James Mathis on International Trade and Investment Law:

'This is a special track within the International and Eureopean Law Masters dedicated to international economic law, the international legal rules of conduct that govern the economic relations for states and regions. The University of Amsterdam has been granting an LL.M for this subject area since the early 1990's. About 25 students per year choose to write their final masters thesis in a topic related to international trade and investment. Our graduates work for states, international or regional organizations or law firms dealing with international trade or investment law. The nature of the study lends itself to connections with international economics and politics.
The curriculum treats a number of subject areas. In the multilateral sphere, the World Trade Organization (the WTO) with its evolved dispute settlement system is a core topic. The WTO handles trade disputes concerning trade defence (anti-dumping and safeguards), food safety measures and intellectual property enforcement, for examples. On the regional level there are an increasing number of trading systems with their own dispute mechanisms, like the Mercosur, the NAFTA, and of course the European Union. International investment law is a growing subject area in the curriculum. Here we examine the treaty frameworks that govern international investments and the disputes that arise between investors and states.'

A significant part of the programme concerns the Geneva-based World Trade Organisation (WTO). WTO provides the legal framework for the multilateral trading systems for goods and services, including its advanced system of dispute resolution. A significant body of WTO case law rules on the balance between the trading rules and other societal objectives, such as the protection of human health or the environment. WTO agreements also go beyond traditional market access issues into the realm of domestic regulation, to consider intellectual property rights and international product and food safety standards.

International Investment Law Arbitration has also become an important part of this programme. In this subject, a large network of bilateral investment treaties (BITs) set the legal frameworks for the treatment of foreign investors and for the settlement of their disputes by international arbitration. The growth of investor-state arbitral awards is evidence of the emerging importance of international investment law.
The first semester deals with aspects of WTO institutional and dispute settlement as well as the core International and European Law substantive principles governing the international trading system. The second semester introduces on the study of international investment law. Other second semester courses extend the study to domestic regulation, development issues, regional trade agreements and investment arbitration.

Studying International Trade and Investment Law at the University of Amsterdam

The academic staff of the track in International Trade and Investment Law are highly qualified international and European lawyers. Students will become familiar with a wide range of international institutions and will receive guidance in finding internships and in identifying career opportunities once they have successfully completed the Master's programme. The quality of the programme is enriched by the University of Amsterdam's double strength in both law and economics and business. The Faculties of Law and Economics and Business collaborate formally through the Amsterdam Centre for Law & Economics (ACLE), which houses over 20 scholars who conduct interdisciplinary research at the interface between these fields.

Accreditation and degree

This Master's programme has been accredited by the Accreditation Organisation of The Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). This means that upon successful completion of the programme students will receive a legally accredited Master's degree in International and European Law and the title Master of Laws (LLM). You can find more information on accreditation and degrees through the links below.