Magister iuris

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The academic degree of Magister iuris ( Mag. Iur. , Mag. Jur. , Mag. Jur. Or Mag. Jur .; Latin "Teacher" or "Master of Law") represents a qualification for an undergraduate legal degree with eight to The standard period of study is nine semesters. In some cases, with a different meaning, postgraduate LL.M. Programs run under this name.

Situation in Germany

General

In the Federal Republic of Germany, the degree is awarded by the law faculties of the University of Düsseldorf , University of Bonn , University of Heidelberg , Universities of Cologne and Konstanz and, since November 2019, of the WWU Münster after passing the first state examination in law or by the law faculty of the University of Hamburg after passing a master’s degree - Examination awarded. At the University of Mainz, on the other hand, the degree is awarded to graduates of the undergraduate comparative law course "Magister des German and Foreign Law".

The law faculties of some other German universities award the degree of Diplom-Juristen or Juristen (Univ.) After passing the 1st state law examination . Other law faculties in Germany still do not award their graduates a university degree despite having successfully passed the first state examination. According to a ruling by the Federal Administrative Court in 2002, the universities are not obliged to do so. The lower instance, the Saarland Higher Administrative Court , had taken the opposite view.

The reason for the introduction of this university degree is to be seen in the earlier (and in some law faculties even today) existing discrimination against graduates of law courses at German universities, which can be seen from the comparison with the graduates of corresponding courses at technical colleges and universities outside Germany results, which, upon successful completion, are always ended with the award of an academic degree.

In this context, it should be noted that the newly created academic degrees, even where they are awarded, do not allow access to the regulated legal professions (e.g. lawyer, notary, lawyer in the civil service) and that lawyers with or without a university degree therefore, without completing the legal traineeship (duration two years) and without passing the 2nd state examination, their professional opportunities will remain limited. Rather, the degrees are to be understood as an answer to a changed working reality. They enable entry into business and administration. They also meet the requirements of the job market after short study periods.

The master’s degree from the University of Hamburg was designed as an independent degree as an alternative to the state examination and could be acquired as part of the undergraduate legal degree. This new form of law studies was created in response to the development of the Bologna Process . The Magister could be acquired through a 2 semester postgraduate course with specialization, combined with the preparation of a term paper at the state examination level, the prior preparation of a seminar paper and an oral examination and after obtaining the academic degree "Baccalaureus Juris". The Baccalaureus Juris was awarded after completing an undergraduate degree in law and completing a Baccalaureus thesis. The Magister also entitles the holder to take a doctorate at the Law Faculty of the University of Hamburg. However, the examination regulations were changed for the summer semester 2009 so that in future the degree of “Mag. jur. ”is no longer awarded. The last round to acquire the degree was in the summer semester 2014/2015.

Independently of the Magister Juris, LL.M. Degrees offered. This can be done after obtaining an LL.B. in a law degree. The LL.B. program at the University of Hamburg has now been discontinued. These degrees were offered with a focus on “finance and insurance” or “work and social management”. In contrast to the previous master’s degrees, the master’s degrees cost around 14,000 euros.

Exception: Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

Since 1994, law students at the law faculty of the University of Mainz have had the opportunity to acquire the academic degree of “Magister of German and Foreign Law” (Magister iuris) alongside or as an alternative to their state examination .

The master’s degree , which is designed as an independent study, comprises eight semesters , six of which are to be spent at the University of Mainz and two abroad. The requirements for domestic studies are identical to the requirements for candidates for the first legal examination (formerly the first state examination ). The study abroad can be spent at a large number of partner universities of the law faculty . 40 ECTS points are to be acquired at the foreign university , whereby it is assumed that the German student takes the regular exams at the host university. The study abroad is prepared by additional courses at the University of Mainz and accompanied by a supervision program. The master’s degree concludes with a comparative law master’s thesis , which must be written in two languages, and an oral examination . If both degrees are sought, the Magister examination can be taken either before or after the first legal examination.

The Magister iuris is independent of the 1st legal examination. As a result, if this exam is passed successfully, the university title of qualified lawyer can also be awarded in addition to the degree of Magister iuris . The Magister course at the University of Mainz is therefore originally designed as a double course , even if taking the first legal examination is not mandatory.

