Air and Space Law (Advanced LL.M.)
Career prospects
The Air and Space Law programme prepares you for a successful career in this growing field, in Europe or around the world.
Sidhant Sharma
Legal Counsel at SGI Aviation Services B.V.
"As is the case with any profession, finding a job is never easy. For me, it was a stage that truly tested my perseverance and character. While obtaining excellent academic results definitely help, but they are by no means sufficient as they must be balanced with having a relevant network and a professional attitude."
"Having graduated from the programme myself, I can assure that it provides a perfect platform to cover all those bases, by attracting the best aviation professionals and academics to teach, organising international conferences and encouraging participation in challenging internships. Although these features of the programme played a key role in helping me find a job, another distinctive element was the consistent support of the programme directors and personnel in encouraging me to develop a proactive and bold attitude to face any challenge."
Many of our graduates find positions in:
- law firms or consulting firms
; - legal departments of airports, airlines or aerospace manufacturers;
- civil aviation authorities or national space agencies;
- ministries of transportation, or foreign economic or science affairs;
- international organisations (e.g., the International Civil Aviation Organization, the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, the European Union, EUROCONTROL, the EU Agency for the Space Programme or the European Space Agency);
- international non-governmental organisations (e.g., Airports Council International, Secure World Foundation or Space Court Foundation); or
- academia, including follow-up studies for a PhD in air or space law.
You will be trained to work in various fields, including:
- regulation of air and space activities at national, regional and international levels
- legal representation of clients in the aviation and space sector
- financing and insurance practices
- contracting and procurement in the aerospace industry
- licensing processes under national law
- legal research
Career prospects Advanced LLM graduates
The Master of Advanced Studies programmes at Leiden Law School are challenging academic programmes that will prepare you for a career in law. However, this does not guarantee that upon graduation you will find employment in the Netherlands, Europe, or elsewhere. While Leiden Law School offers support in terms of career services for each programme, finding employment remains the responsibility of each individual student.
Our experience is that most of our graduates relatively easily find excellent jobs in the Netherlands, in Europe and other continents. However, it is important to note that jobs in these fields are highly competitive and that finding suitable employment may require time. Obtaining high grades in the programme will help but these will not be enough by themselves, as other criteria such as experience and language proficiency play an important role. Personal experience, expertise, former work experience, specific skills all contribute to finding a suitable position. We have seen many of our graduates eventually find the jobs they were looking for.