What we support

Our Areas of Support

The Friends of ERA are dedicated to supporting the Academy of European Law. We actively contribute to ERA’s programme activities by providing financial support and other resources. The specific areas we support are defined in close coordination with ERA and may vary depending on current priorities and needs. Our support includes both recurring activities and one-off initiatives, allowing us to respond flexibly and effectively to ERA’s evolving goals. Our association helps the Academy engage EU Member States, institutions, and individuals in its work.

Group photo of Friends of ERA Scholarship Programme participants standing outdoors, representing young legal professionals and international exchange in European law.
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Scholarship Programme

Enabling legal practitioners from EU and candidate countries to access European law training regardless of financial means.

Winners of the Young European Lawyers Contest holding their prize certificates at the Court of Justice of the European Union, celebrating excellence and cooperation in European law.
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Young European Lawyers Contest

Sponsoring the prize for the team-based young lawyers competition, awarded to the winners during a formal ceremony at the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Group photo of Friends of ERA members and participants standing outside the ERA building in Trier, representing European cooperation, learning, and professional exchange.
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ERA Fund for the Western Balkans, Ukraine & Moldova

Supporting legal education in candidate and potential candidate countries by funding topic-specific conferences for law schools and training institutes, either at ERA or in the home countries.

Close-up view of the bronze sculpture “The Philosophers in Dialogue” outside the ERA building in Trier, symbolizing reflection, dialogue, and the exchange of ideas in European law.
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The Philosophers in Dialogue

Bronze sculpture by Giovanni De Angelis symbolising European dialogue and heritage in ERA’s courtyard, gifted to ERA in 2022.

Visitors viewing artworks displayed along the curved gallery wall at the ERA building, part of the ERA Jubilee Fund initiative “Art Knows no Frontiers” celebrating creativity and European cultural exchange.
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ERA Jubilee Fund and Art Knows no Frontiers

In 2017, on the occasion of ERA’s 30th anniversary, an art auction featuring works by 31 artists from 31 countries celebrated Europe’s diversity and raised funds to support EU law training.

A person holds up the latest issue of the ERA Forum – Journal of the Academy of European Law. The cover features a blue sketch of the ERA building, symbolising the successful launch of the quarterly ERA Forum Journal in March 2024.
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Launching a Success Story: The Quarterly ERA Forum Journal

The Friends of ERA provided substantial start-up funding to launch ERA Forum, a quarterly journal on European law. First issued in 2000, it has grown into a respected publication featuring contributions from legal professionals across all domains and is now published by Springer.

Ongoing Support Activities

1. Scholarship Programme

We believe access to legal training should never depend on financial means. That is why we fund a scholarship programme run by ERA aimed at providing financial support to legal practitioners from EU Member States and candidate countries, enabling them to participate in ERA’s top-level EU law training events. Over 550 professionals have benefited from this programme since its launch more than 20 years ago. Find out more about our scholarship programme here.

2. Young European Lawyers Contest

We proudly sponsor the prizes of this team-based competition organised by ERA, where young European lawyers sharpen their legal and advocacy skills in real-world scenarios, concluding with a moot court final at the Court of Justice of the EU. Participants are evaluated on both their legal knowledge and advocacy skills, including written arguments, negotiations, and oral pleadings. Funded by Friends of ERA, these generous financial prizes support a contest that brings together young lawyers from across Europe to work as a team and expand their knowledge of EU law. Learn more about the Young European Lawyers Contest here.

3. ERA Fund for the Western Balkans, Ukraine & Moldova

An initiative of the Friends of ERA, this Fund, which was created in 2023, supports knowledge exchange and wider access to EU law training for legal practitioners in candidate and potential candidate countries along the EU accession path, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, Moldova, and Ukraine. Through targeted training, conferences, and educational events in these regions , we support local law schools and training institutions in their journey towards European legal integration. Find out more about the Fund here.

Past Support Activities

4. The Philosophers in Dialogue

In 2022, the Friends of ERA Association contributed to the cost of “The Philosophers in Dialogue”, a bronze sculpture by Italian artist Giovanni De Angelis, now gracing ERA’s courtyard. Depicting Hypatia, Ausonius, and Justinian, the piece was made possible thanks to generous contributions from private donors and the Friends of ERA.

At the unveiling, Giovanni De Angelis shared insights into the intricate bronze casting process and his artistic vision. Today, the three philosophers stand as a lasting symbol of dialogue and European heritage, welcoming ERA’s participants and guests alike.

5. ERA Jubilee Fund and Art Knows no Frontiers

The ERA Jubilee Fund was launched in 2012 on the occasion of ERA’s 20th anniversary, the ERA Jubilee Fund was created to contribute to the costs of the celebration and the scholarship programme, financed by the Friends of ERA and individual donations. This enabled us to ensure that legal practitioners across the EU, regardless of income or background, have access to high-quality training in European law. Initiated by the Friends of ERA Association, the Fund enhanced capacity-building and has supported equal access to EU law training.

 

To mark ERA’s 25th anniversary in 2017, one of the most innovative highlights was a contemporary art exhibition celebrating Europe’s cultural diversity. Under the motto “Art knows no frontiers”, 31 artists from 31 European countries were invited to present two works each.The exhibition concluded with a fundraising auction on 19 October 2017, raising around €62,600. The proceeds were shared equally between the participating artists and the ERA Jubilee Fund.

6. Launching a Success Story: The Quarterly ERA Forum Journal

In 1999, the Friends of ERA Association provided vital start-up funding of DM 30,000 to support the creation of ERA Forum, a quarterly journal dedicated to European law. Under the leadership of ERA’s then new Director, Wolfgang Heusel (2000–2020), this initiative grew into a respected publication, first issued in spring 2000.

 

Initially financed largely by the Friends of ERA and distributed free of charge to its members until 2007, ERA Forum has since been published by Springer and continues to flourish. As a specialised journal, it showcases key topics from ERA’s programme, contributed by prominent authors from the judiciary, private practice, public administration, and academia. The publication plays a key role in connecting EU-level law with practitioners across Europe and continues to make a notable impact within the legal community, as reflected in its wide readership, high citation rates, and substantial article downloads. Members of the Friends’ Association continue to enjoy a significantly reduced subscription rate.