Internships – Legal Services Internship at the European Central Bank – Germany

If you are interested in pursuing a career in the fields of law, financial regulation and the workings of the European institutions, this work placement at the Directorate-General for Legal Services of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt am Main (Germany) is an excellent opportunity to gain practical experience in an international legal environment.

The Directorate-General for Legal Services provides advice on the legal aspects of the regulatory, contractual and institutional framework of the ECB, the European System of Central Banks and the Single Supervisory Mechanism. It is also involved in drafting legal instruments, interpreting the EU Treaties and preparing opinions on draft European and national legislation.

During your placement, you will have the opportunity to work in one of the following areas: Institutional Law, Financial Law or Supervisory Law, working closely with experienced lawyers and contributing to legal matters relating to the European Union.

The programme is open to EU citizens who meet the eligibility criteria for ECB internships.

Benefits:

• A monthly stipend of €1,170 plus a housing allowance;
• Full-time contract;
• The opportunity to be part of a Directorate-General comprising approximately 160 lawyers from the 27 EU Member States;
• The opportunity to work alongside professionals with extensive experience in various areas of European law;
• Gain practical experience in providing legal advice on institutional, financial or supervisory matters;
• Expand your legal knowledge and develop your professional skills;
• Work in a multicultural and international environment, collaborating with colleagues from across Europe;
• Contribute to the ECB’s mission and serve the citizens of the European Union.

Your role:

As an intern, you will have the opportunity to join one of the three divisions:

Institutional Law Division:

• help draft legal opinions on matters relating to central banking law, the privileges and immunities of the ECB, EU civil service law, and EU institutional and administrative law;
• work on matters relating to the European System of Central Banks, the governance of the Eurosystem, contracts and public procurement;
• assist in the preparation of legal advice on accounting, auditing, taxation, euro banknotes and intellectual property;
• provide assistance in pre-litigation and litigation proceedings relating to these matters.

Financial Law Division:

• to assist in the preparation of legal advice on matters of financial law, monetary policy and the management of foreign exchange reserves;
• work on matters relating to the regulation and supervision of financial market infrastructures, including TARGET2 and TARGET2-Securities;
• to participate in legal matters relating to the collection and management of statistics and other data;
• contribute to Eurosystem projects, including the digital euro, wholesale settlement services in central bank money and payment systems;
• provide assistance in pre-litigation and litigation matters relating to these issues.

Supervisory Law Division:

• to help prepare legal advice on the prudential supervision of credit institutions, including own funds, liquidity, governance and risk management;
• work on issues relating to common procedures, fitness and propriety assessments, sanctions, enforcement, securitisation, exchange of information and crisis management;
• contribute to legal advice relating to the functioning of the European banking union;
• work on the legal framework of the Single Supervisory Mechanism;
• provide assistance in pre-litigation and litigation phases relating to these matters.

This programme offers an excellent opportunity for those wishing to gain practical experience in institutional, financial or supervisory law within the EU context, working alongside experienced professionals and developing their legal skills.

Qualifications, experience and skills:

Essential:

• a bachelor’s degree or higher degree in Law obtained in an EU Member State;
• knowledge of and an interest in the role and functioning of the ECB, the European System of Central Banks, Economic and Monetary Union and European banking supervision;
• a good knowledge of the MS Office suite;
• an advanced (C1) command of English and an intermediate (B1) command of at least one other official EU language, in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Desirable:

• a sound knowledge of EU law, particularly in areas such as EU institutional and administrative law or the legal framework of Economic and Monetary Union;
• knowledge of contract law and public procurement law, financial law or supervisory law;
• specialisation, experience or research in a legal field related to the work of one of the three divisions;
• an intermediate (B2) or higher level of French and/or German.

The placement will initially last between three and six months, with the possibility of extension up to a maximum of 12 months. The earliest start date will be in early 2027, although a later date may also be agreed depending on the ECB’s needs and the availability of the successful candidate.

The selection process will include a pre-recorded video interview during the shortlisting stage and, for those who progress to the next stage, an online interview.

Deadline for applications: 22 September 2026.

More information: European Central Bank