PanEuropeanSeal YP in Law

Check out the units which are participating in the Pan-European Seal Young Professionals Programme 2025/2026 and let us know your preference when applying: 

Data Protection Office

The Data Protection Office is responsible for monitoring the legal and operational compliance of the EPO with Data Protection Rules, providing advice on the protection of personal data in relation to projects, contracts and cooperation agreements, developing policies and methodologies, issuing guidance documents, conducting data protection audits and awareness activities.
As a young professional, you will be involved in translating data protection requirements into practical advice for the EPO's business units, finding solutions to complex legal problems, delivering presentations and trainings, drafting policies, legal opinions and guidance documents. Additionally, you will assess risks for the fundamental rights and freedoms of data subjects.

Employment Law - Individual, Compensation and Benefits Legal Matters

The department advises senior managers and represents the Organisation on employment law and social security matters, notably in front of the internal Appeals Committee and the Administrative Tribunal of the International Labour Organization. It aims at fostering a cultural change by shifting away from litigations towards dialogue through prevention and means of amicable dispute resolution.
As a young professional, you will discover the law applicable to international civil servants and its diversity, both with respect to tasks (e.g. legislative drafting, legal advice, project management, drafting submissions in litigation cases, settlement negotiation) and to topics (e.g. recruitment, working conditions, career management, tax issues, social security aspects).

Employment Law Secretariat

The Principal Directorate Employment Law and Social Dialogue Advice reports directly to the President, providing advice on interpreting, applying and drafting provisions related to conditions of employment and social dialogue matters. It also oversees the management review procedure and represents the EPO in litigation before the Appeals Committee and the Administrative Tribunal of the International Labour Organization (ILO). Within the Employment Law Secretariat, we oversee the management review procedure, which seeks to resolve employment law disputes at a pre-litigation stage where possible. We register all incoming requests and formal grievances and take part in settlement initiatives aimed at reducing litigation. We also prepare regular overviews concerning litigation matters and legal advice and contribute to the Presidential Activities Report and Social Report.
As a young professional, you will support lawyers and administrators, focusing on dispute prevention and settlement initiatives. Key responsibilities include reviewing case files, analysing legal risks and proposing settlement strategies. You will conduct legal research, including case law analysis of the ILO Administrative Tribunal, and draft legal documents such as management review decisions. Additionally, you will prepare  "lessons learnt" materials for operational services and contribute to knowledge sharing within the team to enhance legal processes and practices.

Chief Sustainability Office

The Chief Sustainability Office (CSO) is responsible for coordinating the EPO's sustainability agenda, which follows the ESG approach in alignment with SP2028 and the strategic direction of VP 4 and the President.
As a young professional, you will play a vital role in supporting a variety of projects, with a particular focus on social and governance initiatives. Your contributions will extend to environmental sustainability efforts, where you will be actively involved in driving meaningful change. This will include the prompt and up-to-date implementation of the timeline and helping to maintain the highest standards of quality for all deliverables, including benchmarks, comprehensive studies and other critical analyses.

Patent Law Policy

Our Directorate provides legally sound solutions in matters relating to the strategic and policy aspects of the European and international patent system, including legal support to the EPO's cooperation policy. This requires a focus on different aspects of patent law and involves evaluating and shaping new legal resources based on emerging technologies, drawing up proposals for strategic or policy orientations, drafting of legislative proposals and of patent law-related agreements.
As a young professional, you will contribute to a variety of activities within the EPO's IP Lab. This encompasses observing patent law related trends in emerging technologies, such as AI, and their influence on patentability, as well as monitoring and evaluating the EU's patent law related initiatives and developments, and their impact on the EPO.

IP Lab - Patent Law Harmonisation

Our Directorate provides legally sound solutions in matters related to the strategic and policy aspects of the European and international patent system, including legal support to the EPO's cooperation policy. This requires a focus on different aspects of patent law and involves evaluating and shaping new legal resources based on emerging technologies, drawing up proposals for strategic or policy orientations, drafting of legislative proposals and of patent law-related agreements.
As a young professional, you will contribute to the legal aspects of the negotiation and implementation of patent-related agreements, most notably validation, reinforced partnership as well as Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) agreements. Furthermore, you will support the convergence of practice programme and related issues of procedural and substantive patent law harmonisation, which all aim at reducing diverging practices at national patent offices and the EPO.

