The Centre for Advanced Legal Studies (C.A.L.S.)
The Centre for Advanced Legal Studies was established at the Faculty of Law of the K.U.Leuven in 1989.
Its main objectives are:
- to develop and administer post-graduate teaching programmes, primarily geared towards foreign scholars and students, and including foreign teachers;
- to foster and co-ordinate legal research involving foreign teachers, researchers and students;
- to support and co-ordinate the relationships of the Faculty and staff with foreign teaching and research institutes; and
- to co-ordinate the exchange of students, researchers, and teachers with foreign teaching and research institutions.
Since October 1990, the Centre for Advanced Legal Studies has offered a post-graduate programme leading to the degree of Master in Laws (LL.M.). During the fifteen years of its existence, the Master's programme has attracted applicants from all over the world. After a careful selection, 370 of these candidates were welcomed in Leuven, coming from places as diverse as Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, The Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Mauritius, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, The Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, The Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, The United States of America and Vietnam.
During its relatively short history, the Centre has taken the lead in establishing a great number of international exchange programmes within Europe and in other parts of the world.
In the 1990s, the C.A.L.S. supported and submitted several project proposals to the TEMPUS Office of the European Union, established in 1990 to promote exchanges in higher education with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Over the years, the Centre has been involved in: teaching comparative law in the Czech Republic (with Le Havre and Rouen); curriculum development in European law in Poland (with Groningen, King's College London, Poitiers, and La Sapienza Rome); and the establishment of graduate law studies in Ukraine (with Paris X Nanterre and Queen Mary London).
In 1994, the Centre submitted a proposal to the European Commission for the creation of an Association of Law Faculties in Europe. The Association now serves as a representative body of all European law faculties in their relationships with the European Commission, with professional associations organised at the European level, and with similar organizations in other parts of the world. The association was formally established in 1995. It now has more than 150 law faculties in Europe as members. Professor F. Vanistendael, former dean of the Faculty, was its first and founding president.
Since 1992, C.A.L.S. has been actively involved in the negotiation of a number of co-operation agreements with major law schools outside of Europe, in particular in the United States, South Africa, Australia, and Japan. Such agreements provide for the exchange of students at the graduate (semester abroad) and post-graduate level, researchers and teachers. The first formal agreements of this type were concluded in August 1994 with the University of Stellenbosch, and in December 1994 with the University of Melbourne.
In order to promote legal research at the Faculty of Law, the Centre established a series of Research Papers in 1993. From 1992 to 2003, the Centre supported the publication of the collected lectures of the annual Fortis Bank Chair at the Faculty of Law in a special series on current developments in European integration.
The most important task of the Centre for Advanced Legal Studies remains the organization and administration of its LL.M. programme.
Programmes
Master of Laws (LL.M.)
This post-graduate law programme aims at offering a high profile programme in European and International Law. Students have the choice between a general LL.M. degree and specialized LL.M.degrees. Specialisations are offered in European Union Law, International Business Law, Information and Communications Technology Law and Intellectual Property Law. In order to obtain an LL.M.degree with the mention of a specialisation, students have to follow one or more compulsory courses. A general LL.M. degree may be obtained by a selection of courses from the areas of specialisations mentioned as well as courses in International and European Legal Culture.
More information about this programme
Master of European Social Security
The programme provides an in-depth study of social protection from a legal, economic sociological, administrative and philosophical perspective. As well as being multi-disciplinary the course is also multi-national.
More information about this programme
Master in Energy and Environmental Law
The programme offers a complete study of international, European and comparative (including US) energy and environmental law, with a strong emphasis on legal practice.
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Master of laws in European and International Taxation
The college provides a one year Advanced Master in European and International Taxation on basis of intensive teaching on European, international and comparative taxation, plus a general introduction to the five major tax systems in Europe and the U.S., 3 special subject courses, a moot court exercise and a Master's thesis paper.
More information about this programme
Contact
Centre for Advanced Legal Studies
Faculty of Law
Tiensestraat 41
B - 3000 Leuven
Belgium
