Calendar of activities 2025 | ||
Start of applications | 1 December 2024 | |
End of applications | 20 February 2025 | |
Announcement of successful participants (division into YELA 1 and 2) | 30 March 2025 | |
YELA 1 | Webinar: 6 May 2025 Intensive Course: 23 – 30 June 2025 | Apply here. |
YELA 2 | Webinar: 28 October 2025 Intensive Course: 24 November – 1 December 2025 | Apply here. |
Participants nominated by their bar association will receive the application forms directly.
Participants can apply for both 2025 events by filling in the application form for both events.
Participation
Participation
The project focuses on lawyers in private practice at the beginning of their career. ’Young lawyers’ are those who are, at the time of registration, considered trainee lawyers under national law, including those who are in an induction or apprenticeship period; in jurisdictions in which initial training does not include a period of legal practice, newly qualified lawyers with less than three years of experience can apply.
The organisers reserve the right to request proof of apprenticeship or qualification during the application process.
Participation Fee
Young lawyers nominated by Bars financing the project participate free of charge or will be reimbursed by their Bar.
For participants applying on their own or through other Bars, a fee of €275 will be charged, including costs for documentation, lunches, coffee breaks and dinners.
Language
Participants should have a working knowledge of English.
Locations
ERA Conference Centre, Trier
European Court of Justice, Luxembourg
European Court of Human Rights, Strasbourg
Other services
Lunches, social dinners, beverages offered during the event, documentation and transfer to Luxembourg and Strasbourg are offered by ERA.
Travel & Accommodation
Accommodation will be provided from Sunday evening till the end of the course for all young lawyers (whether nominated or applying independently). The costs for accommodation in both Trier and Strasbourg are booked by and paid for by ERA.
Participants are asked to arrange their own travel after they have received ERA’s confirmation to book, and will receive a fixed contribution based on distance. For further information on the contribution, please see the terms and conditions.
The nearest airports close to Trier:
- Luxembourg (40 km, 1 hour 20 minutes by bus and train),
- Frankfurt Hahn (76 km, 2 hours by bus and train),
- Cologne (167 km; 3,5 hours by train),
- Frankfurt am Main (185 km, 3-3,5 hours by train).
The nearest airports to Strasbourg:
- Strasbourg (16 km, 10 mins by train),
- Stuttgart (150 km, 2-3 hours by train),
- Frankfurt am Main (212 km, 2-3 hours by train).
Terms and Conditions
Eligibility to participate:
1. Citizenship of, residency in or place of work in should be a country eligible for the Justice Programme (all Member States except Denmark; Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo* and Ukraine).
2. The contest is open to lawyers in private practice at the beginning of their career. ’Young lawyers’ are those who are, at the time of registration, considered trainee lawyers under national law, including those who are in an induction or apprenticeship period; in jurisdictions in which initial training does not include a period of legal practice, newly qualified lawyers with less than three years of experience can apply. The organisers reserve the right to request proof of apprenticeship or qualification during the application process.
3. Participants should have a working knowledge of English.
Participation costs
4. Young lawyers nominated by Bars financing the project participate free of charge or will be reimbursed by their Bar.
For participants applying on their own or through other Bars, a fee of €275 will be charged, no discounts are given.
Travel, Accommodation and Catering
5. Applicants will be subject to a selection procedure. ERA will send confirmation of selection to each participant individually. Confirmed participants are eligible to receive a fixed contribution towards their travel expenses following the event.
6. Accommodation will be provided from Sunday evening till the end of the course for all young lawyers (whether nominated or applying independently). The costs for accommodation in both Trier and Strasbourg are booked by and paid for by ERA.
7. All young lawyers (whether nominated or applying independently) selected to participate in the course will receive a contribution to their travel costs depending on the distance from their place of work. Participants can use any form of travel. YELA starts in Trier and finishes in Strasbourg. Travel should be booked accordingly. Participants are obliged to confirm their participation by submitting their travel arrangements, otherwise a different candidate will be chosen. Should the participant cancel their participation for any reason, no travel contribution will be paid.
The travel contribution is based on the distance between the place of work and the event venue (distance only one way – the contribution amount is for the total travel cost). The contribution amount is for the total travel cost and will not take account of the participant’s actual travel costs. The precondition for payment of the travel cost contribution is confirmed attendance at all events (webinar, intensive course). Transfers Trier to Luxembourg (return) and to Strasbourg (one way) are arranged and paid for by ERA. Please note that no contribution will be paid for travel under 50km.
The reimbursement will be calculated as follows:
51-199 km €100
200-399 km € 200
400-600 km € 245
601-800 km €261
801-1200 km € 276
1201-1600 km €288
Over 1601 €369
To calculate the distance please visit: https://commission.europa.eu/funding-tenders/procedures-guidelines-tenders/information-contractors-and-beneficiaries/calculate-unit-costs-eligible-travel-costs_en. As YELA has two event venues (Trier, Strasbourg), please use the mean distance between your workplace and Trier, and your workplace and Strasbourg.
8. Successful applicants will be sent the relevant claim form and information on how to obtain payment of the contribution to their expenses. Please note that no payment is possible if the registered participant cancels their participation for any reason.
9. Catering during the day is provided by ERA. For more information on dinners and social programmes please check the detailed programme. Breakfasts are included with the accommodation.
10. No per diem or daily allowance is offered.
Participation
11. The selected participants will be asked to book their travel as soon as possible and confirm their itinerary to ERA. Participants are obliged to confirm their participation by submitting their travel arrangements, otherwise a different candidate will be chosen.
12. Participation at the whole academy (webinar and intensive course) is required and participants’ presence will be recorded.
13. A list of participants, including each participant’s working address, will be made available to all participants unless ERA receives written objection from the participant no later than one week prior to the beginning of the first event.
14. Participants are asked to give permission for their address and other relevant information to be stored in ERA’s database in order to provide information about future ERA events, publications and/or other developments in the participant’s area of interest.
15. A certificate of attendance will be distributed after the end of the academy.
Co-funded by the European Union