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The Law Society is taking applications for Stage International. Since 1991 the Paris Bar has hosted an eight-week traineeship known as Stage International which attracts young French-speaking foreign lawyers from all over the world.
The aim of the internship is to help lawyers to learn about law and the practice of the legal profession in France and in an international environment. The traineeship offers a unique opportunity to create a sustainable professional and friendly network between young lawyers from diverse backgrounds. It allows lawyers from around the world to meet and compare their different legal systems.
The Stage International will be held from October to November 2025 (eight weeks). Lawyers will receive high quality training from renowned professors and lawyers in Paris and practical experience in a law firm. Tuition is fully covered by the Paris Bar.
The Law Society can put forward one applicant. The requirements of the Paris Bar are that the traineeships/internships are open to lawyers who are under 40 years of age and fluent in French.
Lawyers will be required to hold their own civil liability insurance and pay their own travel and accommodation costs.
View the internship description in English.
View the internship description in French.
To apply, please send your CV and a cover letter (both to be provided in French and English) explaining your interest, your French experience and why you would be a good ambassador for the New Zealand legal profession fiona.mcdonald@lawsociety.org.nz by 5pm Friday 11 April 2025.
The Stage was a marvellous and transformative experience that I would commend to anyone looking to challenge themselves and expand their world view of the practice and principles of law.
During the first month, I attended classes at l’Ecole de Formation du Barreau de Paris. I learned about the French civil law system and the basics of legal areas such as European law and French civil/criminal procedure. Classes were taught in French by practising lawyers, and involved visits to the major legal institutions comprising the French state, including the Conseil d’Etat, Cour de Cassation and Assemblée Nationale. What I learned made me appreciate parts of New Zealand’s common law system that I had previously taken for granted. It also made me reflect on how insights from civil law systems could be used to improve legal practice here.
Around 40 participants from 30 countries attended the Stage altogether. That made for a wonderfully international and collegial experience. In addition to sharing knowledge of how our respective legal systems worked, there were plenty of occasions for informal social events. For example, we fell into a tradition of trying out a different participant’s home country’s cuisine every fortnight (which would become my first time trying Lebanese, Tunisian and Basque foods)!
During the second month, I was placed to observe and work at a Parisian law firm. The Barreau de Paris went over and beyond to find me a firm that was aligned with my areas of interest, which I had indicated were public international law and international arbitration. At the firm, I learned about the life cycle of an international arbitration, deepened my understanding of the breadth of global matters international arbitration touches, and participated in the work of the team by analysing arbitral awards. That international perspective was not something I could find on the same scale in New Zealand.
Of course, just being in Paris was amazing. One of my favourite parts of the Stage was making the most of Parisian life by trying out new hobbies, reconnecting with old friends, visiting museums and gorging on French pastries. Taking myself well out of my comfort zone to prove personally that I could live and work in my second language was very, very fulfilling.