A German judge or lawyer must be a Volljurist, a fully qualified lawyer. The Duden defines this as a lawyer who has passed the second state exam after a period of practical training. The German Judiciary Act requires a university law degree completed with the first exam, then a preparatory service completed with the second state exam. Only a person with this qualification may be admitted as a lawyer. The grade matters as well. To be hired by Bavaria’s ordinary courts, a candidate needs at least eight points in the second exam. Several states have lowered their thresholds in recent years.