LL.M in International and European Law

Radboud University is among the top one per cent of universities in the world. It was just recently awarded best traditional university in the Netherlands in 2019, with the law programme as best in its field. Almost 95% of alumni with a Master's degree work in a paid position within 1.5 years after their graduation.
All these statistics were a sound reason for me to enrol in the European Law programme at Radboud University, but their significance ended on the first day of the programme. What matters from that moment on, are your personal feelings and your own experiences.

As far as I can tell now, shortly before graduation, there are a number of features of the whole programme which made it truly exceptional and different from my previous education. Of these features, I will describe the three that impressed me the most.

After a very welcoming introduction by the International Office, the programme starts with a four-week long introductory lecture in European and International law for LLM students of all specialisations. It really impressed me, how this lecture perfectly served a number of purposes in such a short time. First, it raised the knowledge of every student, no matter how different their educational background, to an equal level and gave them the confidence to successfully attend the subsequent courses in their specialisations. Secondly, as it was taught by various lecturers, students got sound insight into the different departments and research fields in the faculty. This provided direction for choosing subsequent lectures and even raised some preliminary research ideas for our Master's theses. Lastly, as these lectures were held every day for one month, it was a perfect opportunity to get to know and make friends with fellow students.

The Business Law track features a number of compulsory, semi-elective and elective lectures. All share some things in common: they are taught in small groups, by competent and approachable lecturers. After completing almost all of the required lectures, I feel as though I have a thorough understanding of up-to-date European and international business law.

For me personally, the programme was a success even before finishing it, as I got accepted for a paid full-time job halfway through. Apart from my previous education, I really feel like attending the LL.M. programme in Business Law was what set me apart from other applicants.

The LLM in European Law with a specialisation in European and International Law Advanced at Radboud University has been one of the most enriching experiences of my academic years. One of the things that attracted me the most is the flexibility of the programme. It is very nice that you can decide which courses you want to take according to your interests. In my case, one of the most challenging aspects of the programme at Radboud University was the course of Advanced Notions of International & European Law. It is a crash course during the first three weeks of the semester. During these weeks I had to study very hard and I also participated in the Moot Court which was very challenging for me as I had never participated in one before. Thanks to this course I gained the necessary legal knowledge to follow the LLM and it gave me the necessary tools to be prepared to study the rest of the courses. This specialisation in my opinion is the one that gives you a broader knowledge of European and International law. I studied a variety of courses such as Competition law, European Employment law and Immigration law, to quote some but a few. All of these courses are focused not only in the theoretical application of the law but also in case law. This is one of the things that I liked about studying here, the way we study is so practical.

During the LLM I have improved in many aspects of my life. First, I have acquired a deeper knowledge in many European fields. Besides that, I have learned how to work under pressure. As a student of Radboud University you need to prepare the lectures in advance and you have to be able to understand and read a lot of articles and case law weekly.

I consider that as a lawyer it is very important to know the European legislation because nowadays everything is also regulated at European level. Thanks to the LLM at Radboud University I feel now ready to start my professional career and to put in practice all the notions gained during this year. Once I receive my Master’s degree I will apply for a job in a law firm or in an international company.

After finishing my Bachelor’s in Italy, I started looking for a study experience, possibly abroad and one that would provide me with a solid understanding of International and European law. After comparing different universities offering the LLM in EU Law, I decided to apply for the track in European Law and Global Affairs at Radboud University because of its unique approach in combining the study of law and social science.

I found the classes very stimulating because we had both law courses and two courses offered by the Faculty of Management. The combination of law and political science students, and the diversity of countries where they came from provided opportunity for good debate in the classroom. One of the aspects that I liked most about this track is that all courses were organised differently. Some were delivered in lectures while others included small group discussions and teamwork, which made the study of the subject more practical. For instance, as part of one of our Law courses, I had the chance to practice my oral and debating skills in a moot court. In other courses, instead, we also learned how to write a policy brief and how to make an informative scientific video.

The programme was challenging in many ways. I had to get used to studying in a foreign language, and it took me a while to adjust to the education system, which is very demanding but in a positive way. You are required to prepare every lecture in advance and participation in class is highly encouraged. This has helped me a lot to develop my critical thinking and to be independent in my research.

At the moment I’m working on my thesis which deals with the legal implications of foreign interference in elections through cyber operations. Working on such a political topic gives me the feeling that I am working on something that really matters, something that is currently the focus of worldwide debate. After completing my LLM, I would like to find a job that would allow me to continue my research in this area.

I think that having a political perspective on what might appear to be a legal problem, provides an important value in your research or in your future career.