Europe is one continent most students want to go to for their studies because not only do they have the oldest universities in the world, but their educational system is top-notch and their certificates are accepted across the globe.
To study law in one of the best law schools in Europe is not an exception to this as bagging a degree in this part of the continent is highly respected.
We have compiled a list of 30 best law schools in Europe based on world rankings, Times Education Ranking and the QS Ranking with a brief summary of the school and it’s location.
We aim to guide you on your decision to study law in Europe.
30 Best Law Schools in Europe
- University of Oxford, UK
- Université Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne, France
- University of Nicosia, Cyprus
- Hanken School of Economics, Finland
- Utrecht University, the Netherlands
- Catholic University of Portugal, Portugal
- Robert Kennedy College, Switzerland
- University of Bologna, Italy
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
- University of Kyiv – Faculty of Law, Ukraine
- Jagiellonian University, Poland
- KU Leuven – Faculty of Law, Belgium
- University of Barcelona, Spain
- Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
- Charles University, Czech republic
- Lund University, Sweden
- Central European University (CEU), Hungary
- University of Vienna, Austria
- University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- University of Bergen, Norway
- Trinity College, Ireland
- University of Zagreb, Croatia
- University of Belgrade, Serbia
- University of Malta
- Reykjavik University, Iceland
- Bratislava School of Law, Slovakia
- Belarusian Institute of Law, Belarus
- New Bulgarian University, Bulgaria
- University of Tirana, Albania
- Talinn University, Estonia.
LOCATION: UK
The first on our list of 30 best law schools in Europe is the University of Oxford.
It is a research university found in Oxford, England and it started in the year 1096. This makes University of Oxford the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world’s second-oldest university in operation.
The university is made up of 39 semi-autonomous constituent colleges. They are autonomous in the sense that they are self governing, each in charge of its own membership. It is exceptional in its use of personalized tutorials in which the students are taught by faculty fellows in groups of 1 to 3 weekly.
It has the largest doctoral programme in Law in the English-speaking world.
LOCATION: FRANCE
It is also known as Paris 1 or Panthéon-Sorbonne University, is a public research university based in Paris, France. It was founded in 1971 from two faculties of the historic University of Paris. The Faculty of Law and Economics of Paris, is the second-oldest faculty of law in the world and one of the five faculties of the University of Paris.
LOCATION: CYPRUS
The University of Nicosia was established in 1980 and its main campus is located in Nicosia, the capital city of Cyprus. It also runs campuses in Athens, Bucharest and New York
The School of Law is renowned for being the first to be credited for awarding the first Law degrees in Cyprus that were officially recognized academically by the Republic and professionally recognized by the Cyprus Legal Council.
Presently, the Law school offers a number of innovative courses and legal programmes that are recognized by the Cyprus Legal Council for practice in the legal profession.
LOCATION: FINLAND
Hanken School of Economics also known as Hankem is a business school located in Helsinki and Vaasa. Hanken was created as a community college in 1909 and it originally offered a two-year vocational education. It is one of the oldest leading business schools in the Nordic countries and prepares its students to take on challenges of the future.
The faculty of law offers intellectual property law and commercial law in master’s and Ph.D programs.
LOCATION: THE NETHERLANDS
The UU as it is also called is a public research university in Utrecht, Netherlands. Created in 26 March 1636, it is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands. Utrecht University offers inspiring education and leading research of international quality..
The Law school train students as highly qualified, internationally-oriented lawyers on the basis of modern didactical principles. The Utrecht University School of Law conducts exclusive research in all important legal fields such as: private law, criminal law, constitutional and administrative law and international law. They collaborate intensively with foreign partners, especially in the field of European and comparative law.
LOCATION: PORTUGAL
This university was founded in 1967. The Catholic University of Portugal also known to Católica or UCP, is a concordat university (a private university with concordat status) with its headquartered in Lisbon and having four campuses in the following places: Lisbon, Braga Porto and Viseu.
