ELS Academy Kick-Off Event - A recap

Kick-Off Event 2025: A Recap

On 26 September 2025, we proudly kicked off the new academic year together with our community. The programme, focused on (early-stage) research, revolved around two central themes:

The use of empirical methods in legal research
The interplay between empirical and normative dimensions in research

We are pleased to share a brief recap of this inspiring day.

The day began with a warm welcome from Prof. Frank van Ommeren, Dean of the Faculty of Law at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. This was followed by a keynote lecture by Prof. Sanne Taekema (Erasmus University), who addressed the challenges of conducting empirical research in combination with a legal-normative perspective. She also highlighted her co-authored book with prof. dr. mr. Wibren van der Burg, Contextualising Legal Research: A Methodological Guide, which offers further insights into this subject.

Next, Prof. Marc Hertogh and Dr. Paulien de Winter presented their newly published book, Empirical Legal Studies in the Netherlands: Towards a Jurisprudence of Consequences? This volume, developed within the framework of the Law Sector Plan (2020–2025), features contributions from various Dutch universities and applies both qualitative and quantitative methods to examine the effects of court rulings and legislation across various areas of law. This book is already the third book in the ELS Academy series published by Boom Juridisch, after the Encyclopedia and Catrien Bijleveld’s research methods book.

After a coffee break, a panel of early-career VU ELS scholars shared their personal experiences—both challenges and successes—in pursuing empirical legal studies. The panelists, Tasniem Anwar, mr. Marin Coerts, mr. Loran Kostense, and mr. Rick Maas, engaged in discussion under the guidance of chair Prof. Jill Coster van Voorhout.

The programme then moved into the first round of parallel sessions, which ranged from qualitative research methods to the discussion of the empirical-normative divide. We then shared lunch together while reflecting on the insights gained from the panels before. After this delicious lunch, we moved onto the second round of panels, consisting of more panels on empirical methods and the empirical-normative divide.

To close off the day, Helen Pluut delivered closing remarks. As she will be stepping down as director of the ELS Academy at the end of the year, her fellow board members surprised her with a heartfelt thank-you gift and speech. The day ended on a festive note with well-deserved drinks.

A big thank you to everyone who contributed to making this kick-off a resounding success: speakers, panelist, presenters, and of course the organizing team at the VU. Great work!