Master

The “Master of Law” degree programme at Leuphana Graduate School is the first of its kind in Germany to offer students the opportunity, following a Bachelor's degree in law, to obtain both the Erste Prüfung (Erstes Juristisches Staatsexamen)(First Examination – First State Examination in Law) and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree. The programme’s integration into an internationally oriented academic environment, its provision of integrated written exam and final examination preparation courses, as well as the close collaboration in small study groups, offers ideal preparation for the Erste Prüfung (First State Examination in Law).

Click here for comprehensive information on the structure and content of the Master of Law programme.

The Master of Law programme offers a unique specialisation area titled Law in Context. This area enables students to engage with topics from civil law, public law, and criminal law in an interdisciplinary way that goes beyond traditional legal doctrine. The focus lies on current societal challenges and processes of transformation. In addition to conventional classroom teaching, which concludes with written examinations and term papers, the programme includes practical formats such as simulated court proceedings (Moot Courts) and legislative workshops. These formats help students to enhance their communication, argumentation, and problem-solving skills in spontaneous settings. Students in this specialisation learn to apply legal principles in concrete societal contexts in a critical and analytical manner. As such, the Law in Context specialisation reflects the mission statement of Leuphana University Lüneburg as a humanistic, sustainable, and action-oriented institution.

Modules in the Law in Context Specialisation:

• Law in context: Criminal Justice and Politics (1st semester)
• Law in context: The State in (Post-)Global Constellations (1st semester)
• Law in context: Individuality and Social Relations in Law (1st semester)
• Law in context: Historical and Comparative Foundations of Private Law (2nd semester)
• Law in context: Master's Thesis (3rd semester)
• Law in context: Master's Forum (4th semester)

Complementary Modules:

• Engaging with Knowledge and Science: Theories of Law (1st semester)
• Reflecting on Research Methods: Philosophy of Law (2nd semester)
• Connecting Science, Responsibility and Society: Public Sphere and Communication in Legal Scholarship (3rd semester)

Alongside the state compulsory subject examination (staatliche Pflichtfachprüfung), the university-based specialisation examination (universitäre Schwerpunktbereichsprüfung) forms part of the Erste Prüfung (Erstes Juristisches Staatsexamen) under § 2(1), sentence 1 of the NJAG (Lower Saxony Judiciary Act). Students enrolled in the Master of Law programme may apply for admission to the university-based specialisation examination provided they have not definitively failed the specialisation examination or the state compulsory subject examination. The application must be submitted in writing to the Student Service, with a copy sent via email to: master-rechtswissenschaft@leuphana.de

The university-based specialisation examination consists of:

a) a research paper (Studienarbeit)

b) an oral specialisation examination (mündliche Schwerpunktbereichsprüfung)

The research paper itself comprises two components:

a) a written part, which simultaneously constitutes the Master's thesis

b) an oral presentation of the written part (i.e. the Master's thesis)

The written part of the research paper/Master’s thesis is completed during the third semester as part of the study programme. Topics are assigned to students following admission to the specialisation examination. Once the written Master's thesis has been reviewed by the supervising and a second academic examiner, the thesis must be presented orally to the supervising academic.

The oral specialisation examination is conducted as part of the Master's Forum.

Click here for full details and application forms for the specialisation examination.

During the final two semesters of the Master of Law programme, students take part in the university-based revision course (universitäres Repetitorium) as part of the Masterclass modules. In small groups, and under the guidance of committed academic staff, students systematically review and deepen their knowledge of all core subjects in civil, public, and criminal law to ensure optimal preparation for the compulsory subject examination (Erstes Juristisches Staatsexamen).

A key component of the Masterclass modules is the weekly exam preparation course (Klausurenkurs), in which students write original five-hour examination papers under real conditions. These are individually assessed and discussed in detail. Each semester concludes with a mock examination (Probeexamen). This means that before sitting the actual Erste Prüfung, students complete two full trial examinations and gain valuable experience in handling exam situations. In addition, students may participate in a university-organised stress management programme that accompanies their exam preparation.