Law

Program and structure

The Bachelor’s degree in Law (first cycle) includes both introductory courses in human sciences, as well as law courses such as constitutional law, criminal law, civil law, contract law, etc. From the first year (block 1), students will study the general principles and foundations of the different branches of law. This study of legal concepts is complemented by courses in philosophy, psychology, political economy, contemporary Belgian history, etc.

Most of the law courses are reinforced by practical work in small groups, in which students will draw on the resources and knowledge acquired in the lectures to complete legal exercises. Students will then be able to analyse and comment on a court decision (case commentary), solve a problem presented in a factual situation (case study) or propose their own thoughts on a subject (essay). These courses and practical work are enriched by the professional legal experience of the teaching staff.

Language courses with a legal focus (English and Dutch) are also offered throughout the programme. This course focuses primarily on assessing written comprehension. In the first year (block 1), these courses are taught to small groups of students with the same level of language skills (a level test is organised at the beginning of the academic year). They aim to prepare students for the Introduction to Criminology (Inleiding tot de criminologie) and Comparative Law courses at the end of the programme.

Breakdown of Credits

• Legal sciences
• Human sciences
• Foreign languages

Access conditions

The admission requirements for the Bachelor's in Law are those applied to undergraduate studies. These studies are open to individuals who hold one of the following qualifications:

• The Certificate of Higher Secondary Education (CESS) issued by an institution of the French Community of Belgium.
• A qualification deemed equivalent to the CESS.
• A certificate of successful completion of the university entrance examination.

These conditions are set out in the general conditions for admission to Bachelor's studies (ULB) 2025-2025.

Learning outcomes

Approach all areas of law, master legal vocabulary, conduct structured reasoning, write case comments, solve practical cases, write legal essays, formulate and defend ideas in a clearly argued manner, analyse texts in depth and consider all possible interpretations and applications to specific cases, as well as implement personal and cross-disciplinary skills such as autonomy, group work, precision and rigour, and develop a spirit of synthesis, analysis and imagination... this, in a nutshell, is what can be expected of a BA Law graduate.

Teaching profile

• Proficiency in French, both written and spoken.
• Have a synthetic mind, be able to distinguish the essential from the incidental.
• Be methodical, able to structure your reasoning and thinking.
• Demonstrate rigour.
• Be curious and up-to-date with current affairs.

Opportunities

Careers in law

Upon completion of their Master's degree in Law, students can go straight into the following careers (some professions require additional qualifications):

• Lawyer (a three-year work placement is required to register with the Bar Association)
• Judge, public prosecutor (access to the profession requires passing an entrance exam for a judicial work placement)
• Notary (requires a Master's in Notarial Studies and a three-year work placement)
• Bailiff (two years of training are required to enter the profession)
• Mediator (training in family, commercial and social mediation available at an approved centre)
• Lawyer in the civil service at European, federal, regional and local level: legal revisor at the European Commission, lawyer-linguist at the European Parliament, lawyer with the federal/local police, the Public Finance Service, the Wallonia Public Service, the legal department of a CPAS (public social welfare centre), etc.
• Private company lawyer in industrial and commercial companies, banks, insurance companies, etc.
• Legal advisor in the non-profit sector: fundamental rights associations, victim support associations, trade unions, NGOs (Amnesty International, Red Cross, etc.).
• Lobbyist lawyer
• Referendary (at the Court of Cassation, etc.)
• Legal auditor
• Parliamentary attaché
• Teacher, researcher
• Among others.