Course Description
Students enrolled at the Adv. LL.M. in Law and Digital Technologies are required to submit a master's thesis, where they contribute to the legal scholarship of Law and Digital Technologies. The master’s thesis is an in-depth research journey in which students address, analyse and critically reflect on one or more issues pertaining to the realm of Law and Digital Technologies.
Course objectives
The master thesis has 6 main objectives:
- Acquire the skills necessary to produce an academic piece of research, including formulating a problem statement and research questions, conducting comprehensive literature review, critically analysing data, and presenting findings in a structured and scholarly manner.
- Analyse the legal frameworks governing digital technologies in various jurisdictions.
- Identify the challenges and opportunities presented by the intersection of law and digital technologies.
- Critically evaluate the effectiveness of existing regulatory mechanisms in addressing emerging issues concerning digital technologies.
- Assess the impact of digital technologies on traditional legal concepts and principles.
- Propose innovative legal solutions to address the evolving landscape of digital technologies.
Achievement levels
Upon successful completion of the master’s thesis process, the students will have gained knowledge about the legal and regulatory aspects of specified new technologies and will be equipped to provide answers to the most pressing questions technology poses to society. In concreto, students will show the ability to:
Conduct academically sound research on law and digital technologies;
Devise relevant research questions in light of the core problems faced by the law in governing digital technologies;
Go beyond a merely descriptive approach to incorporate in-depth argumentation that critically examines, analyses and evaluates legal issues surrounding digital technologies;
Present the findings of this research in writing in a clear and structured way; and
Make a significant original contribution to the legal scholarship on law and digital technologies.
Mode of instruction
Throughout the academic year, students will participate in Information Sessions about different topics relating to law and digital technologies as well as Thesis Workshops designed to prepare and guide students through various aspects of the research process. Students also have Bilateral Meetings with their thesis supervisor:
Information Sessions: The staff of the Adv. LL.M. in Law and Digital Technologies provide information about their research areas; students see what research is conducted at the eLaw Center for Law and Digital Technologies and begin to envision their own thesis projects.
Thesis Workshops: Coordinated with the Leiden Law Library, these workshops cover aspects related to conducting research and writing a master’s thesis.
Bilateral Meetings with the Supervisor: As part of individual supervision, students have regular one-on-one meetings with a staff member holding a Ph.D. These meetings entail the sharing and discussion of personalised feedback, together with guidance tailored to each student’s thesis project.
Course Requirement
Master Degree
Timetable
The timetable of this course will be available for students in MyTimetable
Brightspace
More information on this course is offered in Brightspace
Examination Method
Thesis: 100%
**Grade: **A (rounded) final grade of 6.0 is needed to pass.
Double peer review: The thesis is graded by the first supervisor and the second reader, who both need to agree on the final grade.
Submission procedure: Periodic submissions are required electronically via Brightspace (these include similarity checks).
Clear rubrics: The master’s thesis must adhere to certain formal rules concerning word count, plagiarism, and appropriate referencing. These rules include penalisations for plagiarism, late submission, and failure to adhere to the rules. The details are laid out in the master’s thesis handbook, which is made available to students at the beginning of the academic year.
Required reading list
Each student is responsible for creating their own reading list.
Contact information
Programme Coordinator
Ms Patricia Garcia Fernandez
Telephone number: 0031- 71 527 4228
E-mail: lawanddigitaltechnologies@law.leidenuniv.nl
Course Coordinator
Dr Gavin Robinson and Alan M. Sears
First supervisor(s):
eLaw staff members holding a PhD
Second readers:
eLaw PhD candidates
“Disclaimer:
Should there be any future extenuating circumstances which may impinge our teaching and assessment, these could necessitate modification of the course descriptions after 1 September. This will only happen in the event of strict necessity and the interests of the students will be taken into account. Should there be a need for any change during the course, this will be informed to all students on a timely basis. Modifications after 1 September 2024 may only be done with the approval and consent of the Faculty Board and Programme Director.