Edinburgh Law School in The Hague: Dr Gail Lythgoe Co-Leads Global Law Summer School and Roundtables
Thu 3 July 2025
Dr Gail Lythgoe, Lecturer in Global Law at Edinburgh Law School, has played a leading role in launching the inaugural Global Law Summer School in The Hague in partnership with Leiden Law School. The week-long programme brings together faculty and participants from around the world to explore pressing global legal issues, including climate change, food sovereignty, global security, and digital labour.
Alongside this initiative, Dr Lythgoe also organised a series of roundtable events that were open to the public. These discussions, covering "The Future of Human Rights, A New Era in International Arbitration?", and "Climate Change: Pathways to Public Interest Advocacy", were designed to bridge academic exploration with legal practice, offering participants fresh insight into emerging global legal trends.
The Global Law Summer School is the result of a longstanding relationship between Edinburgh Law School and the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies at Leiden Law School. Dr Lythgoe is coordinating the summer school alongside Dr Letizia Lo Giacco (Leiden), with teaching contributions from colleagues at Edinburgh, Leiden, Université Paris Cité, and Greenpeace International.
The roundtables were supported by the Hague Global Futures Hub, a new collaborative initiative between the University of Edinburgh and Leiden University, which provided seed funding for the programme.
Highlights of the week include a tour of the Peace Palace hosted by International Court of Justice Judge Hilary Charlesworth, and distinguished lectures by Professor Helen Duffy and Dr. Hab. Marcin Czepelak.
Reflecting on the initiative, Dr Lythgoe shared:
“We’re excited to welcome participants from across the world. Their diverse experiences will enrich the discussions and help us co-create a truly global perspective on law. The summer school faculty includes some of the most exciting researchers in global law today and the roundtables engages leading practitioners in their respective fields. I also look forward to strengthening our relationship with Leiden, who are important international partners for the Global Law LLB.”
With hopes to make the Global Law Summer School an annual event, this inaugural programme marks an exciting development in Edinburgh Law School’s international engagement and educational innovation.
Learn more about the LLB in Global Law at Edinburgh Law School
