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Best Places To Study European Law (LLM)
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Becky6789  
Joined: 30 Jun 2009 Posts: 12 |
Best Places To Study European Law (LLM)
Hi, Sun Aug 02, 2009 03:45 PM I am intending to apply to study an LLM beginning in September 2010. I ideally want to study European law (especially Competition law in Europe). I was wondering which Universities are the best in this area? I have a LLB (first class honours) from a UK university. I'm hoping to apply to: 1. Oxford (BCL) 2. Cambridge 3. LSE 4. UCL 5. Kings Any ideas of other institutions I could apply to? I really liked the idea of going to Harvard but I'm assuming that studying European law anywhere outside Europe defeats common sense? [Edited by Becky6789 on 02 Aug 2009] |
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| TiGGer Joined: 11 May 2007 Posts: 111 |
Best Places To Study European Law (LLM)
Europa Institut at Saarland University (Germany)!
Sun Aug 02, 2009 05:46 PM |
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| Interalia Joined: 29 Aug 2008 Posts: 130 |
Best Places To Study European Law (LLM)
I would by-pass the uk altogether actually for EU law. Absolutely best place to study EU law is the college of europe in my opinion. Mon Aug 03, 2009 12:26 AM Actually if you're thinking of the US, i would recommend NYU too. Joseph Weiler is legendary among the EU circles. He is also a former Havard professor, who left Havard for NYU some time back. His former students include a current advocate general in the EU court. His name carries a lot of weight among the EU insitutions and he is quite possibly one of the best professors I have ever come across. In my entire life, I have only come across 3 professors who I think are absolutely without a doubt brilliant. He is one of them. If I had to choose among the uk universities you have given my choice would be oxford because of Weatherill [Edited by Interalia on 03 Aug 2009] |
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ChiefWiggum'sSon  Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 109 |
Best Places To Study European Law (LLM)
Paul Craig is Professor at St John's College, Oxford. Don't know him in person but only his work. The latter is very highly regarded.Mon Aug 03, 2009 10:24 AM I would also particularly recommend the EUI at Fiesole (small town up in the hills of Florence in the midst of Tuscany). Has improved its reputation ever and ever during the last twenty years or so. You won't believe who has worked and tought there over the years. Best |
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| ChiefWiggum'sSon Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 109 |
Best Places To Study European Law (LLM)
Another thought: For competition law, strongly consider Richard Whish at KCL! He certainly is one of the most famous European competition lawyers. Cf. his book entitled "Competition law" which has been published by OUP in its sixth edition a few months ago.
Mon Aug 03, 2009 10:29 AM |
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| ChiefWiggum'sSon Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 109 |
Best Places To Study European Law (LLM)
And another (hopefully final) thought: Cambridge has a strong competition law faculty as well (Albors-Llorens, Odudu, ...). And there is Giorgio Monti at LSE (his book on EC competition law is fabulous).
Mon Aug 03, 2009 10:31 AM |
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| Becky6789
Joined: 30 Jun 2009 Posts: 12 |
Best Places To Study European Law (LLM)
Thanks everyone, I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to me and I'll definately look into the places you have suggested.Mon Aug 03, 2009 07:08 PM I hadn't thought about NYU because I had assumed (clearly, wrongly) that there wouldn't be much point studying EU law outside Europe. Do you think Harvard would be good for EU law also? Thank you all again! |
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| ChiefWiggum'sSon Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 109 |
Best Places To Study European Law (LLM)
Mon Aug 03, 2009 07:33 PM Thanks everyone, I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to me and I'll definately look into the places you have suggested. As far as I know Harvard is not particulary famous for European law (since Joseph H. H. Weiler has left for NYU). However, Harvard is said to be an excellent place for antitrust law. In the US, also Michigan has a very good reputation for EU law (Weiler was there after his time at the EUI/Florence and before he left for Harvard. By the way: Weiler certainly is great, but [university] life keeps on going without him as well. Moreover, Weiler is not what one would call a "practical" lawyer.) [Edited by ChiefWiggum'sSon on 03 Aug 2009] |
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| Interalia Joined: 29 Aug 2008 Posts: 130 |
Best Places To Study European Law (LLM)
