Young European Lawyers Contest

Aim of the contest

The contest will bring together young and newly-qualified lawyers to spotlight the importance of European law for their future legal practice.
In teams composed of contestants from different European countries, they will be challenged to apply their knowledge of European law in practical role-play scenarios. Under the watchful eye of a jury of leading European law practitioners, they will learn to work with peers from other legal cultures to build strong cases in areas as diverse as fundamental rights and the rule of law, access to justice, economic law, cross-border cooperation in civil and commercial matters, and criminal justice. The contestants will be judged both on their knowledge of European law and on their advocacy skills in drafting written arguments, conducting negotiations and pleading before a judge. The contest is an opportunity for national and regional Bars to encourage their young lawyers to get excited about European law and to learn how to use it to improve their day-to-day practice.

Award to candidates

All candidates having participated in the Young European Lawyers Contest will be granted a certificate of attendance mentioning the number of training hours.

They will also benefit from a one-year free membership of the Friends of ERA Association, which gives rise to a number of benefits.

Furthermore prizes to the winning teams will be granted by the Friends of ERA Association.

“The YELC 2024 competition provides an invaluable opportunity to engage in academic debates concerning legal European issues and to apply pleading skills in a moot court setting. This experience is particularly beneficial for young European lawyers like myself. The progress I have already made before reaching the final stage has significantly enhanced my professional skills as a lawyer.”

Julien FRAHI
finalist 2023

“The experience has been extraordinary. The attention to detail shown by the organising team, the opportunity to engage with young professionals from diverse cultural backgrounds who share similar interests, and the deep dive into EU law topics were all incredible. ”

Lyvia FORTUNA
finalist 2023

“I think the experience so far can be described using the expression “unity in diversity”. YELC gave me the chance to meet new people, to interact with attorneys from different EU countries, and to listen to their stories. ”

Andreea Elena LASCU
finalist 2023

For any other information on the organisation of the contest, please contact:

Florence Hartmann-Vareilles
Head of Section European Business Law
fhartmann@era.int

Nathalie Dessert
Assistant European Business Law
ndessert@era.int