Hanse Law School

The Hanse Law School offers programmes in Comparative and European Law, which are oriented towards the requirements of an ever-changing economy in the course of globalisation and the challenges posed by a deepened European integration. The programme focuses on making the students familiar with different legal concepts and, by doing so, enhancing the students' ability to adapt to different situations under constantly changing circumstances.

The Hanse Law School is a project of various universities, established in 2002. The University of Bremen and the Carl-von-Ossietzky University of Oldenburg jointly offer the bachelor's programme in Germany while the University of Groningen offers its Dutch equivalent "European Law School". This article deals with the German programme. The goal after four or five years of studying is not only to have acquired broad knowledge of German law, but also to have acquired a thorough understanding of Dutch and English law, as well as some ancillary knowledge of economics or political science. A compulsory year abroad can be undertaken at the Dutch partner university in Groningen, and at various institutions in the UK and other countries.

Bachelor's degree

Earning the Bachelor's degree requires successfully attending courses worth 240 credit points (CP), which are distributed as follows:

• 8 CP Introduction to the Hanse Law School
• 27 CP Private Law
• 7 CP Economic Law
• 10 CP Labour Law
• 30 CP Public Law
• 11 CP Criminal Law
• 18 CP European Union Law
• 15 CP Bachelor's thesis
• 18 CP language courses (Dutch and specialized English)
• 18 CP Economics or Political Science
• 18 CP Internship
• 60 CP year abroad

Students who successfully attend certain courses at the University of Groningen acquire, having earned the master's degree of the Hanse Law School or an equivalent degree of the University of Groningen, the civiel effect, a degree that enables the student to be admitted to the Dutch bar after an apprenticeship with a Dutch law firm lasting three years. This admission also opens the opportunity to be admitted to the German bar if a student proves to have sufficient knowledge of German law in a test of equivalency or has worked as a European advocate in Germany applying German law for at least three years.

Master's degree

Earning the master's degree requires successfully attending courses worth 60 credit points. This master's programme includes a compulsory semester at the University of Groningen.

• 4 compulsory subjects (in each case 6 CP):
  • Company law (comparative and European)
  • international contracts law
  • EC competition law
  • legal skills - law in Europe (in Dutch)

• 3 optional subjects (in each case 6 CP) from:
  • Dutch law of property
  • Dutch law of obligations
  • Dutch insolvency law
  • government and private law (Dutch)
  • government liability (Dutch)
  • European and international prosecution
  • labour, commerce and competition from a transnational and EU perspective
  • transnational relations and Law - international economic and commercial law - regularization by non state actors
  • democracy, human rights, fundamental freedoms - national, European and international
  • government and administration in the information age (e-governance) and public management
  • European and international economics and environmental law
  • intellectual and commercial property
  • EU consumer protection
• Master's thesis (18 CP)

One point of credit corresponds to 30 hours of work

External links

• http://www.hanse-law-school.de/