Pioneering internationalization in German legal education

Bucerius Law School challenges its students, faculty and staff to foster international competencies, develop foreign language skills and engage in projects that encourage cultural exchange – on an off campus.

A high level of English language proficiency is a must for any applicants to the German-taught ErstesStaatsexamen / LL.B. Building upon this foundation, mandatory English-taught modules such as Contract Drafting and Anglo-American Law provide the linguistic skills necessary for work in trans-national practice. 

The Bucerius Foreign Language Program offers legal language courses in English, French and Spanish as well as general language courses in Mandarin and Arabic to provide the training needed for practice on a global scale.

All students of the German-taught ErstesStaatsexamen / LL.B. spend a trimester abroad at one of the law school's partner universities. Required for graduation, the opportunity is designed to promote in-depth understanding of a foreign legal system while simultaneously boosting foreign language skills. 

Coached by faculty members, Bucerius students regularly participate and place in national and international events such as Moot Courts, Model United Nations (MUN) or Law Without Walls (LWOW).

More about International Competitions

Bucerius students regularly launch initiatives to address cross-cultural or cross-border issues, such as We Inform, which guides refugees in and around Hamburg through the myriad of local and federal support services available to them. Other initiatives include the Bucerius Law Clinic, which offers (multi-lingual) legal advice to low-income clients and Buceriushilft, which organizes family-friendly gatherings, activities for children, language courses and more for refugees in Hamburg.  

Cross-listed courses bring students from the German and the international study programs into conversation with peers from different backgrounds so that they may explore topics from varied perspectives. This proximity to international viewpoints is not limited to an academic setting: participating in extracurricular activities, sports and via a buddy network, students interact constantly and share campus facilities. 

Bucerius students with a high degree of intercultural knowledge and practical intercultural experiences may obtain a special certificate to prove their competences. These may be gatherer through study and internships abroad, participation in workshops on intercultural theory, the demonstration of foreign language skills as well as social commitment in an intercultural context. Demonstrating familiarity with foreign legal systems and cultures is also part of the certificate. 

Foreign language proficiency and intercultural competence among university staff are crucial in developing an international orientation for the Law School. Bucerius Law Schools offers on-campus language coursework, academic and administrative staff mobility programs and participation in professional conferences and workshops offers an opportunity to gain these skills. 

Bucerius is proud of its wide-ranging partnerships with prestigious higher education institutions worldwide, which – complimented by an active network of more than 2000 international alumni and supported by liaison offices in the USA and China – provide opportunities for student and faculty exchange, joint programming and professional development.

All university partnerships are managed by the International Office and cover student mobility, including exchanges within the ERASMUS+ framework.  

In addition, deeper bilateral collaborations with select universities have been developed and include joint study programs such as the Bucerius/UC Law San Francisco Summer Program in Licensing Transactions in International Intellectual Property, as well as research projects and academic events. 

Recognizing the importance of international experience and sharing expertise among colleagues, Bucerius also conducts administrative staff exchanges within its network. 

List of Partner Universities

The Transatlantic Advisory Council was established in 2019 to support Bucerius Law School’s interests in the United States. Its members have been part of the Bucerius Law School community for many years, be it as lecturers, full-time faculty or students and alumni. They know both Bucerius and the legal community in the United States very well. They give feedback on the law school’s U.S. strategy and offer assistance in connecting with the Bucerius community in the U.S. through events, such as lectures and other gatherings to foster the transatlantic exchange of ideas and to encourage identification with Bucerius Law School and its global community.

The Transatlantic Advisory Council cooperates closely with the Dean and the International Office of Bucerius Law School.

Bucerius is proud to be home to a growing body of international alumni from across the globe. In our short history, over 2200 international students from more than 60 countries have already spent a semester abroad at Bucerius, participated in the Bucerius Master of Law and Business, or have attended one of the Bucerius Summer Programs.