about ELFA : Membership

Membership benefits

ELFA members are involved in the policy development work of the organisation.

ELFA also tries to offer its members useful information via the organisation of conferences and seminars for which members receive a reduced registration fee, and via the publication of the European Journal of Legal Education, which members receive for free as part of their membership benefits.

Furthermore, ELFA organised several European projects, and it will continue to do so in the future. Members of ELFA are privileged partners in such projects.

Membership categories

ELFA has full members, associate members and observers.

All categories of members have the right to participate in all the activities of the association, its meetings and workshops. Only full members have full voting rights and the right to be elected as an officer of the association.

The right to be elected as president and as vice-president is restricted to full members representing the law faculties and schools of higher learning at university level.

The right to vote on questions concerning directly the representation and the promotion of the interests with the institutions of the European Union rests exclusively with the institutions and organisations having their seat on the territory of the Member States of the European Union.

Full membership is open to the following institutions located in the European Union or the European Free Trade Association, or, subject to the condition of approval by a majority of three fourth of the votes at the General Assembly, in one of the Contracting States of Europe Agreements:

1. faculties and schools of higher learning at university level, recognised by the competent Ministry or other competent public authority, which are engaged in legal scientific research and which on the basis of their curriculum and examinations are authorised to award a legally recognised law degree giving access to a regulated profession, or to prepare for the examination leading to such a degree. When a faculty or school of higher learning is not a separate legal entity, the university or school of which the faculty is a part, shall be admitted as a member;
2. institutions having an international orientation which are engaged in post-graduate scientific research and/or specialised in legal education in general and in European Union law in particular, and which are agreed upon in the General Assembly by a majority of three fourths of the votes.

Associate membership shall be open to all institutions and organisations mentioned above which have their principal place of activity in a State member of the Council of Europe, but outside the European Union and the European Free Trade Association.

Observer status is open to the following institutions and organisations:

1. institutions engaged in education and/or professional training organised at post-university level by the legal professions or by public authorities;
2. organisations of legal professions;
3. representative associations of law faculties and schools of higher legal education at university level, composed of the majority of faculties and schools in a Member State;
4. representative organisations of law teachers at university level;
5. representative student associations with an orientation on European legal education;
6. scientific associations in the field of law;
7. any other institution proposed by the Board of Directors and agreed upon by a majority of three fourth of the votes in the General Assembly.

Members are represented by physical persons who are to be designated in accordance with the internal rules of the institutions which they are deemed to represent.

The annual membership fee, which is due in the beginning of each calendar year, is 450 Euro for full membership and 360 Euro for associate members and members with observer status.

Membership application

Requests for admission to membership or observer status must be submitted to the president of the association, via the Secretariat. The Board of DIrectors shall accept the application when the applicant fulfils the above-mentioned conditions for full or associate membership or for observer status.

Requests for admission to membership must be made via this document.