L.L.B. Law in Society Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

How can the law pave the way for a sustainable future? And how is the law sometimes used to prevent it? Is terrorism a matter of international criminal law or international security law – or both? And what’s a lawyer’s moral responsibility in these cases?

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam's new Law in Society Bachelor’s program examines all these complex societal questions and more, from a range of legal perspectives.

Law in Society at VU Amsterdam is completely unique – nowhere else in the world are the lawyers of the future trained from a multidisciplinary, practical perspective.

The program centers around four themes that are hyper-relevant in today’s society: security, globalization of markets, migration, and sustainability. You will address each theme at both global and local levels, from different legal perspectives, using relevant social sciences tools and research methodologies.

For example, many apartments in Amsterdam are rented out to tourists via Airbnb: while it may be a global company headquartered in Silicon Valley, it has a huge impact at the local level in Amsterdam. What can local governments do to regulate the apartment rental business? Where does the responsibility lie if the damage is caused to your house? How do public and private law intersect here? In another example, what are the employment law implications for companies like Uber and Foodora, which use "self-employed" drivers and delivery agents? Should governments step in to monitor safety at the public law level?

In short, this program starts with the messy reality of today's world, examines how the law intersects with that reality, and how it can be used to effect change. After all, if you want to make a real change in society, you need to work at the level of laws and regulations. This program will give you the tools you need to make an impact - whether that's internationally at the UN, at a well-known law firm at the Zuidas in Amsterdam, or making a difference locally in your own community.

1st year

You’ll dive into one of the biggest issues of our age: security – including global terrorism, as well as libel and assault cases. Alongside the philosophy of law and security, you’ll learn about criminology and empirical research. In the second semester, you’ll immerse yourself in the globalization of markets, and will use psychology and statistics to deepen your understanding of how these markets work.

Subjects

• Libel, Blasphemy, and Assault
• Methodology and Empirical Research
• Diversity
• Criminology
• Terrorism
• Philosophy of Law and Security
• Amsterdam and the Platform Economy
• Statistics & SPSS
• Multinationals and the Platform Economy
• Psychology

2nd year

You’ll explore migration – not just from an abstract point of view, but by meeting and interviewing those involved. In small groups, you’ll learn qualitative research methods like interview techniques and negotiation skills which are great preparation for a legal career. You’ll also investigate topics like climate change and artificial intelligence – and the ethical dilemmas that lawyers face as a result.

Subjects

• Global Migration Governance
• Qualitative Research Methods
• Migration Law and the Nation-State
• Sociology
• Negotiations, Mediation and Dispute Solution
• Climate Change
• Evaluation Research
• (Un)sustainable Amsterdam
• Artificial Intelligence
• Law Ethics and Sustainability

3rd year

For your minor in your first semester, you’ll get the opportunity to go abroad and put your international curiosity to good use. For those staying in Amsterdam, there are plenty of minors offered in English at VU Amsterdam, from migration studies to global food security. If you wish to practice law in the Netherlands, you can use your minor to obtain 30 credits towards your "civiel effect" qualification (see the Future tab for more information). At the end of your final year, you’ll also write your Bachelor’s thesis.

Subjects

• Recap: Criminal Law
• Recap: Public Law
• Bachelor's Thesis
• Recap: Private Law

As a graduate of Law in Society, you are exactly the kind of lawyer that organizations in the field are looking for.

Whether you're working on international issues in a local context, or on specific issues at the international level, this interdisciplinary program will give you the tools. So think big: some of our students want to improve human rights in their home countries or reform the refugee system at the Dutch immigration department. Others wish to work for the UN or become corporate lawyers.

To practice Dutch law: We offer the “voorbereidend civiel effect” package or VCE for those who are fluent in Dutch and want to enter one of the togaberoepen (lawyer, prosecutor, and judge). Worth 60 credits, you can take half during your minor and another 6 months of study after your Bachelor’s (or do all 60 credits during an extra year). There are three different routes you can take to obtain your VCE. You’ll then need to obtain your LLM from a Dutch university.

What can you do after your Bachelor’s degree?

Further your education

An LLB in Law in Society will set you up perfectly for a Master’s program with a similarly multi-disciplinary international approach. A few of the options available to you include:

• International Business Law: Climate Change and Corporations
• International Business Law: Commercial Transactions
• International Business Law: Markets and Behavior
• International Crimes, Conflict and Criminology
• International Migration and Refugee Law
• International Technology Law
• Law and Politics of International Security
• Transnational Legal Studies

Start your career

As a graduate of the Law in Society program, there are many paths open to you. You’d be well suited to roles involving international cooperation – for instance, in NGOs or government ministries, working at an international level. The big law firms are also looking for graduates with more than just a legal background – they want diverse thinkers who can match their legal training with problem-solving on cross-border issues. Equally, international ports are looking for qualified lawyers, as are NGOs and local organizations.