International Master's Programme – LLM in Legal Theory

This programme engages with the rapid digitalisation and use of AI and the connected structural transformation of normativity in law. It introduces both the Anglo-American Common Law and the Civil or Continental Law tradition of legal theory. Its focus is to safeguard European traditions as the basis of constitutionalism in a global perspective, developing legal scholarship and jurisprudence as a science, and developing jurisprudence as applied legal theory so as to enable students to solve system conflicts. Such conflicts occur regularly because national law is becoming supra-, inter- and transnational and because of the growing weight of transnational law-making on the part of non-state actors. This is reflected in the unique European design of the programme. Moreover, it offers an excellent institutional setting on the impressive and charming Westend campus of Goethe University Frankfurt. The programme's exclusive concentration on legal theory makes it unique in the field of advanced legal studies in Europe, enabled by the university cluster of EALT. It rests on synergies between three institutions located on the same campus: a large law faculty, the Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory (www.lhlt.mpg.de/en), the Normative Orders Research Centre targeting at the integration of all Frankfurt social sciences with the focus on normativity, and the House of Finance (Institute for Law and Finance, www.ilf-frankfurt.de). It also connects the reputation of Goethe University (GU) with many renowned universities in Europe as in Barcelona, Belgrade, Bologna (with EUI Florence), Glasgow, Graz, Lucerne, Stockholm and others. Besides GU, the partners in the programme are core or associate partners. Further associated partners contribute in a specific way within the activities of the large "Third Term Network", namely, in the supervision of students' Master's theses. In addition, a close cooperation exists with the International Association for Legal and Social Philosophy (IVR). The programme also has ties to major legal theory scholars at German universities such as Freiburg, Göttingen, Hamburg, and Munich. The obligatory part of the curriculum consists of three compulsory modules (A-C) and of passing three elective modules out of seven (E1-7), and a Master's thesis (D). Students may stay at GU during the entire academic year. Alternatively, they may attend modules at partner universities starting in February. Moreover, they are welcome to attend more or less the whole set of modules and additional workshops and schools. 1. Compulsory modules: A: Jurisprudence (History of Jurisprudence, Theories of Law, Moral & Political Philosophy of Law) B: Theory of Comparative Law, Global Law; European Integration C: Legal Methods, Inferencing in Law, Methodology in Legal Research (preparing D) 2. D-module: Master's thesis 3. Elective modules: E-modules deepen the basics of jurisprudence taught in A-, B- and C-courses. E1: Law, History, and Culture / Cultural Studies (History of Law, Legal History, Legal Anthropology, Law and Religion) E2: Law, Society & Culture (Legal Sociology, Law & Gender, Law & Literature) E3: Law, Science and Technology E4: Formation of Normative Orders (Legal Pluralism, Human Rights, International Law) E5: Law and Economy (Governance & Compliance) E6: Global Law (Global Digitality and Law) E7: Law, Language and Reasoning Following current developments in legal theory, other courses may be offered in addition. Obligatory classes will be taken by approx. 15-20 international students. Elective classes will partly have fewer participants (minimum number: seven) and may be open to other students (as guests from partner universities and alumni from earlier classes). Classes will mostly be taught by renowned academic teaching personnel, including legal practitioners. The academic year will start with the winter semester (October/November to February) in Frankfurt. The curriculum starts with introductory weeks (at