Curriculum
Block 1
Theme: Digital platforms as a nexus of legal complexity (legal, socioeconomic, technical)
Designing and describing a Legal Tech/AI tool for the legal profession.
Block 2
This course is about the governance and regulation of platforms and digital technology. In general, this course deals with the question of how digital technology should and can be regulated, and how this is approached in the European Union. Particularly, we explore the legal response to the societal challenges of digital technologies. We will also seek to understand why digital platforms are so difficult to be regulated and how they differ from traditional markets.
The themes we will look into are the following: introduction to the regulation of digital environments, intellectual property law (e.g. Internet Service Provides, Software as a Service, legal protection software, copyright, patent law and protection of databases), liability for AI, product safety regulation, EU platform regulation such as the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA), and the regulation of AI.
- Reflection on the courses for the master project
- Continuation of the design process for the master project
Block 3
This course is about the regulation and governance of data. Throughout the course we seek to understand what data is and the different kinds of data that exist. We will have an in-depth analyses of the GDPR, covering topics like: data subjects rights, profiling and enforcement. The course also covers the topics of data transfer, digital trade and the role of data in the EU's AI-act. We will also cover more critical themes and topics, outside data governance, such as: Sustainability, Competition and Infrastructure.
This course explores the role of public law and fundamental rights within the rapidly evolving landscape of AI technology. It is structured around two core themes. The first theme focuses on how public law can be adapted and developed to effectively regulate AI. In this context, the course examines the existing regulatory frameworks at the EU level, exploring their influence on the development, deployment, and governance of AI technologies. The second theme centers on fundamental rights, offering a comprehensive foundation in human rights across their various generations – civil-political, socio-economic, and third generation. The course critically explores how AI challenges, transforms, or potentially gives rise to new fundamental rights. By integrating these two dimensions, the course offers a comprehensive exploration of AI’s impact on legal frameworks. It is further enriched by in-depth case studies covering critical issues such as discrimination, the right to a fair trial, health, and environmental protection. These case studies enable students to critically analyze the complex interactions between AI, public law, and fundamental rights, fostering reflection on the evolving landscape of public law and human rights in the digital age.
Block 4
1 course from other elective courses offered in the master’s programme of the faculty.
Block 5: Master thesis
This course is about the critical assessment of dominant ideas and assumptions about AI & Technology, with a special focus on AI and technology-application in the legal sector. In this course we will critically assess dominant discourses that guide and influence the way we think about innovation and the application of technologies in society and the legal profession. We analyze underlying assumptions and dominant believes about what technology is, its development, operation and effectiveness with regard to the societal issues and problems it seeks to address. Our aim is to get a better and more realistic grasp on what technology is and what it is not and the extent to which technology is indeed successful in addressing emergent challenges both in society and the legal profession. Through that we attempt to achieve a more critical and open perspective on the place of technology in society and the legal profession. Our perspective derives from business- and economic theory, the philosophy of technology, ethics and ethics of technology and legal philosophy.
Could I also follow the programme part-time?
We support students who wish to complete the program in two years, instead of one, However, throughout the year, presence during lecture hours is expected and often mandatory. Particularly, the courses Research practicum and Masterpiece cannot be completed in absence, whereas other courses work with assessment practices for which actual presence is required. Students who wish to follow a two-year planning are requested to contact us via email.
Law&Tech Masterpiece
Throughout the entire year, you will work both individually and in groups on the Law&Tech Masterpiece, a unique trajectory within existing legal master's programmes. This master project consists of three components, namely the legal essay, the development of a Legal Tech tool, and the connection with the legally substantive courses, allowing you to constantly engage in concrete projects and practical experience.
The first (individual) component involves writing a legal essay at master's level on a technology-related topic.
In the second component, you will work on developing a Legal Tech tool for a real-world problem. You will go through several design thinking design steps as a group, culminating in a description of the tool's design. In this description, you will provide specifications of the legal, ethical, and technical requirements applicable to your tool. In this component, you will also address the reliability of the tool from the perspective of cyber and data security.
The third component aims to connect the substantive courses in the curriculum to the design of the tool. You will individually describe the crucial insights that must be incorporated from the various courses into the design of the tool.
The master project concludes with a presentation of the design to a jury, representing as many stakeholders for whom the design is intended as possible.