Career in the notary's office - New Bachelor's degree program to start soon
Up to now, employees in notary's offices have generally completed training as notary's assistants or paralegals and notary's assistants. There is now a new option for school leavers with a university entrance qualification and a desire for a quick career start, as well as for those already in employment: an academic degree course that can be completed alongside a job in a notary's office and prepares them specifically for this.
On October 1, 2024, the Federal Chamber of Notaries, in cooperation with the SRH University of Applied Sciences Heidelberg, will offer a Bachelor's degree course for notarial staff for the first time. By combining academic knowledge and practical experience from working for notaries, the course is intended to be a central component in the training and further education strategy of the notarial profession in Germany.
"Highly qualified employees are crucial for every notary's office," reports Dr. Benjamin Karras, Managing Director of the Hamburg Chamber of Notaries. "The ever-increasing demands on legal knowledge, but also IT skills, make working in a notary's office both challenging and fulfilling."
Students are offered a great deal. All courses in the curriculum have been specially developed for this degree course and provide the necessary knowledge for a career in the notary's office in a way that is unique in Germany. The curriculum includes contract and property law, inheritance and family law, as well as company law and questions of professional and notarization law. In addition, the diverse international aspects of the German legal system and the use of modern IT tools are not neglected.
"With this course, graduates are ideally equipped for the changing legal market," Karras continues. "It is to be expected that technological developments such as blockchain and artificial intelligence will lead to a growing need for employees who are both versatile and specialized. The degree course at SRH University Heidelberg therefore meets the needs of employees and notary's offices in equal measure."
The course is aimed at school leavers with a university entrance qualification as well as experienced employees. In addition to the university entrance qualification, there are other ways to fulfill the admission requirements. For example, trained notary's assistants or legal and notary's assistants with three years of professional experience can also find their way to the university via an aptitude test. The curriculum is designed to enable students to gain the all-important practical experience by working in a notary's office alongside their studies. The regular virtual courses are supplemented by attendance phases lasting several days. In this way, the compatibility of studies, career and family is taken into account.
Karras recommends that high school graduates who are interested in the course should enquire at the notaries in the region about suitable positions and the possibility of taking up the course. There are also regular job advertisements on the website of the regional chamber of notaries.
Additional information on the course can be found on the SRH University of Applied Sciences Heidelberg website:
https://www.srh-hochschule-heidelberg.de/bachelor/recht-im-notariat-llb/
You can find further press releases from the media association on all topics related to the notary's office in the Press portal of the media association of the chambers of notaries.