Faculty of Law
The Faculty of Law at Maastricht University is a top-quality provider of challenging and rewarding Dutch and European legal education at bachelor’s, master’s and PhD-level. A true pioneer in small-scale teaching and teaching of skills aimed at a broad range of future legal professionals.
The clear focus in research on European and international aspects of the law, Law and tech, and the empirical setting in which the law operates, provides an exceptionally stimulating environment for both students and staff. The Faculty greatly values its open, diverse and inclusive community that makes it a pleasant and rewarding place to work and study.
The UM Faculty of Law offers a wide range of bachelor's and master's programmes. Would you like to know more about our programmes? Download the brochure for more information on the courses, career perspectives and admission requirements of our programmes.
News
Death in denial. A study into the Dutch system of postmortem investigation
PhD thesis by Cécile Woudenberg-van den Broek
Recent reports on forensic medicine in the Netherlands highlight the need for significant improvements in postmortem investigations. This thesis questions the adequacy of the Dutch system, arguing that it may not meet the criteria set by the European...
Research on illegal intercountry adoption awarded with Edmond Hustinxprijs
Intercountry adoption often appears to be the ultimate humanitarian deed. However, the reality is more complex. Dr. Elvira Loibl, assistant professor at the Department of Criminal Law at Maastricht University’s Law Faculty, uncovered significant weaknesses in the Dutch intercountry adoption system. ...
EmergEU: Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence
Professor Andrea Ott successfully applied for a a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence on Crises and Emergencies in EU Integration (EmergEU) in July 2024. In the upcoming three years, the centre will explore crises and emergencies in EU integration.
Enhancing marine protection: The role of Prevention in addressing pollution from land-based sources starting from the European regional experience
PhD thesis written by Francesco Maletto
This research examined whether the legal framework currently governing this kind of marine pollution is adequate and effective in addressing the issue.
Lilian Tsourdi Receives ERC Starting Grant
The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded Lilian Tsourdi, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, a prestigious ERC Starting Grant for her project SoftEn (Soft Enforcement of EU Migration Law).
Faculty in Focus
A lot can happen in a year. Our Faculty in Focus series highlights some of the most surprising, inspiring and important activities in the field of education, research and events at our faculty from 2023.
The Helga Pedersen Moot Court Competition team shares their story about winning this prestigious event, and why mooting competitions are so valuable for future lawyers. Next, we sat down with Andrea Parziale, whose research project aimed to make damages in Europe more equal. Also, a familiar face at our faculty, Fons Coomans, returned to his former workplace to talk about the importance of human rights for future generations.
Dive into the fascinating world of our faculty's research, education, and events!
Education
We aim at educating excellent jurists who are well prepared to take up the various roles they will fulfil in their future professional career. Maastricht is a special place to study law. The international classroom, focus on small-scale teaching, staff-student contact and skills are widely praised.
Research
Our research profile specialises in the role of law in a Europeanising and globalising society. It is implemented in one common faculty research programme and offers space for talented researchers. There is always a close link between teaching and research.
About Law
The faculty is based in a remarkable building in the centre of Maastricht. It has 3,500 students and 360 staff members.
Take the inside tour
Agenda / events
Blogs
EU Regulation Update: The Digital Services Act (DSA) Now in Force
Written by Mindy Nunez Duffourc, Johanna Gunawan and Caroline Cauffman.
The Digital Services Act (DSA), which entered into force on 17 February 2024, governs (online) intermediary services, such as social network platforms and online marketplaces. The DSA seeks to harmonise the rules for ‘safe...
Public Procurement: A key tool to reach sustainability in Europe and beyond
On 3 July Sarah Schoenmaekers and Tongle Si organized the conference ‘Public Procurement: A key tool to reach sustainability in Europe and beyond’. The conference was a great success and led to engaging discussions and lively debates among presenters and participants, fulfilling its purpose of being...
Heroes and Exemplary Actions in Legal Academia
Academic life entails walking a path in which we can learn and help others learn. It is a two way road, where awareness of roles and of the impact of our actions is fundamental. A question tends to emerge in that academic path: to what extent is it possible to speak of the existence of academic...
Text- and data mining beyond borders
AI needs to have access to huge amounts of data in order to be trained. In this article, I discuss the need for suitable text- and data mining exceptions in copyright law that stimulate AI development as well as enable human authors and creators to still earn a revenue.
Introduction - Between narratives and reality: The EU at the gates of a new mandate
The conference “Between narratives and reality: The EU at the gates of a new mandate” which took place at the Faculty of Law of Maastricht University on the 20 and 21 of June 2024, was the closing event of a series of initiatives that revolved around the European elections.
Interactive Campus Tour
Watch the interactive video and take a tour of our faculty. Our student Niklas will tell you all about the faculty's facilities, study areas, historical buildings and teaching spaces and more. Choose your own path and find out whether studying at Maastricht University is right for you.