This year’s THEMIS Competition is set to launch soon, bringing together 39 teams from across Europe. Judicial trainees from 12 EU member states, three Western Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia), and Moldova will compete for top honours. The number of participants has grown since 2024, when 35 teams take part.
The competition will kick off with Semi-final C on EU and European Civil Procedural Law. This event will be held on 13-16 May in Lisbon, Portugal, and is hosted by the Centre for Judicial Studies (CEJ). After last year’s introduction of Administrative Law in Semi-final B, the 2025 edition will revisit the theme of Family Law.
The European Judicial Training Network extends its sincere appreciation to the institutions supporting this year’s Semi-finals: the Centre for Judicial Studies (Portugal), the Judicial Studies Committee (Malta), the National Courts Administration (Lithuania), and the School for the Judiciary (Italy).
What is the THEMIS Competition?
The 2025 THEMIS Competition features four Semi-finals:
- Semi-final A: EU and European Criminal Procedural Law: 27–30 May | Valletta, Malta
- Semi-final B: EU and European Family Law: 1–4 July | Naples, Italy
- Semi-final C: EU and European Civil Procedural Law: 13–16 May | Lisbon, Portugal
- Semi-final D: Judicial Ethics and Professional Conduct: 10–13 June | Vilnius, Lithuania
Each team is made up of three judicial trainees, who are eligible under national law and have no more than two years of initial training experience. Teams may also be accompanied by a tutor.
To advance further in the competition, teams must submit a written paper on a topic relevant to their Semi-final theme, deliver a 30-minute presentation, respond to audience questions, and take part in a jury-led discussion.
The top two teams from each Semi-final will earn a place in the Grand Final, to be hosted by the National Institute of Magistracy of Romania in December 2025. The ultimate winners will be awarded a study visit to an institution of their choice, funded by EJTN.
You can watch a promotional video from the 2023 Grand Final, available to view on YouTube.
The papers: creativity meets legal expertise
For the 2025 competition, each team has submitted a written paper on any subject related to the topic of the relevant semi-final theme. These papers, written in English, offer original analysis, critical insights, and fresh proposals on their chosen subject.
Teams were given approximately one month to prepare their submissions. Now that the papers are in, participants will focus on refining their oral presentations and preparing for the challenge of defending their ideas before a panel of legal experts.
The highest-quality papers will be selected for publication in the 2025 THEMIS Annual Journal, EJTN’s yearly academic collection. All submissions have also been made available through the EJTN Online Training Catalogue.
Since 2010, EJTN has proudly organised the THEMIS Competition, a respected platform for judicial trainees from across Europe to exchange perspectives, refine their legal skills, and engage in meaningful debate.
The event was initially developed and managed by the Portuguese Centre for Judicial Studies (CEJ) and Romania’s National Institute of Magistracy (NIM) between 2006 and 2009, before evolving into the EU-wide initiative it is today.
The European Judicial Training Network wishes all the 2025 participants the best of luck in this prestigious competition.
For more information, visit the THEMIS Competition web page and the THEMIS Competition on the Online Training Catalogue.
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