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Doctoral Research Opportunities

Do you want to immerse yourself in your own research topic, develop new questions independently, and help shape the way the world understands law and society?

Perhaps there is an aspect of the legal system that has preoccupied you for years but received too little attention during your studies. Perhaps you want to dig deeper into a gap you noticed while preparing for your exams. Or perhaps you are ready to explore entirely new territory.

Prof. Lucia Sommerer, Assistant Professor of Criminal Law and Criminology, welcomes the supervision of doctoral dissertations in criminal law and criminology (in German or English), subject to capacity.

The topic of your dissertation must align with Prof. Sommerer’s current research focus: the intersection of environmental crime and financial crime, for example greenwashing, sustainability compliance, or the laundering of profits from environmental destruction. Transnational and interdisciplinary work is just as welcome as projects focused strictly on German law.

Admission Requirements

The formal requirements for admission to the doctoral program are set out in §§ 3–4 of the Doctoral Regulations of the Faculty of Law and Economics at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.

How to Apply

Please include the following with your inquiry:

A cover letter explaining your motivation for the chosen subject, the time you have available, and your funding arrangements

A concise outline of the dissertation project (maximum one page)

A curriculum vitae in tabular form

Proof of examination results (ideally with a grade in the upper second class or higher)

Personal Meeting

If supervisory capacity is available and your topic falls within Prof. Sommerer’s research interests, you will be invited to present yourself and your proposed project in person. Prof. Sommerer will provide guidance in refining your topic and support you in securing funding opportunities and research stays abroad.

“A writer never has a vacation. For a writer, life consists of either writing or thinking about writing.” Eugene Ionesco