The Association of Transnational Law Schools (ATLAS) was formed in 2006 with the mission of bringing together talented doctoral students in the field of law. The Association strives to promote in-depth study of legal issues related, but not limited to: the comparative legal and regulatory responses to globalization; the evolution of transnational law; and the challenges involved in international governance.

On a yearly basis, ATLAS organizes a summer school for graduate students, “Atlas Agora,” meant to think and rethink the present-day issues of international and transnational law. This event is designed to encourage legal scholarship by fostering a community of doctoral candidates and promoting the development of exceptional dissertations. The program consists of roughly three different parts.

The ATLAS Agora Summer School comprises a variety of activities such as lectures, workshops and the yearly faculty conference. The lectures cover a wide range of topics and are mostly given by professors from inside and outside the organizing university. ATLAS Agora provides a platform for the attendants to reflect on their own research, discuss the puzzles that they encounter while writing their dissertation, and broaden their horizon. 

During interactive dissertation workshops, the student participants in the ATLAS Agora Summer School present their own their own research. PhDs comment on each other’s research and receive valuable feedback. Most of the workshops also have a senior researcher, who act as commentators and give in-depth feedback.

The third part of the summer school is the yearly ATLAS Faculty conference. Here, professors and senior researchers from all partner Universities present their ongoing research thereby offering a unique opportunity for both the senior and PhDs to debate on high-profile legal topics and learn from each other.