directly or indirectly on the calculations of engineers – z. B. In the field of aircraft construction, in the construction of bridges, skyscrapers, vehicles, etc. Even the smallest mistakes can have dire consequences in these areas. Therefore, prospective engineers should definitely deal with the topic of liability/product liability – just as doctors do.

Social pedagogy

You will find a social pedagogue i. D. R. Not directly related to legal issues. Nevertheless, it constantly comes into contact with this issue. The social pedagogue sees himself as a link between individual groups of people in germany (z. B. Foreigners, socially disadvantaged families, offenders, etc.) and the german state. To help people in the best possible way, it must also deal with issues such as family law, immigration law, etc. And have at least the necessary basic knowledge.

Architecture

Similar to an engineer, the architect also always bears a great responsibility. For this reason, he should also look into the issue of liability while still in college. At most universities of applied sciences, legal issues are therefore already integrated into the study of architecture.

Pharmacy

Pharmacists cannot commit so-called malpractice, as doctors do, but there is also a risk that their decisions may cause harm to people. This can be z. B. Happen when the wrong preparations are issued. Also with legal questions regarding. Of the narcotics act, the pharmacologist has to deal with it again and again.

Information technology

Topics such as internet law, data protection law, etc. Play an increasingly important role since the advent of the internet. So the future computer scientist can't avoid to deal with it during his studies. Generally, these legal topics are already automatically integrated into the computer science degree program today.