The Riga Graduate School of Law (abbreviated as RGSL; ) in

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

is an autonomous

law school A law school (also known as a law centre/center, college of law, or faculty of law) is an institution, professional school, or department of a college or university specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for b ...

in the Baltic region offering Bachelor, Master and Doctoral studies. It was established in 1998 through an international agreement between the Governments of

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

and

and the

Soros Foundation Open Society Foundations (OSF), formerly the Open Society Institute, is an American grantmaking network founded by business magnate George Soros. Open Society Foundations financially supports civil society groups around the world, with the st ...

History

RGSL was founded as a private law school in 1998 through an international agreement between the Governments of

and

and the

. Until the accession of the

Baltic States The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term encompassing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, and the OECD. The three sovereign states on the eastern co ...

to the EU, studies at RGSL were reserved for lawyers from the Baltics. In 2004, the Law School opened its doors for students from all over the world. In 2005, RGSL was made an autonomous institution within the

University of Latvia University of Latvia (, shortened ''LU'') is a public research university located in Riga, Latvia. The university was established in 1919. History The University of Latvia, initially named as the Higher School of Latvia () was founded on Se ...

(LU, ''Latvijas Universitāte'') according to an agreement between Sweden and Latvia under which all shares held by the two countries (76%) were transferred to the University of Latvia.2005 Latvian-Swedish Treaty on the Riga Graduate School of Law
— in Latvian and English The Soros Foundation of Latvia has retained its shares (24%).

Master Programmes

RGSL offers post graduate degree programmes in Public International law & Human rights, European Law, Law and Finance, commercial law, law and technology all taught exclusively in English. The programmes are taught on site by an international faculty of resident and visiting professors, lecturers and practitioners from Europe and the USA. Riga Graduate School of Law (RGSL) offers legal education at an advanced level. The teaching methodology is research-based and extends beyond the field of law itself, offering access to related fields such as economics, business, and policy. Current degree courses include LL.M in International and European Law, LL.M in Law and Finance, LL.M in Public International Law and Human Rights, LL.M in Transborder Commercial Law, and MA in European Union Law and Policy. RGSL is an independent institution within the University of Latvia and teaching is conducted exclusively in English. RGSL boasts an international student body, from the various European Union member and non-member states, the Balkans, CIS states, and the Americas. The international aspect of student life is a core element of RGSL development and diversity. The resident members of faculty offer teaching in their respective fields of competence. Visiting professors from other universities and organisations conduct a relatively large part of the teaching. Practitioners from institutions such as the European Court of Justice and the EU Trade Marks and Designs Office appear as guest speakers on courses. Rgsl 2

International and European Law

The LL.M in International and European Law programme in International and European Law integrates Public International Law, International Trade Law, and European Union Law, preparing students for careers in practice or administration at national or European level. The programme comprises both theoretical study and class work, followed by a Master’s thesis. The teaching methodology is interactive and based on a mix of lectures and seminars.

Law and Finance

The LL.M in Law and Finance is an interdisciplinary programme designed with regional, European and international needs in mind.

Public International Law and Human Rights

The LL.M in Public International Law and Human Rights programme is intended for students who are interested in pursuing their professional carriers in international organisations, private law firms, public authorities, or in academia. The programme allows for a combination of courses from three tracks: European Union Law, International Commercial Law, Public International and Human Rights Law.

Transborder Commercial Law

The LL.M. in Transborder Commercial Law programme is designed to focus on practical aspects of transborder trade within the European Union and on international conditions framing European Union trade. It is designed to meet the needs of lawyers working in the private sector.

European Union Law and Policy

The LL.M in European Union Law, and Policy programme covers integration, the role of the European Court of Justice, selected aspects under the second and third pillars, as well as policy implementation and negotiation.

Bachelor Programmes

The two Bachelor programmes are both taught in English and have a three-year duration.

Law and Business

The LL.B in Law and Business programme covers issues related to International, Comparative and European Law, as well as issues related to Economics, Finance, Marketing and Management. It will cover all the topics of a normal law degree, but will do so from a transnational perspective, and it will provide an understanding of the relations between Law and Business. The purpose is to train candidates aiming for positions in business and international legal practice.

