Students Tilburg University

Program Top Class Tilburg Law School

The program comprises four courses (6 ECTS each), various soft skills training courses, and a flexible legal-depth assignment that can be personalized by each Top Class student.

 

Fall semester

Spring semester

Bachelor year 2
  • Introduction
  • Course 1 (6 ECTS)
  • Course 2 (6 ECTS)
  • Course 3 (6 ECTS)
  • Soft skills

Bachelor year 3
  • Flexible legal in-depth assignment  
  • Course 4 (6 ECTS)
  • Soft skills
  • Conclusion Top Class

If students are on exchange in one (or more) of the semesters, there is the possibility for some Top Class courses to be followed remotely. This is not possible for all Top Class courses and some thus will have to be replaced by a replacement course of (the equivalent of) 6 ECTS, to be followed at the exchange university. This substitute course has to be a legal and in-depth course.

Inspiring content

Tilburg Law School's Top Class program provides students with academic-legal deepening. During the courses, legal issues are being discussed from different angles. For example, you can become acquainted with comparative, methodological, or social-scientific approaches to law and learn to approach current themes such as terrorism, artificial intelligence, or anthropogenic climate change from different areas of law. The program inspires reflection and invites discussion and debate.

Challenging approach

A maximum of 26 students will take part in the Top Class. Because the students are enrolled in different Bachelor's programs (Dutch Law, International and European Law, Tax Law, and Business Law) you will, as a matter of course, be subjected to different views and approaches. The group stays together throughout the entire two-year program. Individually or in small groups, you will work on lectures, research assignments, or presentations. An excellent opportunity to hone your skills as well as your mind.

The classes are interactive. Teachers will challenge you to participate actively in discussions and debate. Furthermore, you will be encouraged to think about academic legal research and to work actively on (research) assignments. You will work individually or in small groups and will regularly be invited to present your findings.

You will actively study professional academic-legal literature and will discuss and debate this with teachers and fellow students.

Courses

The Top Class courses may vary each year (and often do). Currently, the following courses are offered:

  • Liability for Defective Medical Devices (dr. Paul Verbruggen, dr. Lianne Wijntjens, dr. Charlotte Zegveld)
  • Regulation and Governance of a Fair Energy Transition (prof. dr. Saskia Lavrijssen, prof. dr. Martijn Groenleer, dr. Bart van der Sloot)
  • Disinformation and the Democratic Rule of Law (Joris van Laarhoven MA LLM)
  • The Influence of Artificial Intelligence on the Criminal Justice Chain (Prof. mr. Matthijs Nelemans)

Experienced Teachers

Top Class courses are taught by experienced teachers from various legal fields, who invite you to help think about, and even participate in, academic legal research.

Evaluation

Each teacher determines his or her own mode of evaluation. Sometimes this will be a final paper or presentation, other times a contribution to ongoing academic-legal research is requested.