Institutional Law and Governance Support

The activities of the Institutional Law and Governance Support lie in different areas of legal competence, in particular, by providing legal advice on amending EPO internal regulations, institutional and procedural reforms, and applying the Protocol on Privileges and Immunities. This involves drawing up legal texts and resolving legal disputes.
As a young professional, you will support the department in general institutional legal affairs and assist your tutor and the team in contributing to the EPO's programme to modernise the Organisation's external governance.

Contract Law and Litigation

Contract Law and Litigation serves as the EPO's legal counsel concerning contract law and non-patent and employment-related litigation. Its tasks also include safeguarding and defending the legal interests and assets of the EPO and providing expert legal advice and support for the various administrative and corporate units in fulfilling their functions and implementing their strategic projects.
As a young professional, you will be involved in drafting contracts and legal instruments, perform legal research and provide legal analysis and advice on general and contractual legal questions concerning international and national law, and support any legal activities arising from (pre-)litigation and claim management, in close teamwork with the department's lawyers and direct client contact.

Contract Law and Litigation - building and IT projects

The Department of Contract Law and Litigation is tasked with safeguarding and defending the legal interests and assets of the EPO. Through committed expert legal advice and service, we also assist and enable the different administrative functions of the EPO to fulfil their mission and realise their projects.
As a young professional, you will be involved in supporting lawyers by providing legal advice concerning contractual matters as well as in legal court/arbitration proceedings and claims management, supporting the EPO's IP strategy as well as projects under the future SP2028, most notably building and IT projects.

Patent Law and Processes

The directorate Patent Law and Processes supports EPO policy and operations by developing, strengthening and promoting the European Patent Convention and the patent system in general. It provides legal and procedural advice in European patent (EP) and Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) proceedings and co-operates with internal and external groups in projects related to patent law.
As a young professional, you will complete dedicated trainings for newcomers, contribute in drafting legal opinions on patent law related matters, preparing draft communications and decisions in individual cases, conducting legal research and comparative legal studies on specific topics, monitor relevant case law, and supporting legal members in examination and opposition proceedings.

Procedural Guidance and Registers

The Directorate Procedural Guidance and Registers contributes to the patent grant process by providing guidance and working instructions to operations. It administers the European Patent Register and the database of professional representatives and deals with the Unitary Patent related tasks of the EPO while supporting digital transformation of these processes.
As a young professional, you will be involved in supporting the yearly revision cycle of the Guidelines for Search and Examination in the EPO, the Unitary Patent Division and the Legal Division. You will also be involved in operational tasks, legal research and logistical support of the directorate.

Patent Academy - Learning Programmes (Patent granting and litigation)

This department is responsible for training programmes in the areas of patent granting and patent litigation, identifying the needs of relevant users, including national patent offices and patent attorneys, assuring the quality of the training resources, and engaging with authors and trainers.
As a young professional, you will contribute to planning, organising and monitoring training activities in patent granting and litigation, ensuring the quality of training resources and presentations. Responsibilities include coordinating training events, engaging with stakeholders such as patent offices, attorneys and judges, and developing innovative learning solutions. You will handle stakeholder requests, conduct research for country reports and support digital implementation of the European qualifying examination (EQE) by ensuring confidentiality and high standards. Additional tasks include managing lecture requests, preparing newsletters, maintaining records in OpenText and invigilating EQE exams.

Patent Academy - Innovation Networks (PATLIB)

This department drives business and technology commercialisation promotion, connecting and energising  the network of innovation support centres (PATLIBs) and knowledge transfer initiatives, such as the Knowledge Transfer to Africa (KT2A) project. It is responsible for coordinating the PATLIB network, which comprises over 320 centres distributed across European Patent Convention (EPC) member states, offering advice and services based on IP to local industries, SMEs, researchers and individuals.
As a young professional in Innovation Networks, you will support training and administrative activities for the PATLIB network and the KT2A project. Key responsibilities include organising training sessions, preparing newsletters for PATLIB centres and supporting the PATLIB conference. You will contribute to technology transfer initiatives and cooperation with international and national organisations, maintain and update country reports and serve as a European qualifying examination invigilator.