The Amsterdam International Law Clinic is an initiative of students and staff of the Amsterdam Law School and provides legal services on all questions on international law. It was established to meet the needs of students for more experience in dealing with real cases and to meet the increasing demands from organisations, companies, individuals and law firms for legal advice on matters of international law. 

In international legal practice a growing interest exists for lawyers with a deeper understanding of and experience in the functioning and the application of international law. The clinic offers students the possibility to gain such experience and at the same time to make contact with their future profession in a direct manner. This co-operation between organisations, companies and law-firms on the one hand, and students of international law on the other, is exceptional in Dutch legal practice and the Amsterdam International Law Clinic is therefore unique in the Netherlands.

Cases may concern international human rights law, international criminal law, international environmental law, international investment law, or any other field of international law. Recent clients have included the International Bar Association, the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), Diakonia (Jerusalem Office), and the Public Prosecutor for Crimea in the Ukraine.

In the Amsterdam International Law Clinic students will acquire knowledge to be able to build up a solid case. Clinic students will be directly involved in providing legal advice on international law.

Teamwork and a hands-on approach

Top students in their final years of study at the Amsterdam Law School carry out research at the clinic. They are selected on the basis of superior academic performance and closely supervised by faculty staff from the Departments of Public International Law and European Law, as well as the Amsterdam Center of International Law (ACIL). They receive intensive, hands-on, guidance on how to conduct legal research, and how to write a legal opinion for external clients. Emphasis is placed on professionalism, high quality work, teamwork, and respect for confidentiality.

Clinical work

Clinical work consists of projects undertaken for clients for which the students conduct legal research, provide legal advice and draft legal documents. The clinical work is conducted in a team of 3-5 students with regular meetings with supervisors (and clients).

Future projects

In the second semester, starting in February 2022, one group of students will work on a project assessing human rights violations committed in South East Asia and assisting in the drafting of submissions before respective UN treaty bodies.

Another group of students will work on a clinic project for an NGO also with a focus on human rights violations and possible accountability routes.

Current and prior projects and publications

Our more recent projects address issues such as climate change litigation, protection of important fauna, and human rights violations in commodity value chains. During the spring semester of the academic year 2020-2021, the AILC has worked on a clinic project focusing on human rights for a renowned NGO.

Many of our clients are non-governmental organizations representing vulnerable groups, for whom confidentiality is paramount. The following is a cross section of projects for which the details of our engagement could be released. 

• Monetary Payments for Civilian Harm in International and National Practice (2013)
• Non-Contractual Liability of the EU for Damage Sustained by Women Who Received PIP Breast Implants (2013)
• Enforced Disappearances as Continuing Violations (2002)
• Establishing an Individual Complaints Procedure Against Violation of International Humanitarian Law (2000) 
• Fundamental Rights and Freedoms in the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights: An Interpretation of Articles 6, 7, 9 and 26 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (2002)
• The Competence of the ECHR to Order restitutio in integrum and Specific Orders as Remedial Measures in the Case 46221/99 (2000)
• Undue Delay in the Case Law of the ECHR: Varicak Marica v. Croatia Osiguranje (2001)

Contact us

For any questions regarding the Amsterdam International Law Clinic, please email us at amsterdamlawclinics@uva.nl or contact:

Vid Prislan

Requirements and eligibility

The Amsterdam International Law Clinic is only open for students enrolled in:

• Track Public International Law
• Track International Trade and Investment Law
• Track International and Transnational Criminal Law

Should a particular case or project in the Amsterdam European Law Clinic or Amsterdam International Law Clinic provide the possibility for students from other Masters to participate, this will be communicated through the clinic’s website informing other Master's students about the possibility to apply as well.

Other requirements are:

• You are available at least 10 hours per week;
• You have a strong work ethic, excellent communication and English-writing skills, and a genuine interest in international law.

Contact former clinic students

If you're interested in more hands-on information about the clinic and experiences from former Amsterdam International Law Clinic students, you can contact any of the following former students. Send an e-mail to amsterdamlawclinics@uva.nl and we will provide you with the relevant contact information.