International Civil and Commercial Law (Advanced LL.M.)

What do you need to know when negotiating commercial contracts in an international setting? How do you secure the performance of those contracts? And how do you successfully navigate a company through an international arbitration? Learn about this and more from both an international, academic and a practical perspective.

Ceylin Üsküp

Student International Civil and Commercial Law (Advanced LL.M.)

"The program equips students with the necessary skill set for an international commercial lawyer. At several moments during the academic year, I found myself thinking how beneficial a particular new concept would have been to tackle an issue I dealt with in the past as a practicing lawyer."

"Thanks to the excellent curriculum covering all the relevant aspects of international commercial law and the reputation of Leiden University, I found a job as a corporate lawyer in the Netherlands just before my graduation."

Ewan McKendrick

Professor Private Law and Programme Director Adv. LL.M. International Civil and Commercial Law

"This LL.M. is best described as academically challenging but infused with high-level examples from practice in a programme that covers all the relevant areas of international commercial law."

"Throughout the year, our students are trained in the skills essential to an international commercial lawyer. They leave our programme well-prepared for their future work as a lawyer, whether inhouse or in private practice, advising or litigating in international business."

Hector Andres Clemente Ramirez

Alumnus

'As a lawyer trained in a civil law jurisdiction, the ICCL equipped me with essential tools to navigate cross-border work, particularly with colleagues from common law backgrounds. Its comprehensive curriculum, covering key legal institutions in international civil and commercial law from both civil and common law perspectives, enables alumni to communicate effectively with clients and peers worldwide. The ICCL's world-class faculty helped me further define my career aspirations, guiding me towards diverse professional and academic opportunities in the legal field. After graduation, I worked in France before returning to Venezuela, and I am now in California pursuing a Juris Doctor degree'.

Why did Riya choose International Civil and Commercial Law?

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What does this master's programme entail?

This post-graduate programme at Leiden Law School, one of the oldest European universities, prepares students for a future in international business. Professors from both Civil Law and Common Law jurisdictions, as well as many distinguished guest lecturers, demonstrate how to navigate the different levels of international, EU and national norms relevant for international commercial transactions. Theory is combined with experiences of practitioners with a strong emphasis on teaching you the lawyering skills crucial for this area of the law.

Reasons to choose International Civil and Commercial Law at Leiden University?

As a student of the advanced master’s International Civil and Commercial Law, you will benefit from:

Comprehensive approach: This programme is truly all-inclusive in its quest to shed light on transnational, international and comparative aspects of law.
Unique case studies: Many lecturers in the ICCL programme work in civil and commercial law practice and use their real-life cases to enhance your learning experience.
Excellent reputation: Leiden Law School has developed its reputation for excellence by combining a high level of academic teaching with acclaimed and innovative research. Its tradition of quality attracts prestigious professors and professionals from around the world who teach you in a challenging and supportive atmosphere.

Find more reasons to study International Civil and Commercial Law at Leiden University.

Is International Civil and Commercial Law the right programme for you?

Are you interested in gaining an in-depth understanding of the intertwined layers of international, EU, UN and national laws which make up the complex area of international civil and commercial law? Then this is the programme for you.

This Advanced Master’s Programme is a good fit if you are a law graduate with an excellent academic record wishing to pursue a challenging LL.M. or a legal practitioner seeking to further specialise in various private and commercial law aspects of cross-border trading, contracting and competing.

You can either complete this programme in one year as a full-time student or in two years as a part-time student (only open to students from the EU/EEA).