Hey everyone!

I have been intermittently reading these forums for the most part of my undergrad Law studies. I have come across plenty of really useful reviews and experiences from the different LLM programmes offered in continental Europe, though I would like to ask for a little more insight, especially from people who have recently pursued this kind of LLM and who are willing to clarify things to a last year's Bachelor student still undecided -- a situation I am sure a lot of students are likewise in --.

My situation is I am a Spanish student willing to pursue an European Law LLM abroad. I am mainly focusing in the area Belgium-Netherlands-Germany, partly because of their situation inside the EU and proximity to European institutions and partly because I would love lo live there for a year at least. I speak English, French and German, so language requirements shouldn't be a big problem at this point.

Thing is of course there is a huge number of universities and colleges offering various programmes in this field, and it remains unclear to me which one I should choose based on quality, situation and later chances of working in a related job. I have for the moment applied to the College of Europe, as it has one of the earlier deadlines, though I am kind of unsure I will actually get in.

I would ask therefore those currently (or recently) enrolled in a similar programme to please tell their experiences and insight about it, just to help a bunch of undecided students like me get the big picture and have a bit more info about what it's like to study in each institution.

Thank you for responses! :)

Hi infraente,

I have obtained a LL.B and LL.M in European law, so I can answer your question to some extent.

If you wish to work for the EU (in the broadest sense), then getting an LL.M in EU law is the obvious choice. This will give you a good understanding of how things work in the EU (ie: the institutions and the decision making processes) and how decisions made by the EU affect the member states. HOWEVER, merely obtaining an LL.M in EU law is not a golden ticket which will get you any job you like. There are many others who apply for EU jobs, so competition is quite tough. Luckily, the College of Europe is one of the best schools for EU law, so that would be an advantage. Leiden and Maastricht also have strong programs you might want to consider.

I think it is not necessarily the degree that matters, but rather what you make of it. Getting work experience is the best way to land yourself full time employment with the EU. There are many "stagiair" position is certainly a good start. The "concours" which is run each year (several times I think) by the EU is a very good alternative to the indirect stagiair entry. While there are often reports about several thousand applicants competing for just a few positions, these statistics should be taken with a bit of caution. Many people apply, but then either never show up for the test or hardly prepare at all. So if you are serious about this test, you have reasonably good chances.

That said, the leading EU law programs will certainly help you getting your foot in the door. Try making the most of it by seeking contact to EU officials who might be lecturing at your school. Impressing them with insightful questions might do the trick.

Good luck with your future plans!

Hi Denning123,

Thank you very much for your post and your quick and thorough response. I was precisely planning in doing what you propose: applying after finishing the LLM to a traineeship in an European institution. That should help me get an overall idea of how things work, figure things out and prepare me for an eventual future job there (or at least in that field, hopefully).

In Spain we have a pretty narrow choice of Law LLB programmes, being practically all of them generally-oriented (in my case, I could only take 6 ECTS of European Law). That's the reason a strong LLM is important for me, though as you say making the most out of it and later choices are definitely (more) relevant. I am of course willing to put full dedication and effort, and I believe choosing the right LLM will be now a way to make that leap --to say so--.

Thank you again for your encouragement and your recommendations and I hope everything goes as planned :)