On 26 June 2019, Lisa Louwerse defended her thesis 'The EU’s Conceptualisation of the Rule of Law in its External Relations: Case Studies on Development Cooperation and Enlargement'. The doctoral research was supervised by Prof. C.A.P. Hillion.

The Van Vollenhoven Institute for Law, Governance, and Development and the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies organised the Van Vollenhoven Lecture 2013.

An international comparative study of the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.

On 23 June 2020, Santy Kouwagam defended her PhD-thesis 'How lawyers win land conflicts for corporations: Legal Strategy and its influence on the Rule of Law in Indonesia'. The doctoral research was supervised by Prof. A.W. Bedner and Prof. C.E. von Benda-Beckmann.

This book presents concrete solutions for managing the legal risks distorting the development of various areas of EU law. It pursues an innovative and effective approach to identify legal risks, their causes at the EU level and their impacts on the functioning of the Union and its Member States. It…

The Faculty of Law has five institutes:

The Faculty of Law

Whether implicitly or explicitly, we all have ideas about how the law is supposed to function, whose interests it should represent, and what role it should play in society. This project explores the ways in which these questions are addressed in the works of the Roman historian Publius Cornelius Tacitus…

As a Faculty of Law graduate you are part of a valuable network. Discover how you can remain in contact with other alumni and the University!

What are the institutional dynamics of the adoption of internal market legislation?

The Editorial comment in the June issue of the Common Market Law Review examines three different aspects of the rule of law in relation to the European Union. Despite, or because of, the many challenges facing the Union, these questions are of continuing importance. The Union itself is based on legal…

René Pannekoek received the 2013 Philipsprize for PhD students in Mathematics at the Dutch Congress for Mathematics 2013 in Nijmegen. It was the 8th time that this prize, 1000 Euro and a trophy, was awarded.

How will we generate energy without further contributing to global warming? Industrial ecologist René Kleijn tells about low-carbon energy in tv and radio show Focus, and in VPRO Magazine.

MSc Law and Society brings together students from law and social sciences to examine the dynamic relationship between legal norms and social reality. Its global orientation, interdisciplinary approach, and focus on social justice make this master’s programme unique in its field.

Arbeidsrecht (labour law) is a specialisation within the master’s programme Rechtsgeleerdheid (Law) at Leiden Law School, Leiden University's renowned faculty of law.

The Department of Child Law and Health Law is a knowledge centre dedicated to academic research and education for both students and professionals in two fields: child law (and children's rights) and health law.

Study information

Just published: Nederlands internationaal privaatrecht Special issue: Private international law and finance

Are you interested in current affairs, developments in society and people? Are you highly motivated, willing to be challenged and able to go just a bit further in finding creative solutions to legal issues, then Rechtsgeleerdheid is the master’s programme for you.

Is private law ready for the challenges of our time?

The Department of Civil Law is responsible for education and research in the field of civil law. We teach the master’s degree programme Civiel Recht (Civil Law LL.M.), attracting many students each year from Leiden and elsewhere.

Hart Publishing in Oxford has published the first book in a series entitled ‘Restatement of Labour Law in Europe’. This particular book deals with the question of which employees are protected by labour law (‘The concept of employee’).

Company Law is a specialisation of the master’s programme Rechtsgeleerdheid (Law) at the renowned Leiden Law School of Leiden University.

The center studies the many ways in which issues of law and justice are dealt with in art and literature with a focus on liminal issues and cases. These are issues and cases where law comes to the limits of what it is capable of dealing with and art and literature explore the implications of what is…

After four successful editions, the Academy for the Rule of Law (Dutch) course, a collaboration between Leiden University and the Montesquieu Institute, has evolved into its final form.

Civil Law is a specialisation of the master’s programme Rechtsgeleerdheid (Law) at the renowned Leiden Law School of Leiden University.

The Institute of Private Law was closely involved in the development of Nieuw Burgerlijk Wetboek (the Civil Code of the Netherlands, which came about between 1948 and 1992). It has continued to fulfil this socially engaged role over the years. It also made a significant contribution to the development…

The section Civil Procedure Law offers education in the bachelor and master fase of the Law program.

Constitutional and administrative law covers a broad area of law. It provides the rules with which issues in society can be solved by government authorities.

Financial Law is a specialisation of the master’s programme Rechtsgeleerdheid (Law) at the renowned Leiden Law School of Leiden University.

Sustainability and the law lecture series featuring guest speakers discussing legal and social aspects.

To what extent does the Law Ombudsperson for Children achieve its goals as intended by the legislator when introducing the law?

Public International Law is a one-year Master’s specialisation at the internationally acclaimed Leiden Law School at Leiden University. The programme focuses on the legal framework that governs international relations in an increasingly complex global society.

How is law shaped by and shaping social, political and economic change in Indonesia?

The recent trade dispute between the U.S. and China has renewed the attention for the dependency of the U.S. and many other developed countries on the imports of critical materials. Recently this has led to an initiative by the U.S. government to team up with resource rich countries like Australia and…

In November 2022, at the request of the House of Representatives, the Dutch Government established the State Commission on the Rule of Law.

Rowie Stolk, PhD candidate at the Department of Constitutional and Administrative Law has been admitted as a visiting researcher to UCLA School of Law (University of California, Los Angeles) where she will stay during the first semester 2019 – 2020.

Viviana Massa defended her thesis on 16 December 2018.

Promotor: J.N. Kok, Co-promotor: W.A. Kosters

On 1 December 2023, Fatma Çapkurt was appointed as deputy chair of the State Committee on the Rule of Law.