
About Us
Max Planck Law comprises ten Institutes engaged in advanced legal research. The first of these was established in Berlin in 1924. Today, we cover a broad range of legal studies, from the anthropology of law to tax law, in nine different locations across Germany and Luxembourg.
As members of the Max Planck Society, we are committed to its mission of pushing the frontiers of knowledge by way of fundamental, or ‘basic’, research. Most of our projects are of a highly innovative nature and do not aim at immediate application at a practical level. Our approach is intra- and interdisciplinary, and we have a strong focus on comparative and transnational research questions. Our network of national and international partners includes many of the top law schools and research institutes.
Together, we operate the world’s biggest programme for doctoral studies and postdoctoral training in law. We offer excellent conditions and generously funded positions for early career researchers. Additionally, hundreds of academic visitors from all over the world join us in any given year.
We facilitate cooperation across the ten participating Institutes, including joint research projects and training initiatives. Moreover, we assist those who wish to find out more about our research and seek to join us, whether as doctoral students, postdocs, academic visitors, or in any other capacity.
Read more about our research and opportunities for research and funding here.
Ten Institutes of Max Planck Law
MPI for Comparative and International Private Law →
MPI for Comparative Public Law and International Law →
MPI for Innovation and Competition →
MPI for Legal History and Legal Theory →
MPI Luxembourg for International European and Regulatory Procedural Law →
MPI for Research on Collective Goods →
MPI for Social Anthropology →
MPI for Social Law and Social Policy →
MPI for the Study of Crime, Security and Law →
MPI for Tax Law and Public Finance →