Bachelor of Law

Law at Neuchâtel

The teaching of law at Neuchâtel follows a long tradition, allowing graduates access to all legal professions. TheBachelor of Law  covers six semesters, and providesexcellent basic legal  training. Alongside theoretical courses, students  become familiar with practical aspects of law by way of practical exercises and an interdisciplinary intensive seminar.

Students are encouraged to take part in various national and international moot court competitions. Thanks to a broad network of interuniversity agreements, they can undertake study trips at universities in Switzerland and abroad as prestigious as King’s College London and Columbia University New York.

Aims

The Bachelor of Law degree gives students all the skills required for legal training with a solid and comprehensive grounding.
Many graduates who receive and develop their education at Neuchâtel go on to work as lawyers at the bar, for notaries, courts, administrations, companies, banks, trusts, insurance firms, industry, sports organizations, international or non-governmental organizations, and any other professions in which this unique specialty is required and valued.

Career paths

A Bachelor of Law degree can lead to further university studies at Master of Law level. Holders of a Bachelor of Law can also go straight into employment. For example, they may:

• offer their services as legal practitioners within businesses, trusts, banks and insurance companies
• work as legal practitioners in public administration, and international or non-governmental organizations
• begin a career in politics, journalism or diplomacy.

Unique advantages

• The offer of unique and diversified training. The Bachelor of Law programme provides a solid foundation in legal knowledge, across various fields. It offers students a varied and stimulating curriculum, letting them develop their skills and select their future area of specialization, with a view to their integration in the employment market.
• One of the best educational settings in Europe. Renowned for its size, the Law Faculty at Neuchâtel offers students an enviable degree of access to professors and assistants. Each benefits from personal attention and individual support, as needed and desired, thanks to one of the best student/teacher ratios in Europe.
• Quality of the teaching staff. The professors’ skills and commitment add to the richness of the education provided at Neuchâtel. Courses are constantly according to the best interests of students and the evolving needs of the professional world.
• Practice-oriented training. The courses taught at Neuchâtel integrate the concrete examples given in the professors’ practical activities with contributions from practitioners. As such, students acquire not only theoretical knowledge, but also the practical reflexes that will help them take on professional challenges in the future.
• A unique location: The Faculty of Law is in the heart of the city, just a stone’s throw from the lake. The fully renovated historic building is well-equipped, with all the logies, offering modern infrastructure in an outstanding setting.

Study

Legal studies address legislation in force, its historical, social and political origins, its interpretation in doctrine, and its application by the courts. Not only are students trained in the use of legal texts and the analysis of jurisprudence, they also learn more about the values on which our society is based. Alongside theoretical knowledge, students develop a capacity for analysis and synthesis, a sense of precision, as well as the ability to formulate and defend ideas, in speech and in writing.