Programme overview

Law and Technology
Studenten lopen door het Sanders gebouw

Curriculum

BlockDescription
Block 1
  • Research Practicum. Theme: Digital platforms as a nexus of legal complexity (legal, socioeconomic, technical)
  • Start Law&Tech Masterpiece: Designing and describing a Legal Tech tool for the legal profession. First step in the design process. 
Block 2
  • Ethics, technology & the legal professional: Technology & (professional) Ethics: ethics, professional ethics, Tech ethics, wicked problems. 
  • Law & Data: Examining the way data are handled in current law in current law from the perspective of data processing and sharing practices. Data protection and rights to data are addressed.
  • Continuation Law&Tech Masterpiece:
    • Reflection on the courses for the master project 
    • Continuation of the design process for the master project 
Block 3
  • Governance and regulation of technology 
    Governance and Regulation of Digital Technologies is (as the name of the course indicates) about the governance and regulation of digital technology. Examples of digital technologies that are considered in this course are: artificial intelligence and digital tools that are used in legal professions or that have legal relevance. We will cover a selection of legislation that may be relevant for digital technologies. In this course, two main questions related to governance of digital technology are addressed: 1) why should digital technology be regulated? and 2) how is digital technology regulated?
     
  • AI, democracy and fundamental rights Fundamental rights: We first explain human rights in general terms as well as the technical aspects of how AI technology relates to human rights. Subsequently, we address the interaction between AI technology and human rights by focusing on specific realms (e.g., discrimination, health, environment). While doing this, we make sure to incorporate a discussion on all the different generations of human rights – i.e., civil-political; socio-economic; third and fourth generation. Lastly, we discuss the possible interference of AI technology with the classical distribution of power and the organization of the institutions in a democratic society.
     
  • Continuation Law&Tech Masterpiece:
    • Reflection on the courses for the master project
    • Continuation of the design process for the master project 
    • Start legal essay trajectory
Block 4
  • Elective: 1 course from other elective courses offered in the master’s programme of the the faculty 
  • Continuation Law&Tech Masterpiece:  
    • Further theoretical aspects of Legal Tech
    • Finalizing of legal essay 
Block 5: 
Master thesis 
  • Completion Law&Tech Masterpiece: Technical, ethical and legal specifications of a Legal Tech Tool. 

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.

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