PanEuropeanSeal YP in Law

Check out the units which are participating in the Pan-European Seal Young Professionals Programme 2024/2025 and let us know your preference when applying: 

Appeals Committee Secretariat (Munich) 
The Appeals Committee is a functionally independent advisory body that examines internal appeals lodged by EPO staff against decisions of the administration. Its Secretariat takes all the procedural and fact-finding steps necessary to get these appeal files to their "ready" status. The Secretariat's responsibilities include delivering legal memos and case-review briefings and analysing and drafting summaries of pleadings. In addition, the Secretariat assists in processes with the case lawyers to reduce the time period between filing cases and closure, whether by delivery of an opinion, settlement or otherwise.  

As a young professional, you will be involved in the process of preparing and maintaining case files, from the lodging of an appeal to the issuance of a recommendation by the Appeals Committee. In addition, you will actively take part in preparing legal memos, carrying out case law searches, drafting case review briefs, and assisting the case lawyers in their daily tasks, including during deliberations of the Appeals Committee.  

Collective Employment Law Matters and Social Dialogue (Munich) 
The Collective Employment Law Matters and Social Dialogue department is responsible for providing legal advice on strategic and operational matters in the area of collective employment law and social dialogue.  
Besides drafting employment law rules and HR policies, it prepares documents for meetings with social partners (Staff Committee, unions) and meetings of the various consultative and advisory bodies set up under the EPO's Service Regulations, participates in joint working groups and provides other EPO departments with legal support. If an employment-law dispute leads to litigation, the department represents the EPO in the formal processes involved, while also exploring alternative means of resolving the dispute. 

As a young professional, you will support the team of lawyers in handling all incoming work (legal advice and litigation) by carrying out preparatory work for submissions for litigation cases (e.g. mapping of arguments and issues). You will also carry out legal research and compile relevant documentation (e.g. on the case law of national and international tribunals or the employmentlaw framework of other international organisations and legal doctrine). In addition to this, you will be expected to draft submissions for litigation files or legal advice, decisions and letters, prepare legal notes (e.g. on the implementation of the legal framework, policy notes and amicable settlements) and contribute to legislative drafting and presentations (e.g. informing staff of reforms, social dialogue matters). 

Data Protection Office (Munich) 
The Data Protection Office ensures that the fundamental rights to data protection and privacy are respected, and it monitors compliance with the EPO Data Protection Rules. It provides legal advice to internal stakeholders and conducts awareness-raising activities on data protection. In addition, the Data Protection Office supports the organisation by assessing and mitigating data protection risks, conducting audits and issuing guidelines and operational documents.  

As a young professional, you will be involved in numerous projects related to data protection, such as providing legal advice and interpretation to internal stakeholders and data subjects on the application of the EPO Data Protection Rules and developing and providing awareness-raising activities and training to staff. The Data Protection Office is involved in and consults on a wide variety of activities throughout the entire organisation. In consequence, you will have opportunities to develop your legal advisory skills, get know the EPO, be in contact with numerous internal stakeholders and deepen your understanding of international organisations.  

Employment law: Individual, Compensation and Benefits Employment Law Matters (Munich) 
The Individual, Compensation and Benefits Employment Law Matters 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 ILO. It aims at fostering cultural change by shifting away from litigations towards dialogue through prevention and amicable dispute resolution. 

As a young professional, you will learn about the law applicable to international civil servants in all its diversity, both with respect to tasks (e.g. legislative drafting, legal advice, project management, drafting submissions in litigation cases and settlement negotiation) and topics (e.g. recruitment, working conditions, career management, tax issues and social security aspects). 

Institutional and Contract Law (Munich) 
Directorate Institutional and Contract Law is tasked with safeguarding and defending the legal interests and assets of the EPO. Through committed expert legal advice and service, it also assists and enables the different administrative bodies of the EPO to fulfil their mission and realise their projects. 

As a young professional, you will support the lawyers by providing legal advice on contractual matters as well as assisting in legal court-arbitration proceedings and claims management. In addition, you will support the EPO's IP strategy as well as projects under the future SP2028, most notably building and IT projects. 

Institutional Law and Governance Support (Munich) 
The activities of the Institutional Law and Governance Support department's activities lie in different areas of legal competence, in particular by providing legal advice on amending EPO internal regulations, institutional and procedural reforms, applying the Protocol on Privileges and Immunities, 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. 

IP Lab (Munich) 
The IP Lab department provides legally sound solutions and advice in all matters related to the strategic and policy aspects of the European and international patent system. Amongst other things, this involves legislative work, proposals of strategic or policy orientations, drafting agreements and providing legal advice in the field of patents and neighbouring areas of law and practice. 

As a young professional, you will be working on the all the activities of the EPO's newly established IP Lab work programme. You will help in observing patent law-related trends in emerging technologies such as computer-implemented inventions (CII) and artificial intelligence (AI) and their influence on aspects of patentability. Furthermore, you will help in monitoring and evaluating the EU's IP-related initiatives and patent law-related developments as well as their impact on the EPO's competences. 

Opposition and Central Formalities (Munich/The Hague) 
Principal Directorate Opposition and Central Formalities provides support for advanced patent grant and opposition procedures. It is responsible for harmonising procedural practices as well as analysing complex legal questions around patent applications and granted patents. It also guides efforts to achieve greater procedural quality and efficiency in the patent grant process. 

As a young professional in Opposition and Central Formalities, you'll support its harmonisation and improvement agenda, which covers a range of topics related to patent law, procedures, workflows and digitisation. You will also explore opportunities for enhancing collaboration between stakeholders in the patent grant process and analyse requests related to intellectual property rights management. 

Patent Law and Processes  (Munich) 
Directorate Patent Law and Processes supports the operations of the EPO in matters of practice and procedure relating to the EPC and PCT and in the digital transformation and simplification of processes. It ensures a harmonised EPO patent grant process by monitoring the case law of the Boards of Appeal and the Unified Patent Court, assessing its impact and implementing changes. 

As a young professional, you will be involved in drafting legal opinions and analyses, conducting legal research and comparative legal studies and providing support in legal matters relating to the EPC and the PCT. 

Patent Law Policy and Harmonisation (Munich) 
The Patent Law Policy and Harmonisation department provides legally sound solutions and advice in all matters related to the strategic and policy aspects of the European and international patent system. Amongst other things, this involves legislative work, proposals of strategic or policy orientations, drafting agreements and providing legal advice in the field of patents and neighbouring areas of law and practice. 

As a young professional, you will help with the legal aspects of negotiating and implementing patent-related agreements, most notably validation agreements. Furthermore, you will be working on the convergence of practice programme on issues related to procedural (particularly in the context of IP5) and substantive patent law harmonisation aimed at reducing diverging practices at national patent offices and the EPO. 

Procedural Guidance and Registers (Munich) 
Directorate Procedural Guidance and Registers contributes to the patent grant process by providing guidance and working instructions. 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 the digital transformation of these processes. 

As a young professional, you will be involved in supporting the yearly revision cycle of the Guidelines for Examination in the European Patent Office, the Unitary Patent Division and the Legal Division. You will also be involved in operational tasks, legal research and providing logistical support to the directorate.