Leiden University opened its doors in 1575 – the very first university in the Netherlands. The law faculty was involved from the start and so in 2025 we, too, celebrated our 450th anniversary.

Anniversary year 2025

In the course of these 450 years, generations of students and legal scholars have sought to gain knowledge, achieve progress, and bring about social change. The special anniversary year in 2025 highlighted not only our resilience and perseverance, but also the connection between our staff, students, and alumni. We reflected on what we have achieved so far and set our sights on tomorrow's challenges and opportunities. 

For and by our staff, students and alumni

At a time when expectations from society are changing, and when science and higher education are under pressure, we sought to achieve an appropriate balance in our anniversary celebrations. We timed our activities as far as possible to be in line with our existing annual gatherings, drawing mainly on the strengths, talents and expertise within our own ranks. The anniversary programme was organised for and by our staff, students and alumni in Leiden and The Hague, with support from various sponsors and funds. 

The 450th Anniversary retrospective

Below you will find the online retrospective of 450th Anniversary of Leiden Law School. This is compiled from all the content we collected throughout the activities, gatherings, and events we organised as part of our 450th anniversary celebrations (currently only in Dutch).