MILE: New impulse for legal education at the Faculty of Law

"MILE aims to study, facilitate, and innovate legal education. This aligns closely with the educational philosophy of Maastricht University. We want to remain at the forefront of educational development," explains Sjoerd Claessens (Scientific Director of MILE). The MILE team consists of researchers, lecturers, and educational specialists from the Faculty of Law. MILE isn't entirely new, however. "The initiative was launched two years ago, but until now it has focused solely on organizing internal meetings about education. We will now expand on this." 

Educational Research and Innovation 

Four PhD candidates will conduct research on legal education within MILE. One of the PhD projects focuses on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in legal education. Another focuses on what makes a truly high-quality legal education. 

• Click here for a complete overview of MILE PhD projects. 

"This also demonstrates MILE's two lines of research: one focused on the curriculum, the other on the student. Together with Nicole Kornet, I supervise these PhD candidates," says Claessens. "We also seek collaborations with similar institutes at other faculties of Maastricht University, and support staff members with an educational background within the faculty may be involved in research in the future." 

MILE also acts as a link between the Faculty of Law and EDLAB, Maastricht University's expertise center for educational innovation. For example, MILE facilitates the Teacher Information Point (TIP) within the Faculty of Law, where staff can go with questions about education (and innovation). 

Lecturer Professional Development 

In addition to research, MILE is strongly committed to lecturer development. Claessens: “Upon appointment, academic staff are required to complete an onboarding (PBL) training course and obtain a Basic Teaching Qualification (BKO) within two years of their appointment. They are then required to spend sixteen hours annually on continuing professional development (CPD) in education. Therefore, MILE offers various activities and learning packages specifically related to the law school and legal education in general.” 

Education Hub and Governance 

MILE regularly organizes activities, ranging from meetings, conferences, and symposia to workshops and discussion lunches. The first Learning@Law meetings are already planned. These meetings offer lecturers the opportunity to meet in an informal setting and openly discuss their teaching practices in legal education. During these (lunch) meetings, ideas are exchanged, challenges are explored, and experiences are shared. 

• Click here for more information about the Learning@Law meetings. 

Learn more about MILE 

For more information about the Maastricht Institute for Legal Education, please visit the institute's website.