Hi,

I am curious abot career prospects of Dutch universities, such as Leiden and Amsterdam.

Where are their alumni now ? Are alumni of these universities shown respect in academia or private sector ?

Sincerely

Hi Johnlennon,

I'm a Leiden Law School (LLS) alumnus and I currently work for my country's central bank. When it comes to my plans for the future, I intend to (hopefully) continue my studies at one of the top 5 US law schools.

Regarding your question, I'd say that LLS has an outstanding international reputation (the year I got admitted to the European and International Business Law programme (EIBL) LLS was ranked 24th on QS' "World University Rankings by Subject 2016 - Law"). Obviously, the best students want to study at the best-ranked law schools in the world and employers want to hire lawyers that have graduated from the best-ranked law schools.

However, don't think that a diploma from the world-best law schools is 'a golden key that opens every single door'. It's true that the diploma and grades are the most important segment of every job application, but every private employer assesses each job application holistically (work experience, extracurricular activities, significant academic or professional achievements, etc.), and he'll always do that from a specific point of view (e.g., he might be looking for a lawyer that has work experience in a big law firm specifically on tax law or corporate law matters). Whereas, when it comes to academic circles, I'd say that you're only as good and worthy as your published research papers are, and that's why it's crucial to have great and supportive lecturers. I had the luck of writing my master thesis at LLS under the supervision of a Harvard Law School (HLS) alumnus, whose suggestions improved the quality of my paper tremendously.

Lastly, I'll say from personal experience that studying in a truly global class (my class was comprised of students from almost every part of the world), getting lectures from some of the most prominent experts in their fields, visiting the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Court of Justice of the EU, the Peace Palace in the Hague, Allen & Overy's office in Amsterdam, Heineken's legal department, and much more, is what turned me from a national lawyer into an international one, that is international in the way I observe the development of the law and the world. In my opinion, LLS' EIBL programme is perfectly designed and has all the right ingredients. I have no doubt that it was worth it.

Should you have any questions regarding the EIBL programme feel free to contact Ms. Sheena Bruce, she's always helpful.

Best regards and best of luck with your future academic endeavors,

Viktor

[Edited by Victor11 on Oct 12, 2017]

Hi Johnlennon,

I'm a Leiden Law School (LLS) alumnus and I currently work for my country's central bank. When it comes to my plans for the future, I intend to (hopefully) continue my studies at one of the top 5 US law schools.

Regarding your question, I'd say that LLS has an outstanding international reputation (the year I got admitted to the European and International Business Law programme (EIBL) LLS was ranked 24th on QS' "World University Rankings by Subject 2016 - Law"). Obviously, the best students want to study at the best-ranked law schools in the world and employers want to hire lawyers that have graduated from the best-ranked law schools.

However, don't think that a diploma from the world-best law schools is 'a golden key that opens every single door'. It's true that the diploma and grades are the most important segment of every job application, but every private employer assesses each job application holistically (work experience, extracurricular activities, significant academic or professional achievements, etc.), and he'll always do that from a specific point of view (e.g., he might be looking for a lawyer that has work experience in a big law firm specifically on tax law or corporate law matters). Whereas, when it comes to academic circles, I'd say that you're only as good and worthy as your published research papers are, and that's why it's crucial to have great and supportive lecturers. I had the luck of writing my master thesis at LLS under the supervision of a Harvard Law School (HLS) alumnus, whose suggestions improved the quality of my paper tremendously.

Lastly, I'll say from personal experience that studying in a truly global class (my class was comprised of students from almost every part of the world), getting lectures from some of the most prominent experts in their fields, visiting the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Court of Justice of the EU, the Peace Palace in the Hague, Allen & Overy's office in Amsterdam, Heineken's legal department, and much more, is what turned me from a national lawyer into an international one, that is international in the way I observe the development of the law and the world. In my opinion, LLS' EIBL programme is perfectly designed and has all the right ingredients. I have no doubt that it was worth it.

Should you have any questions regarding the EIBL programme feel free to contact Ms. Sheena Bruce, she's always helpful.

Best regards and best of luck with your future academic endeavors,

Viktor

How are the job opportunities for foreign trained attorneys? Did most of your classmates get job offers or did they return to their home countries?

Hi both,

I am a Groningen Law School alumnus and graduated from the Master's programme International Business Law (IBL). I currently work within the legal department of an Investment fund in Luxembourg.

Most of my fellow students have come back to their country of origin after the completion of the degree however some of them decided to stay in the Netherlands (mainly Dutch students).

As already mentioned by Viktor, it is indeed important to graduate from a respectable University however this is not sufficient in itself. While going through the recruitment process you will notice that employers want to know who you are (could I see myself working with this person) and what you can do (how this is person is going to bring added value to my company?). Naturally, employers know that they will have to train you as the University has provided us with theoretical knowledge only nevertheless they will assess your potential.

Furthermore, I would encourage you to look for an internship/job in a foreign country in order to experience a different working environment and meet new people with plenty of experiences to share which, will in turn, help you to make your own choices.

Should you have any questions regarding the IBL Master's programme, please feel free to contact the international office of the Faculty of Law.

I hope this helps and best regards,

Antony

[Edited by Antolux on Nov 03, 2017]