Professor of Anglo-American Law

Through teaching, this expertise is made available to students of the regular master’s programme in civil law and the Advanced Master’s programme in ICCL. The teaching covered by the current chairholder includes the International Contract Law course as well as part of the teaching in International Commercial Law in ICCL. In addition, the current chairholder teaches a course in English contract law and an English-language research and writing module (privatissimum) on specific aspects of (international) contracting in the Dutch civil law master’s programme. The chairholder also supervises master’s theses and, where possible, contributes to postgraduate education through Leiden Law Academy.

As chairholder, you are expected to apply the Anglo-American perspective on private law to the question of how legal systems interact at a global level and how they relate to European and national legal systems. Comparative research of this kind depends on personal exchanges and research collaborations in the form of team science. In that capacity, you strengthen international research collaboration within the department, with other faculties and with other universities. You also connect the chair to the research profile themes of Leiden Law School and Leiden University.

Background to this chair

The Chair of Anglo-American Law is currently held by Professor Ewan McKendrick KC, who will retire in 2027. The chair was originally funded by the Institute of Anglo-American Law and was held by various distinguished predecessors. It is now funded by the faculty itself, precisely because it is considered essential to our teaching and research.

For many years, the Civil Law Department has combined extensive expertise in national and European private law with an international and comparative signature in teaching and research. The multi-layered legal order in the broadest sense is central to this approach: the impact of fundamental rights and EU law, as well as alternative regulation (self-regulation and standardisation) and dispute resolution. The department is home to six other chairs: Property Law; Contract Law; Liability Law; Civil Law & Civil Procedure; Private International Law; and Private Law and Technology. The primary expertise of the six current chairholders lies in Dutch and European contract, tort and property law. The Chair of Anglo-American Law supplies the common law perspective that makes genuine comparison possible.

The chair also connects to the ambition to position the Netherlands as a European hub for international commercial litigation and legal services after Brexit. Institutions such as the Netherlands Commercial Court and internationally operating commercial law firms based in the Netherlands form part of that setting; the chair provides the academic teaching and research needed to support it and to attract international legal talent. The chairholder also acts as a coach for Dutch researchers wishing to familiarise themselves with common law case analysis and the application of common law.

The Faculty of Law is based in both Leiden and The Hague and, with over 7,000 students and approximately 600 staff members, is one of the largest law faculties in the Netherlands. The faculty is committed to innovative, multidisciplinary research and a constantly evolving curriculum that addresses key societal challenges. Our faculty is large enough to make an impact on both a national and international scale, yet small enough to offer a personal and engaging learning experience. In this way, we contribute every day to a safer and more sustainable world. Impact with law! For more information, please visit https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/law. 

We are looking for a candidate with an international profile who will be present in Leiden during teaching periods and at key moments in the programme. Residence in Leiden is not required.

Research

• You hold a doctorate in private law, preferably in (international) contract law, comparative law and/or commercial law; or you have an equivalent qualification, for instance reflected in an appointment as a full professor in a common law jurisdiction.
• You have a strong research and teaching profile in international and comparative civil and commercial law from an Anglo-American perspective.
• You have demonstrable academic expertise in international civil and/or commercial law and are able to relate that expertise to major societal developments, both in your research and in your teaching.
• You are preferably able to incorporate insights from other disciplines, such as psychology, sociology and/or economics, into your research. Experience with empirical legal research is not required but is welcome.
• You are able to give further shape to the profile of the chair and to give it your own signature, within the domain of international and comparative commercial contract law.
• You take a proactive and connecting approach to supervising and inspiring lecturers and PhD candidates in their research.
• You have an extensive network in international commercial and/or contract law and are able to act as a coach and sparring partner for colleagues. You are willing to take part in consortia and joint funding applications, and you have a track record of successful funding applications and of delivering the projects resulting from them.

Teaching

• You are able to deliver lectures and seminar-based teaching in subjects such as International Contract Law and/or International Commercial Law, both in the regular civil law master’s programme and in the Advanced Master’s programme in ICCL, and you supervise students writing their master’s theses.
• You are able to act as the public face of the Advanced Master’s programme in ICCL and to carry final responsibility for its content, while also teaching within the programme.
• You are able to update the content of the ICCL programme, specifically with regard to its distinctive character, new societal demands and the coherence between its courses.
• Where possible, you contribute to postgraduate education through Leiden Law Academy.

Management and organisation

• The current chairholder fulfils the role of director of the Advanced Master’s programme in ICCL (0.2 FTE), alongside teaching and research (0.1 FTE). In this role, he is supported by a programme coordinator (0.4 FTE) and an academic coordinator (0.4 FTE).
• We welcome applicants who are willing and able to take up the directorship and have the required experience for this type of role.
• You work with colleagues within the Civil Law Department, the Institute of Private Law and the faculty’s support services on the profiling and external communication of the programme.

We also offer:

• We offer an appointment as professor for a period of 18 months, for 0.1–0.3 FTE, in the Civil Law Department of the Institute of Private Law, Leiden Law School. The intended starting date is between 1 January 2027 and 1 March 2027. After a positive evaluation of the progress of the research, directorship and personal compatibility, the appointment can be extended to a permanent one. The appointment falls under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU).;
• The salary range is from € 7,475 to € 13,024 gross per month on a full-time appointment (38 hours) (pay scale H1/H2), depending on qualifications and experience.;
• A holiday allowance (8%), an end-of-year bonus (8,3%), and an attractive pension scheme at ABP;
• Full reimbursement of public transport commuting costs for home-to-work travel;
• Flexible working hours: as a standard, you are entitled to a minimum of 29 leave days on the basis of a full-time working week of 38 hours; you can also save for extra leave, for example by working 40 hours a week, and in this way accrue an extra 96 leave hours, or exchange 96 leave hours for a 36-hour week.
• Lots of options when it comes to secondary employment conditions; we can, for example, discuss options for a sabbatical or paid parental leave. Within our terms of employment individual choices model, you can exchange leave days and/or salary for benefits such as an advantageous sports subscription and bicycle scheme;
• If your work allows it, hybrid working is possible within the Netherlands;
• Candidates from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a substantial tax benefit (the 30% ruling).

Promoting an inclusive community is central to Leiden University’s values and vision. We strive to be an open community in which all students and staff members feel valued and respected, and are able to fully develop themselves. We consider an inclusive academic environment, where students and staff can share their experiences and viewpoints, to be essential for the development of talent.

This position will be filled through an open procedure. In choosing between candidates, in case of equal suitability, preference will be given to internal candidates, women, the occupationally disabled and employees with a migration background. 

• Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated. If you nevertheless choose to send us CVs, no rights can be derived from this.