Montenegro is considered to have enough qualified professionals to meet the European Union’s growing need for lawyer-linguists as the country moves toward EU membership. The EU Council is establishing a Montenegrin language team in Brussels to work on legal documents related to Montenegro’s accession. Lawyer-linguists will receive a basic salary of nearly €4,500, while assistants will earn nearly €3,500, with training and mentoring also provided.
University of Montenegro Law Faculty Dean Vladimir Savkovic believes there are enough Montenegrin lawyers with the required English skills, particularly among younger generations. However, he notes that many qualified professionals are already established in their careers and may be reluctant to move to Brussels and make a significant career change. He also points out that Montenegrin candidates will face competition from EU citizens, particularly from Croatia, given the similarity between Croatian and Montenegrin.
Jelena Pralas, a professor at the University of Donja Gorica and president of the Association of Court Interpreters, is also confident that Montenegro can find enough qualified lawyers with strong English skills. She notes that some lawyers are already licensed to translate legal texts, although the number of professionals with the necessary level of specialised English remains limited.
Both experts stress the need for better education in EU law and professional English. The University of Montenegro plans to introduce a new EU Law master’s programme, with the first students expected in autumn 2027. The University of Donja Gorica is also developing a 15-credit English-language training programme for lawyers through micro-credentials. According to Pralas, similar specialised training will eventually be needed across other professions so Montenegro has enough qualified personnel to work with the EU administration once the country becomes a member.