karl eberhard schöngarth later joined the sa (sturmabteilung) as member number 43,870 while claiming expulsion from the army. by 1924, schöngarth's involvement with the nazi party had decreased, and he enrolled at the university of leipzig, majoring in economics and law. he completed his first bar exam in 1928 and landed a job in the naumburg superior courts. he then went on to acquire his doctorate in law from the institute for labor and law, on 28 june 1929 at just the age of 26, and was awarded a cum laude. his thesis was on the subject of 'the refusal of notices of termination of employment contracts. he then decided to take his second bar exam in december 1933 and became a court official for magdeburg, erfurt and torgau.