Business law, general private law, contract law, litigation, employment law, public business law: the titles of French master’s degrees in law look alike and overlap. Choosing your M2 from a list of programmes is often choosing blind. The method that works goes the other way: start from the job you want to do, and from the way recruiters in that field read a degree.
Business law firms, in-house legal departments, notarial offices and compliance functions do not look at the same things. This article describes, career by career, what matters when choosing a master’s, when a programme’s reputation counts more than its title, and what your M2 will say about you on a CV.
Start from the job, not from the title
Since the 2017 reform, selection mainly takes place on entry into the first year of the master’s, on the national platform Mon Master 🔗, and the master’s is built over two years. Choosing your “M2” is therefore often choosing a track within a programme, a decision made when you apply for M1. That is one more reason to think about it early.
Ask yourself three questions before comparing programmes:
- What first job are you aiming for? Associate in a law firm, in-house lawyer, trainee notary, lawyer in a public administration, data protection officer.
- Does the profession require a specific degree? To become an avocat, the requirement is a master’s in law, with no compulsory track. To become a notary, a master’s in notarial law gives automatic access to professional training. For other jobs, no degree is required, but practice matters.
- Who will read your CV? A partner in a Paris business law firm, a group general counsel and a notary in a provincial town do not have the same reference points. Partners know the programmes their associates come from; the head of an SME will mainly look at internships.
The Conseil national des barreaux points out on its page on conditions of access to the profession 🔗 that, since 1 January 2025, the legal profession is in principle reserved for holders of a master 2 in law or a recognised equivalent. The track followed is not prescribed: it is recruitment, not the rules, that makes the difference.
Master’s programmes that lead to business law firms
Business law firms recruit their interns and associates from a small number of programmes they know well. Three families stand out.
- Master’s degrees in business law, company law or economic law, with tracks in mergers and acquisitions, financial law, business tax law or commercial litigation.
- Selective programmes with a strong identity: the DJCE, business lawyer magistères, flagship master’s programmes of certain law faculties. Their value lies as much in the alumni network and recruitment fairs as in the curriculum.
- Dual degrees in law and management, law and business school, law and political science, which are very common in large firms for transactional practices.
This is where reputation weighs more than the title. A “master 2 in business law” from a faculty whose graduates the partners know, with a dissertation and internships in law firms, is often worth more than a very targeted title from a programme recruiters have never heard of. Beyond that, internships make the difference: choosing your final internship and PPI at law school is a direct continuation of choosing your master’s.
Litigation, white-collar crime, arbitration
Litigation firms look at procedure first. A master’s in general private law or litigation, complemented by a moot court competition or a law clinic, is a good foundation. For international arbitration, legal English and an LL.M. or a semester abroad count as much as the French degree.
Master’s programmes for in-house legal departments
Legal departments recruit lawyers who are operational from their first job. They look at three things in a degree.
- Fit with the sector: contract and distribution law for industry and retail, banking and financial law for banks and insurers, intellectual property law for cultural and technology industries, employment law for industrial relations roles.
- Work-study (alternance), highly valued in companies: it lets you arrive with one or two years of experience on your CV.
- Cross-functional skills: legal English, compliance (Sapin II, duty of vigilance, personal data), project management.
The pre-filled in-house lawyer CV shows how a master’s in business law and a work-study placement are presented to a corporate recruiter.
Data protection officers and digital compliance
No degree is required to be appointed data protection officer. The CNIL 🔗 points out that the DPO is appointed on the basis of their professional qualities and their expert knowledge of data protection law and practice. In practice, master’s degrees in digital law, intellectual property and new technologies, complemented by a certification, are the most common route. If the technical side appeals to you, also look at governance roles in cybersecurity 🔗, which sit next to GDPR compliance. The pre-filled GDPR lawyer and DPO CV gives an example of a career path.
Notarial law, public law, criminal law: the dedicated tracks
Some professions have their own track, and leaving it comes at a price.
The notarial profession
The master’s in notarial law is the main route into the notarial profession. According to the Institut national des formations notariales 🔗, access to the higher diploma in notarial studies (DESN) is automatic for holders of a master’s in notarial law approved by the INFN, and subject to selection by a national committee for holders of another master’s in law. The choice of master’s therefore directly determines what comes next. The pre-filled notary CV shows the typical path.
Public law
For public law firms, local authorities and public administrations, master’s degrees in public business law, local government law, planning law or environmental law are the reference. Civil service competitive exams have their own preparation courses, often attached to a general administration preparation institute.
Criminal law
Criminal defence firms, few of which recruit, look at criminal procedure, white-collar criminal law and courtroom experience. A master’s in criminal law and criminal sciences, complemented by internships in courts or firms, is the classic route. The exams for the judiciary also have their own dedicated preparation courses.
Work-study or full-time study
Work-study has grown considerably in law master’s programmes. Its advantages and limits depend on the career you are aiming for.
It is most useful in companies. A legal department that has hosted a work-study student for two years often hires them at the end, or recommends them. On a CV, two years of work-study weigh as much as a first job.
It is less decisive for law firms. The path to an associate position goes through the CRFPA entrance exam, then law school and its placements. Work-study in a firm remains useful, but it must leave time to prepare the entrance exam. Many students aiming for the bar choose full-time study with long internships.
It is central to the notarial profession, since the training that follows the master’s is itself carried out as work-study in a notarial office for twenty-four months.
What your M2 says about you on a CV
Once you graduate, your master’s will stay at the top of your CV for several years. It tells a story: your orientation, your standards, sometimes your network. A few habits make sure it tells the right one.
- Write the exact title of the programme and track, with the institution. “Master 2 Business Law, mergers and acquisitions track” is clearer than an internal acronym.
- Keep the grade if it is good, and the dissertation topic if it relates to the job.
- Cite three or four courses that match the duties in the job offer, not the whole curriculum.
- Add what sets you apart: DJCE, magistère, LL.M., moot court, law clinic.
While you are still an undergraduate or in M1, it is your whole path that makes the application: the article first CV for a law student shows how to present your studies, law clinic and student jobs when experience is still lacking.
Before choosing, look at real CVs of people who do the job you want, and at the place the master’s holds in them. For your own, the AvocatCV builder offers education sections suited to legal conventions and a sober layout that screening software reads without difficulty: you focus on choosing which courses to highlight, not on aligning columns.
Frequently asked questions
Is a master 2 absolutely necessary to become an avocat?
Yes, since 1 January 2025, the profession is in principle reserved for holders of a master 2 in law or a recognised equivalent, according to the CNB. The CRFPA entrance exam can, however, be taken once the first sixty credits of the master’s have been obtained.
Does a “general” master’s close doors?
No, not for the bar or for most legal departments. It must be complemented by targeted internships that clearly show your orientation. It closes more doors in the notarial profession, where the master’s in notarial law gives automatic access to the next stage of training.
Is a reputable programme better than a precise title?
For business law firms, the programme’s reputation and the quality of the internships often count for more than the title. For dedicated tracks (notarial work, public law, data compliance), the title and content matter more.
Can I change direction after my M2?
Yes. A second master’s, a university diploma or a work-study placement can correct an orientation. On your CV, present the change as a deliberate choice, with the internship that prompted it.