Admission requirements
Admission to the Masters programme (European Law specialisation).
Description
Students will be introduced to the practical side of EU law both from a procedural as well as a substantive point of view. Students will solve cases and act in groups as applicant, defendant, advocate general, and as judge of the Court of Justice of the European Union. They will work on a series of moot courts in the fields of internal market law and/or competition law. In their teams, students will research, analyse and apply EU law. Students will be required to prepare written submissions to the Court of Justice on a variety of issues. Furthermore, they will be asked to present their case orally and will thereby practice their pleading skills in a courtroom situation.
Course objectives
Objectives of the course The Course seeks to provide students with the opportunity to explore their talents as practicing lawyers and to apply their knowledge of EU law in real-life scenarios and cases. The basic skills of lawyers, i.e. preparing written and oral submissions, will be practised. Secondly, the course familiarizes students with different areas of EU law in a limited period of time and requires them to produce acceptable pleadings based on the acquired knowledge. Thirdly, the course will offer students valuable insights into the practical work as part of a litigation team under time pressure while solving and arguing complex legal problems before a court.
Learning objectives The following achievement levels apply with regard to the course: At the end of this course, the student is able to:
Research areas and topics of EU law.
Critically read, analyse and apply EU law, case law from the European Courts and legal doctrine to complex cases.
Write, defend and present legal papers before their peers.
Develop and defend a legal argument in oral and written form.
Doing legal research and finding appropriate legal resources providing authority to a legal argument.
Timetable
Will be announced later on Blackboard.
Mode of instruction
Lectures In the first week there will be an introductory lecture, intended to lay the foundation for the rest of the course and explain the rules of the moot courts that follow. The lecture will also contain an elaborate introduction to the preparation and presentation of written and oral legal arguments.
Seminars None.
Other methods of instruction
Description: “Court sessions” The heart of the practicum consists of 9 weeks, during which the students act in small groups as participants in court sessions which will be held on the basis of fictional cases or cases that are pending before the European Courts. Each subgroup will act in turn as the Applicant, the Defendant, Advocate General and as the Court. In this role students will submit papers and give oral presentations of their views on the case. To this end, students will meet once a week during 4 hours in so-called “court sessions”. The students will have to conduct individual research when preparing their papers and presentations.
Total number of lectures and “court sessions”: 10 (4 hours each)
Each submission will be carefully read and graded. General remarks about the papers will be made in class; individual papers may be discussed further with the authors when necessary. The oral presentations will be followed by plenary discussion in class; individual feedback will be provided.
Assessment method
Examination form(s) The final grade for this Practicum is based upon the following marks:
- A group mark for the 4 written submissions (2x written observations for applicant and respondent, one AG opinion, and 1 Court judgment).
These 4 written submissions will count 12,5% each, thus 50% of the overall mark in total.
- An individual mark for each oral pleading in class (at least two) based on the written submissions. The average score of all presentations will count for 50% of the overall mark. Pleading includes answering questions.
Not being present or insufficient participation during class will result in reductions of the mark or for the individual concerned.
In case deadlines are not met, this will also lead to a significant reduction of the group mark. Remember, this course depends on the timely availability of written submissions. We cannot tolerate delays given the set-up of this course. Other people will depend on your work.
If the individual average for the course is below 6, you will get the opportunity to write a paper on one of the issues dealt with in the course.
Submission procedures The papers have to be handed in electronically as indicated in the course outline. The oral presentations will be given and discussed in class.
Areas to be tested within the exam Not applicable (there is no written exam).
Blackboard
More information on this course is offered on Blackboard.
Reading list
Obligatory course materials
Not applicable: finding materials is a learning objective in itself.
Course information guide:
Course information will be available on Blackboard.
Cases will be made available on Blackboard the day the period for dealing with the case starts.
Recommended course materials Not applicable: students are expected to gather the necessary materials themselves.
Registration
Please register for this course and one of the courtrooms in uSis.
Contact information
Co-ordinator: Dr. M. Jesse
Work address: Steenschuur 25, room B1.34 KOG
Contact information: via secretariat; see below
Telephone number: 071 – 527 7232
E-mail: m.jesse@law.leidenuniv.nl
Institution/division
Institute: Public Law
Division: European law
Room number secretariat: B1.11
Opening hours: Mon – Fri, 9.00 – 17.00
Telephone number secretariat: 071 – 527 7416
E-mail: europeesrecht@law.leidenuniv.nl