In view of the looming shortage of lawyers in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the opposition is calling for the urgent creation of additional law school places. All opposition factions in the state parliament are calling for the reintroduction of full-time legal training at the University of Rostock. It had been discontinued in 2008.
“The capacities of the law faculty in Greifswald are exhausted,” said the AfD parliamentary group’s legal policy spokesman, Paul-Joachim Timm. The FDP parliamentary group leader, René Domke, explained: “We Free Democrats see it as imperative to increase the number of law students in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and, in particular, to reintroduce the law degree course leading to the first state law examination in Rostock.”
SPD against fully qualified lawyer training in Rostock
The chairwoman of the Greens in the state parliament, Constanze Oehlrich, also spoke in favor of this. She accused Justice Minister Jacqueline Bernhardt (Left Party) of failing to respond appropriately to the looming shortage. CDU politician Sebastian Ehlers explained: “Legal training could easily be restarted in Rostock, but this has failed for years due to stubborn resistance from the SPD.”
According to the Ministry of Justice, returning to full-time legal training in Rostock would require five additional positions and cost 2.1 million euros annually. Currently, the law faculty in Rostock only offers a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in “Good Governance”. However, this degree does not allow you to become a judge, public prosecutor, lawyer or notary. AfD member Timm warned: “The creation of five additional positions in public law and criminal law for the status of a full faculty should be the top priority for the red science ministry.”
However, Dirk Stamer, the SPD parliamentary group’s spokesman on higher education policy, remains firm in his party’s opposition to the issue of fully qualified lawyer training in Rostock. This step would only help to a limited extent in filling state positions over the next ten years, but would incur considerable additional costs, he explained. “The measures that the state has already taken are also much more effective. Improving teaching and learning conditions so that more students can achieve a successful degree is the right way to go.”
Economy needs more lawyers
Nationwide, many law students give up after a few semesters because the course is very demanding. CDU politician Ehlers warned against lowering the standard of the course or turning a blind eye to the exams in order to get more graduates. “That is the wrong approach.”
The Ministry of Science announced that three additional staff positions had been created at the law faculty in Greifswald in 2023. This is intended to help more students achieve success. In addition, the curriculum has been revised in important points with the aim of making the course more attractive. Judges will be included in the teaching in order to give students an insight into everyday legal life.
The economy points out that it is not only the state that is facing a foreseeable shortage of lawyers. Nicole Vogelsang, deputy managing director of the Rostock Chamber of Industry and Commerce, said: “There are already hardly any lawyers left in the area.” The pool of suitable candidates for the next generation in the legal profession, administration, associations and especially in the business community is dwindling. “The resulting negative consequences for the economy are devastating.” The Rostock Chamber of Industry and Commerce has been pointing out this worrying development in the legal sector for many years.
