France is home to many public research universities with law programs. In the French higher education system, a Licence is normally completed over six semesters and awards 180 ECTS credits. Some institutions offer programs in fields such as European law, international law, comparative law, and business law.
Some institutions also offer selected graduate-level law programs taught in English. Let’s take a look at some best law schools in France.
Top Law Schools in France
1. Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University
Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University has developed its multidisciplinary mission since 1971. It is a public research university in Paris and the largest university in the humanities and social sciences in France. Its main subject areas include economics and management, humanities and the arts, and law and political science. In the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject, Paris 1 ranked 19th worldwide and first in France for Law and Legal Studies. It also ranked first in France for Archaeology and History.
Paris 1 offers law programs at several levels. Its selected English-taught law options include the Sorbonne LL.M. Business Law Certificate for Foreign Lawyers, the Master 2 Global Business Law and Governance, and the Master 2 English and North-American Business Law. The Sorbonne LL.M. is intended for young lawyers, jurists, and recent law graduates from non-French jurisdictions who are fluent in English.
What Current Students / Alumni of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University Say
| Student/Alumnus and Program | Law Academic Experience | University Experience |
|---|
Rodrigo Tadeu Guimarães Jales
Master’s in Human Rights Law | Professors challenged him to refine international-law arguments and question established human-rights traditions, although he found the curriculum frequently Eurocentric. His classes, readings, assessments, and examinations were entirely in French, making legal terminology and precise argumentation demanding. | Heavy coursework and language difficulties sometimes kept him studying until dawn. He relied on fellow students for translation and practical support when formal assistance proved difficult to access. |
2. Panthéon-Assas University Paris 2
- English-Taught Programs
- Degrees Offered: LL.B., LL.M. | Medium of Instruction: English for the listed international programs; the university also offers programs taught in French
Paris-Panthéon-Assas University is based in Paris and describes itself as France’s first and oldest law university. It offers programs in law, political science, economics, management, and information and communication sciences. The university reports more than 23,000 students and 1,500 professors.
Paris-Panthéon-Assas University offers English-taught programs in Paris and at international campuses. Its English-taught LL.B. programs are offered in the United Arab Emirates and Mauritius. At the Paris campus, current English-taught LL.M. options include Public Law and Democracy, A.W.Ar.D.S. (Assas World Arbitration and Disputes Settlement), European Law, International Business Law, and International Construction Contracts.
3. Sciences Po
- Study Programs
- Degrees Offered: Bachelor’s program with legal studies, Master’s, LL.M., Ph.D. | Medium of Instruction: English, French
Sciences Po traces its history to the École Libre des Sciences Politiques, founded by Émile Boutmy in 1872. Following partial nationalization in 1945, its structure was divided between the private and independent Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques, responsible for research and documentation, and the Institut d’Études Politiques, focused on teaching. In the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject, Sciences Po ranked third worldwide in Politics and 59th worldwide in Law and Legal Studies.
At the undergraduate level, law is one of six core disciplines in Sciences Po’s multidisciplinary bachelor’s program in the humanities and social sciences. The Law School’s dedicated programs include the two-year Master in Economic Law, the two-year Master in Judicial and Legal Professions, the three-year Joint Master of Law and Finance, the one-year LL.M. in Transnational Arbitration and Dispute Settlement, the one-year General LL.M., and a Ph.D. program. The Master in Judicial and Legal Professions is taught in French, while the General LL.M. is fully taught in English.
4. Universite Jean Moulin Lyon III
- LL.M. Program
- Degree Offered: LL.M. | Medium of Instruction: English
Jean Moulin Lyon 3 University is a public higher education and research institution founded in 1973. It offers programs in law, management, the humanities, and the social sciences. Its academic fields also include political science and international relations, Francophone studies, accounting, philosophy, languages, literature, history, geography and planning, and information and communication.
The Faculty of Law of Lyon, now attached to Jean Moulin Lyon 3 University, was created by decree in 1875 and marked its 150th anniversary in 2025. In 1913, the Law School of Beirut, attached to the University of Lyon, was inaugurated with a key role played by Professor Paul Huvelin. The Faculty of Law currently offers a Master 2 LL.M. in International and European Business Law. The program takes place in Lyon over a full academic year, is taught exclusively in English, and leads to a French national master’s degree in law.
What Current Students / Alumni of Universite Jean Moulin Lyon III Say
| Student/Alumnus and Program | Law Academic Experience | University Experience |
|---|
Krautch Sochara
Master’s in Law
Master 1: Business Law; Master 2: Insurance Law | His first year covered commercial, corporate, and tax law, with substantial attention to accounting; he specialized in insurance law during his second year. He describes strict assessment by professors, including penalties for spelling errors. | He faced the same academic standards as French classmates. In his experience, first-year performance strongly affected access to competitive second-year business-law specializations. |
5. Paris Sciences et Lettres University
- Bachelor’s Program | Graduate Program
- Degrees Offered: Bachelor’s, Master’s, Ph.D. | Medium of Instruction: French for the bachelor’s program; graduate offerings vary by program
Université PSL is a multidisciplinary university in Paris. In the 2026 QS World University Rankings, it ranked 28th worldwide and first among French universities in that ranking.
PSL’s law bachelor’s program is prepared at Dauphine-PSL, taught in French, and conferred as an institutional bachelor’s degree by Université PSL. It includes a double-degree track in law and management and a track focused on public governance and law. At the graduate level, PSL’s law program connects master’s and Ph.D. study and covers subjects including international, European, and comparative law; business, public, private, and tax law; estate law; and public administration.
6. Toulouse Capitole University
Toulouse Capitole University, officially Université Toulouse Capitole, provides legal education through the École de Droit de Toulouse in Toulouse, France. Its law offerings follow the Licence, Master, and Doctorat structure, with additional professional qualifications and university diplomas listed separately. Students can progress from general legal education to specialized graduate study and supervised research.
The standard Licence mention Droit covers three undergraduate years and requires 180 credits. It develops general legal knowledge and prepares students to apply for master’s programs. A four-year international pathway adds a mobility year between the second and third years, involving study at a partner university and potentially an internship. The university also lists international double-degree arrangements with specific partner institutions.
Graduate options include the Master in International and European Law, with pathways such as International and Comparative Law and European Lawyer–General European Law. The International and Comparative Law pathway spans four semesters and includes opportunities for an internship, dissertation, or partner-university mobility. Doctoral study is administered through the Doctoral School of Law and Political Science and requires a research proposal, an appropriate graduate qualification, and agreement from an authorized research supervisor.
What Current Students / Alumni of Toulouse Capitole University Say
| Student/Alumnus and Program | Law Academic Experience | University Experience |
|---|
Vanessa Desidério
Master’s in Cross-Border Disputes
Classes began September 2025 | She studied cross-border disputes in a program covering European Union law, with all her classes taught in English alongside a separate French-language class. During her first year, she learned from professors from several countries, although some weeks involved heavy schedules and classes lasting up to four hours. | — |
France offers a range of law programs, including options for students who want to begin or continue their legal studies in a multicultural setting. Review each university’s official program page carefully before applying because the available degrees, teaching languages, admissions requirements, and deadlines vary by program.
We hope that this article on law universities in France was helpful. If you are interested, explore Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees for International Students!
