Traineeship in Legal Services
Grade: Internship
Closing Date: Sep 22, 2026
Location: Frankfurt (Germany)
Occupational Groups: Legal - Broad, Protection Officer (Refugee)

General Information

Type of contract Traineeship

Who can apply? EU nationals eligible for our traineeship programme

Grant The trainee grant is €1,170 per month plus an accommodation allowance (see further information section)

Working time Full time

Place of work Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Closing date 22.09.2026

Your team

You will be part of the Directorate General Legal Services. Our Directorate General comprises around 160 lawyers from the 27 EU Member States. We advise 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. Our work includes drafting legal instruments and advising on the interpretation of the EU Treaties. We also prepare the ECB’s opinions on draft EU and national legislation and contribute to defining the ECB’s legal position with regard to EU institutions, Member States and international fora.

In your role as a trainee, you will be assigned to one of three divisions: the Institutional Law Division, the Supervisory Law Division or the Financial Law Division. You will work closely with experienced legal counsels and contribute to the provision of legal advice on a broad range of matters in an EU context.

The ECB is an inclusive employer and we strive to reflect the diversity of the population we serve. We encourage you to apply irrespective of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, race, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or other characteristics.

Your role

As a trainee in the Institutional Law Division you will:
  • contribute to the preparation of legal advice on questions relating to central banking law, the ECB’s privileges and immunities, EU civil service law, EU institutional law, EU administrative law, European System of Central Banks and Eurosystem governance, contracts (including non-financial contracts) and procurement law;
  • help prepare legal advice on issues concerning accounting, auditing, taxation, euro banknotes and intellectual property;
  • assist ECB legal counsel in pre-litigation and litigation related to these matters.

As a trainee in the Financial Law Division you will:
  • assist in preparing legal advice on financial law matters, particularly those relating to the ECB’s legal framework for monetary policy and foreign reserves management; the operation, regulation and oversight of financial market infrastructures, including TARGET2 and TARGET2-Securities; the collection and management of statistics and other data; and the Eurosystem’s contribution to EU financial regulation and economic governance; 
  • help prepare legal advice on Eurosystem projects, including the digital euro, wholesale settlement services provided in central bank money and links between Eurosystem retail payment platforms and instant payment systems outside the euro area;
  • assist ECB legal counsel in pre-litigation and litigation related to these matters.

As a trainee in the Supervisory Law Division you will: 
  • help prepare legal advice on matters relating to the prudential supervision of credit institutions, including requirements on own funds, liquidity, governance and risk management, common procedures, fit and proper assessments, sanctions and enforcement, securitisation, information exchange and crisis management;
  • contribute to legal advice relating to the functioning of the European banking union, particularly in relation to the Single Supervisory Mechanism Regulation and its supporting legal framework;
  • assist ECB legal counsel in pre-litigation and litigation related to these matters.

The traineeship offers you excellent opportunities to gain practical experience providing legal support on institutional, financial or supervisory law matters in an EU context. You will work alongside experienced colleagues, giving you the opportunity to broaden your legal knowledge and develop your professional skills. You will be part of a multicultural team that strives for continuous innovation to make a positive impact on the lives of European citizens. 

Qualifications, experience and skills

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

Desired: 
  • a sound knowledge of EU law (for example, EU institutional and administrative law or the legal framework of the Economic and Monetary Union), contract and procurement law, financial law, supervisory law or other fields of law directly relevant to the work of one of the three divisions mentioned above;
  • specialisation, experience or research in a legal field relevant to the work of one of the three divisions;
  • an intermediate (B2) or higher command of French and/or German, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

You are curious and eager to learn, and want to further develop your ability to analyse complex information. You are keen to collaborate with others, pursue team goals and learn from other people’s diverse perspectives. You strive to know and anticipate stakeholder needs, and will signal any need for change and propose alternative solutions.

You are motivated to contribute to the ECB’s mission, to serve the citizens of the EU as a member of a public institution and to work with colleagues from all over Europe. You are keen to be part of our team and to use your skills and competencies to achieve the aims of this position.

Further information

Initial traineeship of between three and six months, with a possible extension to up to 12 months in total. The earliest start date will be in early 2027. A later start date may also be agreed, depending on business needs and your availability.

Other details on the conditions applicable to traineeships at the ECB can be found on our website.

Application and selection process

The recruitment process for this position will include a pre-recorded video interview in the pre-selection phase and – if you are invited to participate in the subsequent selection phase – an online interview. 

Further information on how to apply is available on our website.

If you are not selected for this position but are still considered suitable, you will be placed on a reserve list for 12 months from the closing date for applications, from which you might be considered for other traineeship positions within the ECB.

Apply
Share
Login to Apply

By registering on our pool, our recruiters will be able to view your profile, contact you for current & future vacancies and engage you on opportunities that match your skills and interest.

We encourage you to always keep your profile updated with your most recent qualifications, experience, skills and languages (local & international) to increase the possibility of being contacted.

Register