Tue Aug 04, 2009 12:28 AM Thanks everyone, I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to me and I'll definately look into the places you have suggested. I disagree with this. I think Weiler is immersely practical, just not in the way that most lawyers normally think. Weiler - in my opinion - is a legal realist. He seeks to find out how rules are really applied in the real world where power - especially in the international context - is a fact of life. He specializes in exposing the fact that the similarly neutral provisions in the EU treaties are not really that neutral after all. His speciality is exposing the hidden power considerations within the treaties themselves. Yes, this is a step above what lawyers normally do which is to blindly interpret the provisions as they are written - without regard to the larger considerations, but Weller's contribution - at least to my education - was to make me see past the literialist crap and think about how to really draft provisions which give my side a winning advantage without the other side knowing about it. He single handedly got me interested in game theory and contract and negotiation theory and the use of mathematics in law. (Don't worry his course will not require you to have advanced mathematical knowledge, it just exposes you to the possibilities which economics and mathematics hold for a lawyer). While the above might see theoretical, it actually has immerse practical uses. If you could more or less predict how sides are going to react - using game theory - to certain ways of drafting a provision, you can manipulate the balance of power in a shareholder agreement - in company law - for example to your client's advantage without the other side ever knowing it. [Edited by Interalia on 04 Aug 2009] |
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| Interalia Joined: 29 Aug 2008 Posts: 130 |
Best Places To Study European Law (LLM)
The other advantage of studying competition law in the US, even if it's EU competition law is that competition law is one of those fields which is - by it's nature - interdisciplinary, a fact that many uk universities with the exception of UCL, KCL and LSE fail to grasp. Tue Aug 04, 2009 12:47 AM Studying in a place like NYU, allows you to take specially tailored economics modules for lawyers, like quantitative methods and "law and economics" I think this would help you immensely in understanding competition law. If you're staying in the UK, I think KCL has the best mix of modules for competition law. I know I earlier recommended oxford but I missed out the part about you wanted to specialize in competition law. KCL is pretty well regarded - so even though there is a drop of prestige of oxford, I think it will still be by a livable amount - and it really has modules which teach you about the economics of competition law and how this relates to the legal provisions. [Edited by Interalia on 04 Aug 2009] |
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| ChiefWiggum'sSon Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 109 |
Best Places To Study European Law (LLM)
Tue Aug 04, 2009 02:01 PM Thanks everyone, I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to me and I'll definately look into the places you have suggested. Dear Interalia, I think you misunderstood my statement. Actually, you repeated in better understandable terms and elaborated on what I had written before. Thanks for that. By saying that Weiler isn't a "practical" lawyer I had intended to point at the fact that what he is doing is quite different from what corporate or commercial lawyers working in big firms are usually doing throughout their day. Regarding the practical implications of his unorthodox approach, however, you seem to be far better informed than me and I thank you for sharing your insights! Did you study at Harvard or NYU? [Edited by ChiefWiggum'sSon on 04 Aug 2009] |
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| Interalia Joined: 29 Aug 2008 Posts: 130 |
Best Places To Study European Law (LLM)
Tue Aug 04, 2009 02:42 PM
Nopes, I have never applied to either of those universities you mentioned. Weiler taught me EU Law as a visiting Professor in my home university when I was an undergraduate. Regarding my interpretation of the word 'practical', yes I took it to mean something different from what you meant to say, I apologize for that. I took it to mean that what Weiler teaches is only of theoretical significance without real world importance. I sought to show that this was not true and his approach is actually advantageous to the practising lawyer. And to me - personally - isn't that what doing a LLM is really about? If one is only going to learn only the things one would eventually learn in practice anyway, then I fail to see the tangible benefit of the considerable time and expense needed to do a LLM. It might be argued that a LLM degree from a better university might be useful in future job applications but personally I'm pretty suspicious of the claim. At least judging from this board and from my personal experience, one's undergraduate degree, connections and more importantly work experience seem to carry much more weight in job hirings than the number of advanced law degrees one possesses. [Edited by Interalia on 04 Aug 2009] |
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| dralanriley Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Posts: 110 |
Best Places To Study European Law (LLM)
Dear All Above,Wed Aug 26, 2009 12:13 PM You might find it helpful to look at the Competition Law Scholars Forum website www.clasf.org for some guidance as to which academics and which institutions in Europe specialise in competition law. regards alan riley Professor of Law Director LLM Programme City Law School City University, 4 Grays Inn Place London Electronic Mail: alan.riley.1@city.ac.uk |
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Reply to this postRelated Programs
- University of Oxford
- University of Cambridge
- University of London - The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
- University of London - University College London (UCL)
- University of London - King's College London (KCL)
- Universität des Saarlandes - Europa-Institut
- College of Europe
- New York University (NYU) School of Law
- European University Institute Florence
- Harvard University - Harvard Law School (HLS)
- University of Michigan Law School
