I wonder whats the authority behind their claming to rank amougst the six best LLMs in Europe and ten best in the world? Because from what I know, there isn't really an official, or even, substantial international (or even just within the EU) LLM ranking available? Anyone any idea, please advice.

The Pallas Consortium has been ranked as one of the ten best LLMs in the world for the last three years by Décideurs Juridique (?!), the French legal guide.

http://www.essex.ac.uk/wyvern/2004-11/wyvern-nov04.pdf

Pallas LLM in European Business Law
Academic Year 2004-2005

Pallas LLM in European Business LawThe Pallas programme which is based in Amsterdam, has been ranked among the six best LL.M. degrees in Europe and the ten best in the world. In its eight years of existence, it has produced graduates working across the full range of public and private sector institutions, including top international law firms, in most major European countries and world-wide.

Pallas is run by a consortium of eight Universities : Barcelona (Spain), Bologna(Italy), Essex (Great Britain), Konstanz (Germany), LUISS Guido Carli (Italy), Lyon 3(France) Münster (Germany) and Nijmegen (Netherlands).The Pallas degree is recognised by each University as one of its own.

The teaching is conducted in English, by eight teams of academics and practitioners drawn from different member states, each team covering a different module. The objective of the programme is to train business lawyers in the different legal cultures of Europe alongside with a strong understanding of European Union and international law. Hence Pallas graduates are strongly placed in the job market. Caleb Raywood from Essex was in the first year of Pallas and now works for Clyde & Co in Dubai after a period in London and Paris. Pallas graduates (PALS) have an active network and meet regularly, most recently in Prague.

The Lectures are mainly located in the prestigious International Bureau of Fiscal Documentation(IBFD) of which Professor Hubert Hamaekers, the supervisor of the International/European Taxation module, is Director. There is access to an excellent library and to computer facilities.

The Lecturers are drawn principally from the Partner Universities and are expert in their fields; a number combine their academic work with law practice which adds an extra dimension. A consequent innovation of Pallas in Amsterdam is that some lectures are taking place in the offices of these professors. Some sessions have been preceded by a special reception with hospitality and an address from a senior Partner in the firms.

Firms taking part this year are: (*indicates Pallas lecturer in firm)

* Clifford Chance
* Allen & Overy *
* Stibbe *
* Freshfields
* De Brauw *
* Liederkerke Wolters Waelbroeck Kirkpatrick (Brussels) *
* klos Morel Vos & Schaap (niche firm in Intellectual Property)
* Banks/ Companies/ other:
* ING
* Fortis
* De Nederlandse bank
* PriceWaterhouseCoopers
* Philips
* Randstad Holding
* Ministry of Economic Affairs

Lecturers also come from the European Commission , the Universities of Oxford, Leuven, Lund, London, Rotterdam, Max Planck Institute Hamburg etc, etc.

There is an annual Excursion to both Brussels and Luxembourg . In Brussels a Pallas Professor organises a session at his firm, Liederkerke Wolters etc, and a trip to the Palais de Justice. In Luxembourg, Judge Paolo Mengozzi, a member of the Pallas Board and former Pallas teacher, holds a Reception for the students at which he explains the workings of the Court before a tour.

These strong interactions with practice are another unique feature of Pallas and prepare Pallas graduates for a successful entry into European legal world in a way no other programme does....

http://www.luiss.it/studenti/estero/pallas0405/

As far as I know there is no reliable ranking of European LLM programmes or law schools in general except for the Times and Guardian rankings which only include UK programmes.

Thanks Ross. Tho I've found those very same info and it's precisely those info that make me doubt...

Décideurs Juridique ???? I can't find anything about it online... is there anyone who can fill me in more about it?

Thanks, Russ. I enjoy your information but a little worried about its too late to apply for 2005-2006 program. By the way, the introduction and description indicates that Pallas LLM is European culture-based and a litte European-oriented, thus I wonder wether it is not appropriate for students from outside Europe very much.:(

Most participants in the Pallas programme are from Europe as you can see in the Alumni section on the website. However, there have been some students from countries like China and Mexico as well.

You can still apply for 2005-06:

The deadline for application has been set for the first of May. Applications sent after the deadline cannot be guaranteed to be taken into consideration.