The Double Degree Experience between England and France: A Contribution to an Integrated European Legal Education

European Journal of Legal Education, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 3-18, 2008

4 Pages Posted: 28 Oct 2008

See all articles by Audrey Guinchard

Audrey Guinchard

University of Essex - School of Law

Date Written: September 26, 2007

Abstract

Double degrees represent the next generation of exchange programmes. Rather than simply giving a taste of another legal system, as does the traditional Socrates-Erasmus year abroad, double degrees aim at providing students with a complete bi-legal education: they lead to the award of two qualifying law degrees after generally two years spent in one country and two in the other. A definite asset in a European market place, double degrees create, for their developers, challenges of their own as well as they accentuate difficulties (and benefits) already encountered at Socrates-Erasmus level. Drawing from her experience in running the Essex-Paris X double Maitrise for the past five years, the author proposes to reflect on the contribution double degrees can make to the pursue of an integrated European Legal Education.

Indeed, the structure and implementation of double degrees aspire to overcome the differences existing in legal education and training (Part I), whether it is by selecting candidates or, for example, by reflecting what must be the legal education offered ex situ (i.e. the courses offered on one legal system outside the country in which this legal system functions).

Nonetheless, they are not always successful in bridging the gap between different experiences and expectations in legal education (Part II). At a European Level, practical measures are implemented: we are all familiar with the ECTS credits or the Bologna process. Yet, more efforts are needed at a European level as well as national level. An integrated European legal education will need to be much stronger on what it wants to achieve as a minimum standard, what margin of appreciation it lets to national institutions in interpreting the standards and what control it might want to create to supervise the whole process.

Keywords: Legal education, France, England, Bologna process, Europe, double degree

JEL Classification: K00, Z00

Suggested Citation

Guinchard, Audrey, The Double Degree Experience between England and France: A Contribution to an Integrated European Legal Education (September 26, 2007). European Journal of Legal Education, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 3-18, 2008, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1290056

Audrey Guinchard (Contact Author)

University of Essex - School of Law ( email )

Colchester, Essex CO43SQ
United Kingdom

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