Law schools create a framework for educating and training individuals who have chosen to promote, uphold, and ensure the law fulfills its functions in society. To execute this responsibility, they need to get every training and guidance they’ll need.
This training comes in different levels; however, certain places have created a standard that’s simply second to none. And these schools are today some of the best law schools we have in Europe.
According to Repository, the education law functionally contributes to creating harmonizing relationships and ensuring stakeholder cooperation. Education law, therefore, creates a clear framework for the professional role of teachers.
So, now we fully understand this concept, let’s dig into the best law schools in Europe. We will identify certain characteristics of this institution, labeling strongly what made them outstanding. Let’s look at the table of contents to view all the topics we will hit on.
Table of contents
- How Did Law Schools in Europe Gain Credence?
- 10 Best Law Schools in Europe in 2023
- 1. University of Oxford, UK
- 2. University of Cambridge, UK
- 3. UCL, UK
- 4. The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UK
- 5. King’s College London, UK
- 6. The University of Edinburgh, UK
- 7. Queen Mary University of London, UK
- 8. KU Leuven, Belgium
- 9. Leiden University, Netherlands
- 10. Université Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne, France
- FAQ on 10 Best Law Schools in Europe in 2023
- Conclusion
- References
- Recommendations
How Did Law Schools in Europe Gain Credence?
The first academic degrees started off as law degrees. Gradually, these law degrees became doctorates. The foundations of the first universities in Europe were the glossators of the 11th century which were schools of law.
The first European university, Bologna, started off through the investments of four legal scholars in the 12th century. The first academic title of “doctor” applied to scholars of law. The degree and title were not applied to scholars of other disciplines until the 13th century.
While it was common for students of law to visit and study at schools in other countries, that was not the case in England. This was because of the English rejection of Roman law. Although the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge continued talking about canon law until the English Reformation, its importance was always superior to civil law in those institutions.
In many countries, including most of those in the Commonwealth of Nations, the principal law degree is an undergraduate degree, usually known as a Bachelor of Laws (LLB). Graduates of such a program are eligible can become lawyers by excelling through the country’s similarity of a bar exam. In these countries, graduate law programs are advanced degrees that allow for more in-depth study or specialization.
In the United States and Canada, the primary law degree is a graduate degree known as the Juris Doctor (JD). Students can pursue such a degree only after completing an undergraduate degree, usually a bachelor’s degree. The undergraduate degree can be in any field, though most American lawyers hold bachelor’s degrees in the humanities and social sciences. American law schools are usually autonomous entities within a larger university.
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10 Best Law Schools in Europe in 2023
There are so many law schools in Europe. However, there aren’t so many amazing ones among them. In outlining our best law schools in Europe, we followed a set of ranking criteria which include:
To get the right ranking, we used the under-listed ranking criteria. These include:
Accreditation: All these law schools have accreditation from world-renowned bodies with accreditation rights.
QS Rankings by Top Universities: We considered the QS Rankings of these law schools from Top Universities.
World University Rankings by Times Higher Education: We also inspected their ranking criteria on Times Higher Education to give us a better perspective.
1. University of Oxford, UK
The Faculty of Law at the University of Oxford is one of the largest in the United Kingdom. Well, that’s probably why it’s arguably one of the best law schools in Europe, and it tops our list in this article.
It is a federation of thirty law schools in the colleges of the University. Legal scholars in colleges and universities are members of the Faculty, and they help coordinate and support the teaching and writing of one hundred fifty-three academics.
Through their standard structure, this Faculty can support, teach, and examine a diverse and outstanding body of students from all over the U.K reaching other parts of the world. Because of their great programs, their student-to-faculty ratio is approximately 7:1 which is considered great.
2. University of Cambridge, UK
Law has been studied and taught in Cambridge since the thirteenth century when the core subjects of legal study in all European universities were Civil law (the law of ancient Rome) and the Canon law of the Church.
The University Law Society is open to all University members, especially law students and those desiring to pursue a legal career. The Society has principal officers that are law students, and they offer a wide variety of opportunities to its members from both an academic and social viewpoint.
Students in this University will pursue programs in a wide range of courses stemming from The BA Tripos undergraduate degree, The Cambridge Master of Law (LLM) degree, The Cambridge Masters Degree in Corporate Law (MCL) degree, and the Postgraduate Research (MLitt / Ph.D.) Degree.
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3. UCL, UK
UCL Laws are pioneering a massive community of legal scholars. Informed by a rich heritage of philosophical inquiry, they keep doing research that matters and lend a clear voice to global conversations.
Located in the heart of London, a global legal capital, UCL continually draws a unique and diverse international body of students and staff. Because of their hard work, their research has a real-world impact, shaping legal and judicial policy in the UK and across the globe.
UCL Laws are consistently ranked as one of the top law schools in the UK. They have gained the highest rating in the last four instances of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and score highly across various student surveys and university league tables.
4. The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UK
The London School of Economics and Law is a community of students, staff, and alumni from all over the world who introduce a unique international and interdisciplinary outlook in teaching and researching the law.
