Law & Finance (Advanced LL.M.)

Bart Joosen

Professor of Financial Law

'Finance and capital flows are the beating heart of any economy. Companies and individuals derive their existence and prosperity from participation in financial markets. Trust and legal effectiveness are important prerequisites. Making society more sustainable and combating climate risks are becoming increasingly important for the financial sector. Society also expects the sector to provide efficient services and digitalisation plays a prominent role in that. In this advanced master's programme, you will learn about the fundamentals of the financial sector, its complex legal relationships and its future challenges.'

Jacqueline van Schalkwyk

Student

"The Advanced Master’s in Finance and Law is a challenging, yet powerful course which equips a young professional with in-depth knowledge of the workings of Financial Law."

"Its hybrid structure includes both Finance and Law subjects which theory and practical application is taught to students by leading experts in the field. As the intersection between Finance and Law has developed into a dominant facet of the international financial system, any professional who wishes to confidently enter the field of financial law would greatly benefit from this course!"

What does this master's programme entail?

Trust is of paramount importance for financial markets in order to function in an efficient, ethical and effective way. That is why financial markets and financial institutions such as banks, insurance companies, asset managers and market intermediaries are extensively regulated. Legal certainty is an important foundation in financial markets and involves extra demands on proper contractual design and structuring of legal relationships.

Moreover, international policymakers expect the financial sector to contribute to the transformation of society into a more sustainable way of living and to address the increasing climate change risks. Proper access to financial services and products in an increasingly digitised society is of the utmost importance for financial inclusivity and requires significant adaption of traditional business models by incumbent financial sector players.

This leads to a growing need for legal specialists with knowledge and in-depth understanding of the various issues that drive businesses operating in the financial sector and the financial transactions they conduct. In the Law & Finance programme (to be renamed International Financial Law), you will be trained to address these critical issues for the financial sector and effectively apply the necessary strategic advice, drafting skills and process handling in practice. The programme is also open to economic experts who wish to increase their understanding of financial law and the regulatory framework for the financial sector.

Reasons to choose Law and Finance at Leiden University

As a student of the advanced master’s in Law & Finance, you will benefit from:

• Expert instructors: You will be taught by expert staff and guest lecturers who are internationally renowned in the field of financial law. Many of our staff are prominent contributors to or associated with organisations such as the  European Banking Institute, the Florence School of Banking and Finance, ESMA, supervisory authorities, major international law firms, consultancy agencies and alternative dispute resolution bodies.
• Professional skills: In addition to the theory taught during the courses and lectures, you will receive training in professional skills, including drafting legal briefs and real-life simulations of legal advice. We will frequently challenge you in holding plenary oral presentations.
• Study trips: You will be able to visit financial market players and engage with legal professionals working in the financial sector. On previous study trips, we visited the European Central Bank, European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), the Single Resolution Board, the European Banking Federation, international law firms such as Jones Day, Ashurst and Clifford Chance, BNP Paribas and Deutsche Börse and the European stock exchange in Frankfurt.

Discover more reasons to study Law & Finance at Leiden University.

Law & Finance: Is it the right programme for you?

Are you fascinated by the complex, international and multifaceted issues facing the financial sector? Would you be interested in learning how to tackle these issues from a legal and economic perspective, with a special focus on sustainability and digitisation? If so, this could be the programme for you.

To be a good fit for the advanced nature of the programme, one of the following should apply to you:

• you're a legal professional with a full law degree (offering access to legal practice); or
• you're a financial expert with a degree at an equivalent level in another discipline and sufficient background in or understanding of law.

In order to benefit from the advanced level of the programme, you should either have work experience in financial law or a strong academic track record in combination with research experience in financial law or internships in the financial sector.

You can follow this programme for one year on a full-time basis or two years on a part-time basis. Please note that the part-time schedule comprises the regular courses (day courses) spread across two years.

Read more about the entry requirements for Law & Finance.