Gerichtsassessor

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Gerichtsassessoren were candidates in the German legal system who had passed a central examination and were therefore eligible to become judges or prosecutors, though most did not take those jobs. They are sometimes called assistant judges. The title is old; some who held it would today be considered “on probation.” To qualify, they had to complete the second state legal exam, the Competence to the Justiceship. The appointment was made with the plan that the person would become a judge later. A Gerichtsassessor usually kept the title for about one year after getting the Certificate of Appointment, before being appointed as a judge. The number of Gerichtsassessoren was 3,855 in 1933 and 5,696 in 1935.