International Legal Studies

International Legal Studies as the new "Zusatzstudium" for law students is finally here and if offering a unique opportunity to acquire a comprehensive and practice-oriented education.

Dive with us into a world of international law, get to know other countries and their legal systems. Strengthen your language skills and widen your expertise in areas of Comparative, Economic and Business Law as well as African Perspectives and Law.

Based on the internationalisation focus of the University of Bayreuth, the programme aims to expand knowledge and understanding of various areas of international law. Knowledge of international law and the ability to work with foreign languages are increasingly important criteria in the globalising world and thus the job market. Along with only a few other universities in Germany, Bayreuth seeks to manifest the status of its law programme as being internationally oriented. A focus that is becoming increasingly popular, which drives our efforts to offer students a unique opportunity to acquire a comprehensive and practice-oriented education.

According to § 37 of the Arbeits- und Prüfungsordnung für Juristinnen und Juristen (JAPO) the students will be granted a "Freischussverlängerung" when having successfully completed the additional study programme.

Find out more information on International Legal Studies here.

The Rwanda Justice Sector Internship Program

The University of Bayreuth through the International Legal Studies Program and the Institute of Legal Practice and Development (ILPD) in Rwanda have developed an internship program to be offered at the Judiciary in Rwanda.

The ILPD is the only institution mandated to offer professional postgraduate programs in law in Rwanda and will also coordinate the internship program through placing students at different institutions, including the Judiciary of Rwanda (Supreme Court), and monitor their supervision. This program is an offer and a response to the need of engaging students with international legal contexts in practice. Through the internship program, the students will learn about the judicial and legal processes of high-level national institutions in Rwanda in international contexts. This unique, hands-on opportunity will be given to two ILS students per annum. During the six-week program, the students are given the opportunity to develop valuable legal skills such as case research, case analysis, and understanding the role of courts in interpreting and applying national and international law. Yet, participation in the program requires little to no prior knowledge. 

In 2025, the program lasts from August 25 to October 5. If this has piqued your interest, we invite you to take a look at the Rwanda Justice Sector Internship Program Letter and the experiences shared by our very first student to be a part of this internship. For all further questions, feel free to contact the ILS-Team via E-mail.