To become a lawyer in Germany, your graduation from law school is followed by a mandatory two year internship to gain practical experiences in different areas of the law. During my internship with a law firm, one of the attorneys once said: “Well, lying is our business.” Having been raised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, this felt disturbing to me and I thought that there had to be better ways. It had to be possible to practice law and still be true to your ethical principles. Our great example is Jesus Christ. John called him our “advocate with the Father” (1 John 2:1). When Christ presents our case, he will not lie. But he will lovingly speak in our favor, emphasizing the good we have done and the repentance we have shown.
Just like it is important for the rising generation of young Christians to associate with like-minded friends and thus strengthen each other in a world that doesn’t always share their values, it is important for lawyers who want to follow Jesus Christ to associate with and strengthen each other. This is why I am a member of the Law Society.
Our chapter in Germany is fairly young and not yet fully organized. We just started our regular meetings with an attendance that still has potential of growth. We do not yet meet in fancy courthouses or campuses but in a classroom of a local church building. But “where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). In this small group of highly qualified lawyers with impressive vitae, who nevertheless successfully strive to follow our Savior, I already found examples of how I want to be.
I love the Law Society’s Mission Statement which teaches us that a lawyer’s personal religious conviction brings strength to the law and that we strive to promote fairness and virtue.
After more than 20 years as a lawyer working for the government I can share my experience that it is not only possible but necessary to retain high ethical standards to be successful. When I took my oath as a civil servant it ended with the words, “so wahr mir Gott helfe” (“so help me God”). And he does!
About the Author
Since 2021 I have been working as Senior Deputy Director at the Federal Customs Authority in Germany. Prior to this, from 2004 to 2020 I was with the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority in Germany, supervising life insurance companies for three years and later banks regarding their compliance with anti money laundering regulation. From 2002 to 2004 I was with an insurance company and briefly worked as an attorney. I received my law degree from the University of Hamburg in 1999 and my bar degree in 2002.
I am married and have three adult children. I also am an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and am currently serving as counsellor in the stake presidency of the Düsseldorf Germany Stake.