Católica Global School of Law is a top-notch project and it has a vision of offering the conditions to teach learn and conduct research at an innovative level on Global Law at a prestigious Continental law school. It gives Master’s degree in law.
LOCATION: SWITZERLAND
Robert Kennedy College is a private academic institution located in Zürich, Switzerland that was founded in 1998.
It offers Master’s degree in International commercial law and corporate law.
LOCATION: ITALY
it is a research university in Bologna, Italy. Founded in 1088. It is the oldest university in continuous operation in the world, and the first university in the sense of a higher-learning and degree-awarding institute.
The School of Law offers 91 first cycle degree programmes/Bachelor ( 3 year full time length courses) and 13 single cycle degree programmes (5 or 6-year full time length courses). The Programme catalogue covers all subject and all sectors.
LOCATION: RUSSIA
Lomonosov Moscow State University is one of the oldest institutions established in 1755, named after leading scientist Mikhail Lomonosov. It is also one of the 30 best law schools in Europe and It is allowed by Federal Law No. 259-FZ, to develop its educational standards. The Law School is located in the university’s fourth academic building.
The Law School offers 3 areas of specialization: state law, civil law, and criminal law. The bachelor’s degree is a 4 year course in Bachelor of Jurisprudence while the master’s degree is for 2 years with the degree of Master of Jurisprudence, with over 20 master’s programs to choose from. Then the Ph.D. courses are offered with a duration of 2 to 3 years, which requires the student to publish a minimum of two articles and defend a thesis. The Law School also extends an internship of exchange studies for 5 to 10 months for international students.
LOCATION: UKRAINE
The University of Kyiv has been in existence since the 19th century. It opened its doors to its first 35 law scholars in the year 1834. The Law School of his university first taught subjects in the encyclopedia of law, basic laws and regulations of the Russian Empire, civil and state law, trade law, factory law, criminal law, and many others.
Today, it has 17 departments and offers a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, doctoral degree and specialization courses. University of Kyiv Faculty of Law is considered the best law school in Ukraine.
The Faculty of Law offers three LL.B. degrees in Law: LL.B. in Law taught in Ukrainian; LL.B. in Law for a junior specialist level taught in Ukrainian; an.B. in Law taught in Russian.
As for the master’s degree, the students can choose from its 5 specializations in Intellectual Property (taught in Ukrainian), Law (taught in Ukrainian), Law based on the specialist level (taught in Ukrainian), and Ukrainian-European Law Studios, a double degree program with the University of Mykolas Romeris (taught in English).
When the student obtains an LL.B. and LL.M. he/she can now further their education with a Doctoral Degree in Law, which is also taught in Ukrainian.
LOCATION: POLAND
The Jagiellonian University is also known as the University of Kraków) is a public research university, located in Kraków, Poland. It was founded in 1364 by the King of Poland Casimir III the Great. The Jagiellonian University is the oldest in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe, and one of the oldest surviving universities in the world. In addition to all these, it is one of the best law schools in Europe.
The Faculty of Law and Administration is the oldest unit of this university. At the beginning of this faculty, only courses in Canon Law and Roman Law were available. But presently, the faculty is recognized as the best law faculty in Poland and one of the finest in Central Europe.
LOCATION: BELGIUM
In 1797, the Faculty of Law was one of the first 4 faculties of KU Leuven, which first began as the Faculty of Canon Law and Civil Law. The Faculty of Law is now considered to be among the best law schools worldwide and the best law school in Belgium. It has bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees taught in Dutch or English.
Among the many programs of the Law School, there is a yearly lecture series which they conduct called Spring Lectures and Autumn Lectures, which are taught by the best international magistrates.
The Bachelor of Laws is a 180-credit, three-year program. Students have the option to study among their three campuses which are: Campus Leuven, Campus Brussels, and Campus Kulak Kortrijk). Completing the Bachelor of Laws will give students access to their Masters of Law, a one-year program and the Master’s students have the opportunity to participate in hearings at the Court of Justice. The Faculty of Law also offers a Master of Law Double Degree, either with Waseda University or with Zurich University and It is a two-year program taking 60 ECTS from each university.
