What is your study programme?
Information for
[ enrolled students ]
What is your study programme?

Amsterdam Law Clinics

Last modified on 11-09-2023 11:01
The Amsterdam Law Clinics offer you a chance to gain unique legal experience by spending a semester working on diverse cases and projects of public interest.
Show information for your study programme
You're currently viewing general information. Choose your study programme to see additional information that's specific to your study programme, such as deadlines, regulations and contact details.
What is your study programme?

The Amsterdam Law Clinics provide unique experiential education focused on developing and improving legal skills. The Clinics provide pro bono legal advice to various community organizations. As a result, you learn how to work effectively with clients and fellow students on projects of public interest. This is a unique opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge to real cases for real clients.

The Clinic-program

In the Amsterdam Law Clinics (ALCs), you work on a variety of issues and projects of public interest. Working with clients offers you a special opportunity to gain practical legal experience. At the same time, you will increase your knowledge of the law and sharpen your legal skills.

To enhance the learning experience related to both law and legal skills, the Amsterdam Law Clinics offer a unique educational program. While working on a real case in an ambitious team (the clinic work), you will also participate in a series of interactive working groups on legal skills, strategic litigation and professional ethics (the seminar component).

The seminar component consists of 8 lectures and interactive workshops which address public interest lawyering, strategic litigation, legal ethics and professional responsibility in the legal profession, critical legal thinking and legal skills. Furthermore, specific lectures might be provided depending on the cases students are working on in the clinics. At the end of the semester you will draft a brief essay in which you reflect on the clinical work and on the legal, practical and ethical obstacles or dilemmas you may have encountered.

Through participation in our clinics, you will develop a set of skills that will prove highly useful in your career as a legal professional, including:

  • investigating and analyzing facts;
  • approaching legal questions in an open-minded manner;
  • legal research and drafting legal (procedural) documents;
  • presenting complex cases in a clear in concise manner; and
  • professional skills, particularly in relation to team work and in interacting with clients and partners.

For successful participation in the clinic work and the clinic program, you will receive a total of 6 EC.

The Amsterdam Law Clinics is unique in that students are also expected to attend workshops on legal writing, legal ethics, strategic litigation, public-interest lawyering and culture/ diversity workshops with other students from other law clinics. I would highly recommend all master students to apply to the Amsterdam Law Clinics, as it provides both practical and soft skills for a future career in law.
Abdul MohamedAmsterdam European Law Clinic, 2019/2020

Clinics 

The Amsterdam Law Clinics offer eight thematic clinics. Topics range from environmental issues and human rights protection to corporate responsibility and the right to a fair trial. 

The added value of Amsterdam Law Clinics

The Amsterdam Law Clinics are part of the Experiential Learning program of the Amsterdam Law Practice and are supported by the Amsterdam University FundExternal link.