The Magister iuris from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz does not qualify the student for legal preparatory service ( legal traineeship ). The graduate is thus barred from the “classic” legal professions. However, the Magister iuris can be an alternative for students who are only aiming for an academic degree with legal knowledge, if it is foreseeable that they do not intend to work as a judge , public prosecutor , lawyer or in the higher administrative service , provided that the qualification for judicial office is required to be. In particular, with the Magister iuris degree, the student acquires the basic right to doctorate , which means that this can represent an alternative to the state examination in a purely academic career.

Situation in Austria

In Austria, the award of the academic degree of Magister iuris (Magistra iuris, abbreviated Mag.iur.) Marks the end of the four-year degree in law currently offered at the universities of Vienna, Graz, Linz, Innsbruck and Salzburg. A (business) legal bachelor's degree with a consecutive master's degree , which leads to the academic degree Bachelor of Laws ("LL.B.") or Master of Laws ("LL.M."), is currently being offered at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, offered at the Johannes Kepler University Linz and at the Leopold-Franzens University Innsbruck.

Situation in English-speaking countries

At some English-speaking universities, such as the University of Oxford or the University of Malta , “Magister Juris” is the name for an LL.M. comparable postgraduate law course at other universities, which requires an undergraduate degree for admission.

Situation in France

In France, the title Magister iuris is only used under its French translation: the law university course in France ends after four years with the “Master 1” or the title “Master en droit” (before the Bolognese reform “Maîtrise en droit” or . as the title “Maître en droit”). Even the “Master 1” entitles you to take an entrance exam for a law school (École de formation de barreau - EFB). However, it is customary among French law students to then complete a “Master 2” (before the Bologna reform: “DESS” ), which extends the course to a total of five years.

As the completion of the university part of legal training and the qualification to attend a law school, the “Master 1” and the “Master 2” are comparable to the 1st state examination in Germany and the US Juris Doctor (JD).

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Law Faculty of the University of Düsseldorf: [1] , accessed on May 17, 2014.
  2. ^ Faculty of Law at the University of Bonn: Magister iuris ( Memento from March 8, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) , accessed on March 8, 2014.
  3. ↑ Regulations for awarding the university degree “Magistra” or “Magister” by the law faculty of the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg. April 20, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2017 .
  4. ↑ Law Faculty of the University of Cologne: Magister iuris ( Memento from July 19, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) , accessed on May 28, 2009.
  5. ↑ Law Faculty of the University of Konstanz: Information: Academic degree “Magister juris” for all graduates of the 1st state law examination after October 1, 1998 ( memento from July 31, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) from May 17, 2005, accessed on May 28 , 1998 . May 2009.
  6. ↑ Magister of German and Foreign Law (Magister iuris) | Department of Law and Economics. Retrieved August 19, 2019 .
  7. ↑ Judgment of the 6th Senate of the BVerwG of February 22, 2002, BVerwG 6 C 11.01 ( Memento of August 27, 2006 in the Internet Archive )
  8. ↑ Saarlouis Higher Administrative Court: Judgment of January 29, 2001, Az: OVG 3 R 230/00 (PDF; 150 kB) , accessed on May 28, 2009.
  9. ↑ University of Hamburg: Examination regulations for the award of the university degrees "Baccalaureus Juris (bac.jur.)" And "Magister Juris (mag.jur.)" By the Law Faculty of the University of Hamburg ( Memento of February 15, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) from February 5, 2003, accessed May 28, 2009.
  10. ↑ University of Hamburg: Presentation of the LL.B. and LL.M. Degrees from the Law Faculty of the University of Hamburg ( Memento from April 4, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) accessed on July 20, 2010.
  11. ↑ Magister of German and Foreign Law (Magister iuris) | Department of Law and Economics. Retrieved January 28, 2020 .
  12. ↑ Partner universities | Department of Law and Economics. Retrieved January 28, 2020 .
  13. ↑ Detailed information can be found in the Magisterordnung of the law faculty of the University of Mainz: http://www.uni-mainz.de/studlehr/ordnung/StO_PO_Rechtswiss_Mag_Juris_03_99.pdf
  14. ↑ Degrees. In: jura.uni-mainz.de. Retrieved January 28, 2020 .
  15. ↑ Austria In: Research Center for European Civil Law of the Saarland University (ed.): Legal training in Europe , accessed on May 28, 2009
  16. ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of August 7, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
  17. ↑ Magister Juris - EDUCATION ACT (CAP. 327) ( Memento from February 20, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  18. ↑ Requirements for the École de formation de barreau , École de formation de barreau, accessed on April 26, 2017.