LOCATION: SPAIN
The University of Barcelona is a public institution that was founded in 1450 and is located in Barcelona. The urban university has multiple campuses that are spread across Barcelona and the surrounding area on the eastern coast of Spain.
The Faculty of Law at the University of Barcelona is known as one of the most historic faculties in Catalonia. As one of the oldest institutions at this university, it has been offering a large variety of courses throughout the years, creating this way some of the best professionals in the field of law. Presently, this faculty offers undergraduate degree programs in the field of Law, Political Science, Criminology, Public Management, and Administration, as well as Labor Relations. There are also numerous master’s degrees, a Ph.D. program, and a variety of postgraduate courses. Students get quality education through a combination of traditional and modern teaching.
LOCATION: GREECE.
The Law School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is considered one of the most prestigious Greek law schools, founded in 1929. It is ranked first among the Greek law schools and is considered one of the 200 best law schools in the world.
LOCATION: CZECH REPUBLIC.
This university is known also as Charles University in Prague and it is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Not only is it the oldest in this country but It is one of the oldest universities in Europe, created in 1348, and is still in continuous operation.
Presently, the university compromises 17 faculties located in Prague, Hradec Králové, and Plzeň. The Charles University is among the top three universities in Central and Eastern Europe. The Law Faculty of Charles University was created in 1348 as one of four faculties of the newly established Charles University.
It has a fully accredited Master´s Program taught in Czech; a Doctoral Program can be taken either in the Czech or English languages.
The Faculty also provides LLM courses that are taught in English.
LOCATION: SWEDEN.
Lund University is a public university and is located in the city of Lund in the province of Scania, Sweden. Lund University does not have any separate school of law, rather it has Law department, under the facility of law. The law programs at Lund University offer one of the best and advanced law degree programs. The Lund University offers Master’s degrees programs alongside free online law courses and Doctoral programs.
The law department at Lund University offers different international Master’s programs. The first one is two 2-year Master’s programs in International Human Rights Law and European Business Law, and a 1-year Master’s in European and International Tax Law, a Master’s Program in Sociology of Law. In addition, university offers a Master of Laws Program (that is the Swedish Professional Law Degree)
LOCATION: HUNGARY.
It is a private research university accredited in Hungary, with campuses in Vienna and Budapest. This university was established in 1991 and it is made up of 13 academic departments and 17 research centers.
The Department of Legal Studies provides top-notch advanced legal education and education in human rights, comparative constitutional law, and international business law. Its programs are among the finest in Europe, helping students to obtain a solid foundation in fundamental legal concepts, in civil law and common law systems and to develop specific skills in comparative analysis.
LOCATION: AUSTRIA.
This is a public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world.
The Faculty of Law at the University of Vienna is the oldest and largest law faculty in the German-speaking world. The study of law at the University of Vienna is divided into three sections: an introductory section (which, in addition to introductory lectures in the most important legal-dogmatic subjects, also contains the legal history subjects and basic principles of legal philosophy), a judicial section (at the center of which is an interdisciplinary examination from civil and corporate law) as well as a political science section.
LOCATION: DENMARK.
As the largest and oldest educational institution in Denmark, the University of Copenhagen focuses on education and research as hallmarks of its academic programs.
Located in Copenhagen’s bustling city center, the Faculty of Law maintains a wide variety of course offerings in English which are typically followed by both Danish and Guest students.
Founded in 1479, the Law Faculty is acknowledged for its focus on research-based education, as well as for its emphasis on the interaction between Danish, EU, and international law. Recently, the Faculty of Law introduced several new global initiatives in hopes of promoting international dialogue and facilitating cross-cultural exchanges.
LOCATION: NORWAY.
