Career change as a judge
With your experience you can switch to 8 jobs in Germany: 8 with on-the-job training and 0 with training or a course.
In the job search you can sort by what matters to you, save jobs and see where they lead.
Career change paths
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Lawyer
Also: In-house lawyer (Syndikusrechtsanwalt)
With on-the-job training
As a lawyer, you advise and represent clients in a law firm, often in your previous area of law, or you work as an in-house lawyer (Syndikus) in a company.
- What you bring:
- You know proceedings from the bench, know what convinces courts and can assess the chances of success realistically.
- How to get there:
- With the qualification for judicial office (Befähigung zum Richteramt), you meet the professional requirement. You apply for admission at the Bar Association (Rechtsanwaltskammer) and need professional liability insurance. Clarify civil service law questions such as dismissal and pension entitlements beforehand.*Regulated by law (Federal Lawyers' Act (BRAO) § 4).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an office€7,756gross per monthMedian salary
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Corporate lawyer
Also: Ombudsperson at an arbitration board
With on-the-job training
As a corporate lawyer, you advise senior management on legal questions; at arbitration boards or as an ombudsperson, you settle disputes between consumers and companies out of court.
- What you bring:
- You can grasp facts quickly, weigh risks and assess conflicts impartially.
- How to get there:
- Companies hire fully qualified lawyers (Volljuristen) with judicial experience directly. Without admission as a lawyer, you work there as an employed lawyer. Arbitration boards and ombudspersons often fill their positions with experienced judges, sometimes after retirement as well.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an officeHome office possible€7,208gross per monthMedian salary
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Lecturer at a university of applied sciences for the administration of justice (Hochschule für Rechtspflege)
Also: Adjunct lecturer in civil law
With on-the-job training
At universities of applied sciences for the administration of justice, public administration or the police, you teach the next generation of the judiciary and administration.
- What you bring:
- You can explain law from practice and know what really matters in proceedings.
- How to get there:
- Judges are often seconded to these universities or employed there as full-time teachers. Teaching assignments at universities are possible alongside the office. For a professorship, a doctorate (Promotion) is usually expected.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically light€6,119gross per monthMedian salary
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Exam preparation instructor
Also: Law exam tutor (Repetitor)
With on-the-job training
At exam prep schools (Repetitorien) or providers for the second state exam (Assessorexamen), you teach exam technique and case file presentations and grade exams.
- What you bring:
- You have trained trainee lawyers (Referendare) or administered exams and know typical mistakes in written exams and case presentations.
- How to get there:
- You can start teaching on the side while still serving as a judge, but depending on state law you must report this secondary activity to your employer or have it approved. Full-time positions exist mainly at larger providers.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Fixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people€5,166gross per monthMedian salary
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Head of unit in a ministry of justice
Also: Head of department in a state authority
With on-the-job training
In a ministry, you prepare laws and ordinances, head a unit and advise the ministry's leadership.
- What you bring:
- You know how laws play out in everyday court work and can draft and review legal rules precisely.
- How to get there:
- Judges can move into ministries on secondment for a few years. A permanent move into the higher civil service (höherer Verwaltungsdienst) is possible with the qualification for judicial office. Management functions usually require experience as a desk officer in the ministry.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office€9,455gross per monthMedian salary
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Managing director of an employers' association
Also: In-house counsel (Justiziar) of a professional association
With on-the-job training
In an employers', business or professional association, you advise members, represent them in court and negotiate on their behalf; as managing director, you run the head office.
- What you bring:
- You know employment, social or business law from many proceedings and can negotiate objectively.
- How to get there:
- Associations hire fully qualified lawyers (Volljuristen) with court experience directly. Before labor and social courts, association representatives can usually represent their members without admission as a lawyer. You learn association work and collective bargaining policy on the job.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an office€6,815gross per monthMedian salary
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Research officer at a parliamentary research service
Also: Legal policy officer
With on-the-job training
In the research service (Wissenschaftlicher Dienst) of a parliament, for parliamentary groups or foundations, you write expert opinions and assess draft laws.
- What you bring:
- You can examine legal questions thoroughly, present them neutrally and justify them clearly.
- How to get there:
- Parliaments and parliamentary groups advertise such positions for fully qualified lawyers (Volljuristen), and selection runs through their own application procedures. At the research service, you work in a non-partisan role; at parliamentary groups, you do not.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office€7,208gross per monthMedian salary
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Editor at a legal publisher
Also: Author of legal commentaries
With on-the-job training
At a legal publisher, you manage commentaries, journals and databases, recruit authors and plan new publications.
- What you bring:
- You write precisely, know case law and commentary literature and know what practitioners are looking for.
- How to get there:
- Legal specialist publishers hire fully qualified lawyers (Volljuristen) directly as editors. You can also write as a co-author on the side while serving as a judge.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an officeHome office possible€4,237gross per monthMedian salary
Salary: median of all full-time employees in the job, gross per month excluding special payments, as of April 2025. Half earn more, half earn less. Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), table 62361-0030, license dl-de/by-2-0. Assigned to the jobs by quereinsteiger.de. No guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently asked questions
Which jobs can I do as a judge without vocational training or retraining?
Without a new qualification, often with on-the-job training: Lawyer, Corporate lawyer, Lecturer at a university of applied sciences for the administration of justice (Hochschule für Rechtspflege), Exam preparation instructor, Head of unit in a ministry of justice, Managing director of an employers' association, Research officer at a parliamentary research service and Editor at a legal publisher.
Which of these jobs pay the most?
According to official statistics, the highest median full-time salaries are: Head of unit in a ministry of justice (€9,455 gross per month), Lawyer (€7,756 gross per month) and Corporate lawyer (€7,208 gross per month). Half of employees earn more, half earn less; when you start it is often lower. Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), April 2025. No guarantee of accuracy.
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