Irish lawyers and law graduates urged to consider a career in the EU institutions

The Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence Thomas Byrne has welcomed the launch of a competition for graduates in Irish law to become lawyer-linguists in the EU Institutions.

The competition is due to close for applications on 10 April. Minister Byrne, who previously practised as a solicitor before being elected to Dáil Éireann, has taken the opportunity to encourage suitable qualified graduates to apply for the lawyer-linguist positions available.

Minister Byrne said: "This is a wonderful opportunity for graduates in Irish law, with language skills, to work in the heart of the EU with different cultures and across a range of files in the EU institutions. Lawyer-linguists work on the most pressing EU legislation, whether related to economic competitiveness or climate change, meaning they get to directly improve the lives of nearly 450 million people across our Union.

“Lawyer-linguists also play a crucial role in ensuring that EU legal texts are factually accurate, legally coherent, and consistent across all languages. Opportunities for career growth will also arise in the European Commission, the European Parliament and the General Secretariat of the Council.”

Minister Byrne added: “The roles offer a very competitive salary and benefits, and I strongly encourage Irish candidates to take advantage of the training supports offered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, to assist in preparation for the competition.”

“It is a key priority of this government to increase Irish representation in the EU institutions, as set out in the A Career for Europe strategy."

The EU recruitment competition is open for lawyer-linguists with proficiency in three EU languages.

There is a dedicated stream for graduates in Irish law. Candidates must be proficient in English and two other official EU languages (one of which can be Irish).

Candidates must hold a degree in the law of Ireland awarded in Ireland, or been admitted as a Solicitor or Barrister in Ireland. It is anticipated that there will be 33 posts available for graduates in Irish law. Full eligibility criteria are available on the European Personnel Selection Office's website or at Lawyer-linguists/legal revisers for DA, DE, EN, ET, HR, NL, RO and SL. The closing date is 10 April at 11am Irish time.

A Career for EU is the strategy designed to support Irish candidates applying for EU posts, with tailored assistance and resources to promote the use of Irish as an official EU language. Go to ireland.ie/en/eu-jobs.