Career prospects

(Image: Inside the UN General Assembly, photo by Basil D Soufi)

Graduates of the LLB programme in International and European Law will – even moreso if having completed an additional master programme - be qualified for careers in diplomacy, as civil servants for national ministries, the EU, the UN or other international organizations, in non-governmental organizations (such as Amnesty International or Greenpeace), in the international commercial sector (such as Unilever or Shell), or in academic teaching and research. Below you will see a distribution of the different arenas where past LLB students are currently working.

Many LLB graduates often continue on to specialise in a particular legal field by pursuing an LLM programme, either in Groningen or at other reputable universities. You can read about one of our LLB graduates who pursued an LLM after her studies in Portugal here, and you can read about the experiences of LLB graduates who pursued their LLM in Groningen in our student blog here. One of our graduates, that works as an Environmental Lawyer, was recently elected UG Alumnus of 2023.

You can also read about the international career paths of several of our LLB graduates in this edition of the NEXUS Magazine.

Further, all students have access to the university Career Services which can help them in finding and preparing for internships and employment. You can read more about pursuiing an internship while studying in the LLB here.

Access to traditional legal professions

Please note that entry into traditional legal professions (advocate, attorney, barrister, judge, etc.) is not guaranteed upon completion of this programme as such entry depends on different national requirements per country.

In The Netherlands
In order to gain access to the bar or judiciary in the Netherlands, students need to have acquired the so-called 'effectus civilis' ('civiel effect'). This 'effectus civilis' can be obtained by participating in several Dutch law courses dealing with all main fields of law. The University of Groningen offers a shortened Bachelor of Laws programme (taught in Dutch) for students who would be interested in getting this 'effectus civilis' and who are currently enrolled in the LLB International and European Law.

Other Dutch Law faculties in the Netherlands might have different requirements. More information about the specific requirements for access to the Dutch bar can be found at the site of the Dutch Bar Association (the 'Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten'). Please keep in mind that all courses which will lead to the 'effectus civilis' will be offered in Dutch.

In Other Countries
Students wishing to pass the bar exam in other countries should consult the websites of the bar associations or judiciary of the specific country they seek to practice law in for specific details regarding eligibility. For students who want to become a barrister or solicitor in the UK, you can find an explanation about conversion courses here.

Do you have a question about the LLB programme? Contact the Faculty of Law directly through our information request form .