ELS Kick-Off Event 2026

Leiden University

Highlights ELS Kick-Off Career Event 2026

On 13 October, Dutch ELS researchers gathered at Leiden Law School for the ELS Academy Kick-off Event 2026: Crafting Your ELS Career.

Professor Benjamin van Rooij opened the day with an inspiring keynote about his own career path, sharing valuable reflections on the choices and unexpected opportunities that shape an academic career.

The follow-up ELS research sessions showcased the breadth of empirical legal research, with empirical presentations on criminal justice, exploitation and victims; climate and sustainability; research methodology; algorithms, technology and space; and human rights and justice.

During the keynote panel Gitta Veldt, Tessa van der Rijst, Edwin Alblas and Monika Glavina shared their experiences and advice on developing an ELS research profile, building collaborations, choosing opportunities and navigating an academic career. Their reflections showed that there is no single path to becoming an empirical legal scholar.

The day ended with some excellent research pitches. Congratulations to Ieke de Vries, PhD, winner of the ELS Academy Research Grant! And a big thank you to all finalists for sharing their promising research ideas.

As an interuniversity research school, the ELS Academy is focused on educating and supporting researchers who are interested in empirically exploring questions that are relevant to legal scholarship. The goal is to stimulate and strengthen empirical legal research and its applications. In the Netherlands, the topics and research methods that make up empirical legal studies are diverse, comprising for instance both qualitative and quantitative methods. (https://elsacademy.nl/)