The University of the Saarland was founded in 1948 with the assistance of the French government. The Department of Law at the University is still actively practising the international and European spirit of the founding years. Not only German law, but also French law is taught in Saarbrücken, each year enabling French and German students to qualify for their Diplôme d'Etudes Universitaires Générales (DEUG) at the Centre d'Etudes Juridiques Françaises. Law graduates from all over the world study at the Institute for European Law under the direction of Professor Dr. Dr. Martinek, M.C.J. (New York) or at the Europa-Institut headed by Professor Dr. Torsten Stein. Master of Laws candidates benefit directly from the well-established and manifold international contacts of the Law Department and the faculty's broad experience and competence in accommodating foreign guests. It is an integral part of the Masters Degree Program that participants have ample opportunity to become acquainted with the other German and foreign students at the Institute for European Law. Experience has shown that these contacts help overcome an initial reserve of foreign students and helps to establish a sense of community within the Institute. .

The polyglot personnel of the Foreign Students Office at the Institute for European Law assists Masters Program participants in all practical concerns connected with settling into a new environment. In particular, assistance is provided in finding living accommodations. In contrast to many German cities, sufficient housing with moderate rents comfortably close to the University can still be found in Saarbrücken. The University campus itself is surrounded by the idyllic municipal woodlands (Stadtwald) and can be easily reached by bus from the inner city and nearby suburbs. Registration as students at the University enables the participants of the Master of Laws Program to the whole network of transportation within the Saarland free of charge. As part of an orientation program, all participants will be invited for an evening in the Altstadt of Saarbrücken in order to get a first-hand impression of the hospitality and warmth of the local population. The proximity to France and Luxembourg lures all those to week-end excursions, who have already become sufficiently acquainted with Saarbrücken's unique version of the "savoir vivre".