Law and Diplomacy

The BA in Law and Diplomacy programme will cover issues related to Law, Economics and International Relations. The programme is offered by RGSL in cooperation with the University of Latvia. The purpose is to train candidates aiming for positions within foreign ministries, international organisations and NGOs, as well as for journalistic work in the media sector. The studies may be continued on all RGSL Masters programmes, for example the LL.M in International and European law.

Continuing Legal Education

Through its programme of continuing legal education (CLE) the School offers education opportunities for practicing lawyers working in both the private and public sector and for their support staff.

Research

Projects

The Law School is involved in a number of European research projects, amongst others in the following: *ENACT - European Citizenship *PRIV-WAR - Regulating Privatisation of War *RECON - Reconstructing Democracy in Europe

Publications

The School publishes the RGSL Working Papers, a series documenting studies undertaken by academic staff, students and guest speakers. A number of distinguished legal practitioners and academics have contributed to the series, among them

Luzius Wildhaber Luzius Wildhaber (18 January 1937, Basel, Switzerland – 22 July 2020) was a Swiss judge. He was the first president of the European Court of Human Rights in its new format after the ratification of Protocol 11, which opened up direct access f ...

, former President of the

European Court of Human Rights The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The court hears applications alleging that a co ...

Jutta Limbach Jutta Limbach (27 March 1934 – 10 September 2016) was a German jurist and politician. She was a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and served as President of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany from 1994 to 2002, the ...

, former President of the

German Constitutional Court The Federal Constitutional Court ( ; abbreviated: ) is the supreme constitutional court for the Federal Republic of Germany, established by the constitution or Basic Law () of Germany. Since its inception with the beginning of the post-Wo ...

, and

Anita Usacka Anita or ANITA may refer to: Arts * ''Anita'' (1967 film), an Indian film * ''Anita'' (2009 film), an Argentine film * ''Anita'' (2021 film), a Hong Kong film *'' Anita: Swedish Nymphet'', a 1973 erotic film People *Anita (given name), people w ...

, Judge of the

International Criminal Court The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an intergovernmental organization and International court, international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute ...

Library

The Law School's library hosts one of the prime legal collections in Central and Eastern Europe and is open to the public.

Campus

RGSL's premises are situated in Alberta iela, an important street for

Art Nouveau architecture Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and flo ...

. The premises were donated to the Law School by the Soros Foundation in 1998 and were officially inaugurated by

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland (Victoria Ingrid Alice Désirée; born 14 July 1977) is the heir apparent to the Swedish throne, as the eldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf. If she ascends to the throne as expec ...

and the President of the Republic of Latvia,

Vaira Vike-Freiberga Vaira is a feminine Latvian given name. Notable people with the name include: * Vaira Paegle (born 1942), Latvian politician * Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga (born 1937), sixth President of Latvia The president of Latvia ( ) is head of state and comm ...

, in 2001. The Law School shares its courtyard, main auditorium, cafeteria and library with the

Stockholm School of Economics in Riga The Stockholm School of Economics in Riga (''SSE Riga'' or ) is a business school in Riga, Latvia. It is a subsidiary of the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE). The school was founded in 1994 by the Stockholm School of Economics with the suppo ...

(SSE Riga). The Law School's address is Strēlnieku iela 4k-2, Rīga, LV-1010.

Rectors

Jan Ramberg Jan Åke Ramberg (1 February 1932 – 28 January 2018) was a Swedish lawyer and professor ''emeritus'' specialising in commercial law, and national and international arbitration court judge. Ramberg was also a member of the International Arbitratio ...

, Sweden (1998 - 2001) *Norbert Reich, Germany (2001 - 2004) *John Burke, USA (2004 - 2007) *Lesley Jane Smith, UK (2007 - 2008) *George Ulrich, Denmark (2009 - 2016) *Jānis Ikstens, Latvia (2016 - 2019) *Pietro Sullo, Italy (2019 - 2022) *Adam Czarnota, Poland (2022 - 2024) *Laura Ratniece, Latvia (since 2024)

References

External links

*
Online Catalogue of the Library
(English, Latvian, Russian) {{Authority control University of Latvia Law schools in Latvia Education in Riga Art Nouveau architecture in Riga Buildings and structures in Riga 1998 establishments in Latvia