The University of Bergen was founded in 1946 and the Faculty of Law was established in 1980. However, law studies has been taught at the university since 1969. The University of Bergen- Faculty of Law is situated on the hillside on the Bergen University campus.
It offers a Master’s Degree Program in Law and a doctoral program in Law. For the doctoral program, the students have to join seminars and research courses to assist them write their doctoral thesis.
LOCATION: IRELAND.
Trinity College located in Dublin, Ireland was founded in 1592 and is one of the world’s leading universities, the best in Ireland, and consistently ranked in the top 100 globally.
Trinity’s School of Law is consistently ranked in the world’s top 100 law schools and is the oldest Law School in Ireland.
LOCATION: CROATIA.
This academic institution was founded in 1776 and it is the oldest continually-operating law school in Croatia and all of Southeast Europe. Zagreb Faculty of Law offers BA, MA, and Ph.D. degrees in law, social work, social policy, public administration, and taxation.
LOCATION: SERBIA.
It is a public university in Serbia. It is the oldest and largest university in Serbia.
The law school practices a two-cycle system of studies: the first lasts four years (undergraduate studies) and the second lasts one year (Master studies). The undergraduate studies include mandatory courses, a selection of three major streams of study – judicial-administrative, business law, and legal theory, as well as several elective courses which students can choose according to their interests and preferences.
The Master’s studies encompass two basic programs – business law and administrative-judicial programs, as well as many so-called open Master’s programs in various areas.
LOCATION: MALTA.
The University of Malta is made up of 14 faculties, several interdisciplinary institutes and centers, 3 schools, and one junior college. It has 3 campuses aside from the main campus, which is situated at Msida, the other three campuses are at Valletta, Marsaxlokk, and Gozo. Every year, the UM graduates over 3,500 students in various disciplines. The language of instruction is English and about 12% of the student population is international.
The faculty of Law is one of the oldest and is renowned for its practical and professional approach to learning and teaching across a wide range of courses includes in undergraduate, postgraduate, professional, and research degrees.
LOCATION: ICELAND.
The Department of Law provides students with a solid theoretical foundation, extensive knowledge of key subjects, and the possibility of studying individual fields in considerable depth. The teaching of this university is in the form of lectures, practical projects, and discussion sessions.
The Department offers law studies on an undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. levels. The majority of the courses in these programs are taught in Icelandic, with some courses available in English for exchange students.
LOCATION: SLOVAKIA.
It is a private institute of higher education located in Bratislava, Slovakia. It was established on July 14, 2004. This school has five faculties and 21 accredited study programs
Faculty of Law offers these study programs; Bachelor of law, Masters of law in Theory and History of State Law, Criminal Law, International Law and Ph.D in Civil Law
LOCATION: BELARUS.
This private institution was founded in 1990 and it is one of the prestigious universities in the country.
This law school is determined to train highly qualified professionals in the area of Law, Psychology, Economics ,and Political Science.
LOCATION: BULGARIA.
The New Bulgarian University is a private university situated in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Its campus is in the western district of the city.
The Department of Law has existed ever since it was established in 1991. And it only offers the Master’s program.
LOCATION: ALBANIA.
This university’s school of law is also one of the best law schools in Europe
The Faculty of Law of the University of Tirana is one of 6 faculties of the University of Tirana. Being the first law school in the country, and one of the oldest higher education institutions in the country, it conducts undergraduate and post graduate degree programs, raising professionals in the field of law.
LOCATION: ESTONIA.
Last but not the least of the 30 best law schools in Europe is Tallinn University. Their bachelor’s program is taught fully in English and it centers on European and International Law. They also offer the opportunity to study Finnish law in Helsinki.
The program is well balanced between the theoretical and practical aspects of law and the students are provided the opportunity to learn from practicing lawyers as well as internationally recognized legal scholars.
Now, knowing the best law schools in Europe, we believe your decision in choosing a good law school has been made easy. All you have to do now is to take the next step which is get enrolled into that law school of your choice.
You can also checkout the Best English Speaking law Schools in Europe.
