Bachelor's degree in Law with a major in French Law and Common Law

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Toulouse 1 University Capitole

Program Overview

The Bachelor's Degree in Law with a Major in French Law and Common Law offers a truly bilingual legal education designed for students who want to understand how law works across different legal traditions. You’ll begin your studies in Toulouse for the first two years, building a strong academic foundation, before spending your third year at one of the program’s international partner universities. This structure allows you to gain deep insight into both French and Common Law systems while expanding your international network and career opportunities.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1 & 2: Building a Strong Legal Foundation
During your first two years in Toulouse, you’ll develop a solid grounding in both French civil law and Common Law traditions. Core courses such as Civil Law, Constitutional Law, and European Institutions help you understand the principles of the French legal system and how they operate within the European framework. At the same time, modules like Introduction to Common Law and Government and Politics of Common Law introduce you to the legal thinking and institutions of English-speaking countries. Subjects like Administrative Law and Criminal Law allow you to compare how similar legal areas are handled differently across systems, helping you develop strong analytical and comparative legal skills.

Year 3: International Experience and Specialization
Your third year takes your learning to the global stage. You’ll study abroad at one of the program’s partner universities—such as the University of Essex, Bangor University, or University College Dublin—where you deepen your expertise in Common Law while continuing to draw on your French law background. This international year is more than just academic study; it’s an opportunity to build global connections, experience a different legal culture, and strengthen your professional profile.

Focus Areas

French civil law, Common Law systems, European institutions, comparative legal analysis, and the foundations of international law.

Learning Outcomes

By the time you graduate, you’ll have developed bilingual legal expertise, strong comparative legal reasoning skills, and a clear understanding of European legal frameworks. The international study experience also helps you build professional confidence and cross-border legal awareness—skills that are highly valued in today’s global legal environment.

Professional Alignment

This program is designed to prepare students for advanced studies and international legal careers. Graduates often continue into Master’s programs in law, management, or political science, including programs at the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, Sciences Po, or specialized professional diplomas such as notary training. The dual legal perspective gained through the program makes graduates well-suited for opportunities in international law firms, European institutions, and multinational companies.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

At Toulouse 1 Capitole, our Bachelor's in Law with a major in French Law and Common Law isn't just about lectures—it's designed to build real-world skills through hands-on experiences that prepare you for legal careers in France, Europe, or beyond. You'll dive into practical training using the university's state-of-the-art facilities, like dedicated moot courtrooms for simulating trials and advanced digital libraries for case research. Tools and partnerships with professional networks give you direct exposure to how law works in practice, from drafting contracts to debating in bilingual settings.

Here's how our program stands out with targeted experiential opportunities:
- Moot Courts and Simulations: Practice arguing cases in French and English in our professional-grade moot court facilities at the Capitole campus, honing advocacy skills with real-time feedback from faculty and alumni lawyers.
- Internships and Professional Placements: Mandatory internships in Year 3 with law firms, notaries, courts, or EU institutions via our partnerships with the Toulouse Bar Association and regional legal networks—over 80% of students secure placements.
- Group Projects and Clinics: Collaborative projects analyzing French-Common Law hybrids, like comparative contract law simulations, often in teams with international students, using case management software like LexisNexis and Dalloz digital suites.
- Field Trips and Study Visits: Regular excursions to the Toulouse Court of Appeal, European Parliament offices in nearby Strasbourg, and UK-inspired legal seminars, plus exchanges under the Erasmus+ program for immersion in common law systems.
- Research Labs and Institutes: Access the Institut de Recherches et d'Études sur le Droit de l'Union Européenne (IREDUES) for hands-on research in EU and comparative law, plus the dedicated law library with 150,000+ volumes and e-resources tailored to French/Common Law.
- Digital Tools and Software: University-wide licenses for Legifrance, Westlaw (for common law), and AI-powered legal research platforms, integrated into coursework for document analysis and bilingual drafting.

Progression & Future Opportunities

At Toulouse 1 Capitole University, our Bachelor's degree in Law with a major in French Law and Common Law stands out because it goes beyond textbooks to give you real-world skills you'll use from day one. You'll dive into practical training through simulations, debates, and case studies modeled on actual legal proceedings, building confidence in both French civil law traditions and common law systems like those in the UK or US. The university's cutting-edge facilities, including dedicated moot courtrooms and legal clinics, let you argue cases, draft contracts, and collaborate on international legal scenarios, all while accessing specialized digital libraries and research tools tailored for comparative law.

Here's how our program equips you with hands-on experience:

- Moot Courts and Simulations: Practice in the Maison de la Recherche et de la Documentation (MRD) with professional-grade courtrooms, where you simulate trials in French and common law, complete with video recording for feedback—perfect for honing advocacy skills.
- Group Projects and Clinics: Team up in small groups for projects analyzing real binational cases (e.g., EU-UK trade disputes post-Brexit), supported by the Institut de Droit des Affaires (IDA) for business law simulations.
- Internships: Mandatory placements starting in year 2 at local law firms, notaries, or international organizations like the European Court of Human Rights affiliates, with over 300 partner sites via our dedicated career service.
- Digital Tools and Software: Access Legifrance, Dalloz, and Westlaw Edge through our e-learning platform (ENT Capitole), plus LexisNexis for common law research—integrated into coursework for drafting and case analysis.
- Field Trips and Exchanges: Visits to the Toulouse Court of Appeal and Paris legal institutions, plus Erasmus+ trips to common law hubs like the UK or Canada, with dual-degree pathways to universities like the University of Sherbrooke.
- Research Labs and Institutes: Work in the Institut de Recherche en Droit de l'Université (IRDU) labs for comparative law projects, using dedicated databases for French/Common Law fusion studies.
- Libraries and Resources: 24/7 access to the BU Droit library with 150,000+ volumes on French and Anglo-American law, plus ARIEL digital archives for primary sources.