In brief 

The Master of Laws (LL.M) is a two-year programme taught in English worth 120 ECTS credits. It offers a number of case-oriented courses in a modular setup within a broad range of legal fields. Specifically, you will experience a law-in-context approach in three chosen modules from a list of five: 1) Multilevel Constitutionalism and Fundamental Rights in Europe; 2) Sustainable Development and Global Justice; 3) Commercial Transactions & Disputes; 4) Economic Governance; and 5) Diversity and Law. You will also have the opportunity to develop research skills and make use of our partnerships with excellent universities across the globe by spending a semester abroad.

"Besides its legal features, this Master of Laws is about bringing together students from all over the world, learning from each other, from our pasts and cultures, from our differences, finding our commonalities, and looking towards the future together."

In detail 

After the first semester, which is focused on skills courses and some fundamental courses in European and international law and human rights, you will follow one cluster of courses each semester. You can also choose to study abroad for one semester during your second Master’s year and specialise in a cluster that you’ve already chosen in Antwerp. 

You will participate in a legal clinic, allowing you to bridge the gap between academic research and legal practice. Each legal clinic involves a different partner institution, e.g. a law firm, an NGO, or a government department. You will work with other students on one or more legal assignments that are developed in close cooperation with the partner institution concerned. The assignments are related to real-life cases or policy developments and need to respond to the institution’s needs. This requires an approach that significantly differs from writing an academic paper or studying for an exam. Therefore, the legal clinic is hard work and a hands-on experience of law in your preferred legal field. 

The research skills you develop in your first semester are further refined through the assignments in the semester clusters and within the context of the Master’s dissertation. With the support of your supervisor, you learn how to translate a problem into a legal question, carry out legal analysis, develop your own opinion based on legal arguments and propose legal solutions that reflect key societal and economic developments. This skill set gives lawyers a distinct edge in any field of law (legal practice, NGO, policy, academic). Excellent students have the opportunity to become student researchers within one of the faculty’s research groups for the duration of the programme. This position is aimed at allowing you to better understand the possibilities of an academic career, work closely with junior and senior researchers at the faculty, and participate in academic events (e.g. conferences, seminars, workshops or informal events). Ideally, this position enables you to prepare a funding application for a PhD fellowship. The additional research skills and attitudes you develop will nevertheless be useful for any professional career. 

Visiting researchers and internationally renowned speakers are frequently invited to the faculty. Our students are welcome to attend faculty lectures, courses and seminars given by these researchers. In this context the Faculty of Law at the University of Antwerp offers you a globally linked, locally embedded ‘metropolitan law faculty’, building on its tradition of strong research and well established networks. The location in the city of Antwerp allows the faculty to engage with a diverse population and a global economic landscape. Our law faculty responds to societal challenges at the domestic, European, and global level. And finally, our metropolitan law faculty trains lawyers with skills to operate in a changing and global society.