Good legislative lawyers are essential for high quality rule of law. The work of a legislative lawyer in this quickly changing political and administrative environment is a unique profession, requiring specific knowledge and skills. The Academy was founded in 2001 with the aim of improving the quality of central government legislation.
This is done by selecting and training legal talent, providing special educational programmes for high level training and stimulating relevant research. The Academy endeavors to have the best lecturers from the academic world or legal practice in the discipline concerned for every course or module.
Together with a network of professionals from the academic world and legal practice we develop practical and inspiring educational programmes. We are experienced in giving postgraduate level courses. All skills required for developing and maintaining the knowledge of a legislative lawyer are covered in our programme. These include such specialist fields as politics, administration and sociology as well as supporting skills such as writing, negotiating and advising for legislative lawyers.
We have an open programme and develop tailor-made courses, also for legislative lawyers in other countries.
The Academy has developed a two-year dual Master programme for legislative lawyers. Every year the Academy recruits young professionals through a strict selection process, who follow this programme to become a legislative lawyer. The course combines lectures at the Academy with practice at a ministry, the Council of State or the lower house of parliament (Tweede Kamer).
Research is another important component in stimulating the development of the rule of law. The Academy is active in the field of research. A select intervision group meets once a month with a special researcher in the field of law and governance. The group is led by one of our programme managers who is a professor at the University of Groningen. The dean and programme managers are all active in carrying out research and producing publications. They are also contribute to the international journal The Theory and practice of Legislation.
The Academy has recently launched the publication series ‘Law and Government’ which makes available legal knowledge inside and around the central government. The publication series contains mostly Dutch legal publications for and by legal professionals within the central government.