European Law

Overview

EU law is a complex and fascinating subject that weighs ever more heavily on policymaking in the UK, Europe and internationally. This programme is designed to equip you with the knowledge and understanding of European law required for any future legal career.

The world-leading scholars teaching in the LLM and the richness of the course offering are distinctive features of this programme. The European Law LLM in Edinburgh constitutes one of the best post-graduate taught choices for people interested in EU law. EU law remains particularly important for the UK too.

The UK’s departure from the EU raises complex questions, with a possible special status for Scotland (or even renewed calls for independence) adding a further layer of complexity. Even after the so-called Brexit, EU law remains relevant to lawyers in the UK not only when they are dealing with pre-Brexit questions, but also because the future of the EU-UK relationship is likely to be heavily influenced by it. Against that background, the importance of advanced knowledge in EU law to employment in the public and private sectors will only increase.

At Edinburgh, we take an interdisciplinary approach. You will combine study of the law and legal systems of the EU with courses on both policy implications and applied economics. The involvement of legal practitioners and policymakers in our programme, as well as the high-profile lectures and activities hosted by the Europa Institute, will give you first-hand knowledge of what is happening in Europe right now.

Career opportunities

The LLM in European Law is not only for law graduates who plan to develop a career in the field of EU law, but also for law students or practising lawyers looking to gain a competitive edge in the employment market more generally within law, business or policymaking. Many graduates develop dynamic careers working in Brussels, home of the European Commission.