They remain committed to building a vibrant, fair, and truly inclusive environment, which is critical to their identity. The law community is one of the largest in the School and has executed a major role in policy debates, policy-making, and the education of lawyers and law teachers globally.
Steadily, they continually pioneer the study of banking law, taxation law, civil litigation, company law, labor law, family law, aspects of welfare law, and studies of the legal system and the legal profession, and continue to be the leading thinkers in this field.
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5. King’s College London, UK
King’s College London is the fourth oldest university in England. It is a research-led educational institution pioneering different areas of advancement in all the unique aspects of the law program.
With over 31,000 students (including over 12,800 postgraduates) from some 150 countries and over 8,500 employees. King provides its students with quality instruction and training using the latest best practices.
The university is in the top seven UK universities for research earnings and has an overall annual income of just over £778 million. King has influenced many of the advances that shape modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA and the research that led to the development of radio, television, mobile phones, and radar.
6. The University of Edinburgh, UK
Based at the heart of the city in the historic and recently refurbished Old College, we are a world-leading law school shaped over many centuries by our values and beliefs, commitment to excellence, and the passion and achievements of our staff, students, and alumni.
For many years, Edinburgh Law School has been rooted in the open and interdisciplinary traditions of Scots law. We are a fully comprehensive law school that affects civic change both locally and globally.
With a wide range of undergraduate degrees, master’s degrees, online master’s degrees, and research degrees, you can choose a program to pursue. Not forgetting the diploma in professional legal practice and some short courses.
7. Queen Mary University of London, UK
Established in 1965, the School of Law has grown from 30 students and four academic staff, to over 2,000 students and over 130 academic staff in 2020. Their consistent growth makes them enter our list of best law schools in Europe.
The School of Law has as its core focus the role of law and its institutions in contemporary international society, and it is divided into two organizational units: the Department of Law and the Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS).
This university remains firmly established as a center of national and international excellence in legal study and research. In the latest Research Assessment Exercise (REF 2014), they ranked ninth in England, based on 86% of their research activity classed as world-leading (4* the highest score possible) or internationally excellent (3*).
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8. KU Leuven, Belgium
Leuven is a thrilling place with deep historical roots, as it also meets the greatest contemporary scientific requirements. Founded in 1425, KU Leuven is one of the oldest existing universities in the world.
Holding a research expenditure of €365 million in 2012, the KU Leuven is a leading research university in Europe. Their Faculty of Law has over 5, 200 students and a very wide curriculum. This Faculty of Law is one of the oldest of the Low Countries and the largest in Belgium, having a long tradition of public service.
Many of its alumni hold vital positions in the Belgian central and regional public administration and in the European and international community in Brussels and elsewhere. Along with the rest of the university, the Faculty of Law emphasizes an international and comparative approach to education in law and criminology.
9. Leiden University, Netherlands
Leiden Law School is one of Leiden University’s seven faculties. Every year, over 1,000 students choose to study Law, Notarial Law, Tax Law, or Criminology. For every one of these programs they choose, they experience world-class training.
With huge international focus and roots going far back in the Dutch legal order, this school has trained many generations of legal professionals for key positions in a society governed by the rule of law. They do not limit their research to one single goal as they seek to conduct excellent and innovative research across every aspect of the law.
Owing to their hard work and commitment, they’ve gotten great international rankings. For example, Times Higher Education World University Rankings (THE) ranks Leiden law school number 24 in the T.H.E by subject and number 1 in the Netherlands.
10. Université Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne, France
The one-year program “Sorbonne LLM Business Law for Foreign Lawyers” is tailored for non-French-speaking foreign students holding a Master’s degree or equivalent from a foreign university. For this reason, they make our list of the best law schools in Europe.
Although they teach all their legal courses in English, students will benefit from French language training and gain several opportunities to connect with legal practitioners and visiting scholars invited to give presentations in their field of expertise.
Students will also have opportunities to visit the most important French legal institutions, such as the Senate, the National Assembly, the Cour de cassation, the Conseil Constitutionnel of the Conseil d’Etat.
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FAQ on 10 Best Law Schools in Europe in 2023
Can you get a good law degree in Europe?
Yes, you can go to Law school in Europe with a great degree.
Are lawyers in good demand?
The demand for international lawyers with expertise in international relations and cross-border transactions will continue to grow as the legal industry globalizes.
How long does it take to become a doctor of law?
Labeled as the highest level of a law degree, the Doctor of Judicial Science (SJD) is a two-year program for lawyers who possess a JD or LLM and wish to advance their legal education.
Conclusion
As a European student looking for a law school to attend, you must ensure you perform your best research regarding each university and its offerings. While you can decide on this, we assure you that you won’t find results outside what you’ve seen here.
In any of these law schools in Europe, you get standard education and training in an environment that supports research and encourages you to make huge moves.
References
- Wikipedia – Legal Education
- Masters Portal – Law Schools You Should Keep Your Eyes on
- Wikipedia – Law Degree
- Repository – Teachers’ knowledge of legislation and education law specifically and its influence on their practice