Courses available

Lectures

  • Introduction to Law I (Fundamentals of Civil Law)

    This course teaches the basic structures of the legal system and basic concepts of civil law.

    In particular, it deals with:

    • Basic concepts of the general part of the German Civil Code (BGB) such as persons, objects, legal transactions
    • Selected areas of the law of obligations, in particular contractual obligations, freedom of contract, consumer contracts, parties to the obligation, end of obligations, non compliance with contractual obligations
    • Overview of the law of tort and unjust enrichment and
    • Main features of the law of property
  • Introduction to Law II (Fundamentals of Public Law)

    The lecture introduces the essential elements of German Constitutional Law (Grundgesetz) as well as the main features of administrative law.

    Main topics of the lecture are:

    • Legislative procedure and sources of law
    • Structural principes of Germany (e.g. the principle of the rule of law) and constitutional objectives (e.g. the protection of natural resources)
    • Overview of the classification and function of fundamental rights, presentation of selected fundamental rights (e.g. freedom of occupation)
    • State organization: constitutional bodies (e.g. the German Bundestag) and their competences and control
    • Principles of general administrative law
    • Overview of jurisdictions (especially administrative courts and constitutional courts)
  • Commercial and Economic Law I

    The lecture provides an introduction to German and European business law. In the area of German business law, the course deals in particular with economic constitutional law and economic administrative law, commercial law and the law of commercial companies.

    Main topics of the lecture are:

    • Aspects of the rule of law relevant to economic activity
    • Fundamental rights relevant to economic activity, such as freedom of occupation, freedom of property, general principle of equality
    • Basic principles of European economic law: fundamental freedoms of the TFEU (freedom of movement of goods, freedom to provide services, freedom of movement of workers/freedom of establishment, freedom of capital movements and payments)
    • Commercial law: scope of application of the German Commercial Code (HGB), concept of "merchant", representation of the merchant, introduction to commercial transactions
    • Corporate law: overview of partnerships (e.g. OHG) and corporations (e.g. GmbH)
    • Economic administrative law: trade law (freedom of trade, trade supervision, prohibition of business), implementation of economic legislation, administrative procedural law
  • Commercial and Economic Law II

    The lecture deals with European and German law against restraints of competition (cartel agreements, abuse of dominant positions, mergers). In addition, the protection of business transactions against unfair competitive practices by the Unfair Competition Act (UWG) will be addressed.

    The main focus of the lecture in the area of antitrust law is:

    • Prohibition of the abuse of cartels
    • Abuse of market power
    • Control of mergers
    • Proceedings of the antitrust authorities

     

    The main focus of the lecture in the area of the law against unfair competition is:

    • Object of the UWG
    • Systematics and prohibitions of the UWG
    • Legal consequences of the violation of the UWG
  • Labor Law I

    The lecture deals with the main features of individual law, i.e. the legal basis for the establishment, content, implementation and termination of employment relationships, in particular from the point of view of employee protection. Practical cases are used for explanation.

    The lecture focuses on:

    • Formation of employment contracts
    • Content and implementation of employment relationships
    • Rights and obligations of employees and employers
    • Termination of employment contracts
    • Protection of employees
  • Labor Law II

    The lecture introduces the main features of collective labor law, in particular collective law (nature and content) and industrial action law, as well as works law (including the position and participation of the works council).

    The lecture focuses on:

    • Collective labor agreements
    • Industrial action law
    • Organisational aspects of the company
    • Position and participation rights of the works council
  • Mining and Environmental Law I (Mining Law)

    The lecture deals with the essential regulations of the current mining law according to the Federal Mining Act (BBergG). The focus is put the ownership of mineral resources, the legal requirements for their extraction (mining authorization, operating plan approval), mining supervision and the law of compensation for damage done by mining.

    The lecture focuses on:

    • Subject and development of mining law
    • Mining authorisation
    • Operating plans and operating plan procedures
    • Mining supervision
    • Mining and land ownership
    • Compensation for damage done by mining
  • Mining and Environmental Law II (Environmental Law)

    The lecture first presents the foundations of European and German environmental law, in particular the basic principles of environmental law. Subsequently, the most important areas of special environmental law are dealt with; the focus here is on the main features of immission control law and recycling and waste management law.

    Main topics of the lecture are:

    • Administrative environmental law
    • Immission control law
    • Recycling law
    • Water protection law
    • Nature conservation law
    • Marine environmental law
    • Radiation protection law
    • Climate protection law
    • Soil protection law
    • Hazardous substances law
  • Legal Framework of the Recycling Industry

    The lecture deals with essential legal norms for the recycling industry. Based on the requirements of EU law and the Circular Economy Act (KrWG), the legal framework for waste in the areas of packaging, electrical and electronic equipment, batteries, used vehicles, waste oils, biowaste, sewage sludge and commercial waste is presented.

    Main topics of the lecture are:

    • Basics of European Union recycling law
    • German recycling law: concept of waste, waste hierarchy, waste transfer obligations, responsibility under waste law, commercial waste ordinance
    • Area specific regulations, e.g. for packaging, electrical and electronic equipment, batteries, used vehicles, used oils, biowaste and sewage sludge
  • Energy Industry Law including Hydrogen Industry

    The lecture deals with the law of grid-based energy supply. The subject of energy law is the regulation of the various stages of the value chain (generation, trade, transport, distribution, consumption) in the supply of electricity, gas and hydrogen.

    In particular, the following topics are dealt with:

    • Structure of the German energy sector
    • Unbundling of network operations
    • Grid connection and access
    • Network charges and incentive regulation
    • Legal enforcement
    • Introduction to electricity generation from renewable energies
    • Hydrogen system
  • Law of Renewable Energy Sources

    The lecture covers the legal framework for the supply of electricity. This includes the legal requirements for the generation, storage and feed-in as well as financial support of, among others, green electricity, biogas and hydrogen from renewable energy sources.

    In particular, it deals with:

    • Energy and climate goals of UNO, EU and Germany
    • Electricity generation from renewable energy sources
    • Electricity storage
    • Heating and cooling from renewable energy souces
    • Fuel generation from renewable energies
    • Injection of biomethane into the natural gas grid
    • Hydrogen from renewwable energy sources
    • Sector coupling (electrification of the heating/cooling and transport sectors)
  • Energy Economics

    The lecture is a joint course with the Institute of Electrical Power Engineering and Energy Systems (IEEE) at Clausthal University of Technology. In this lecture, our institute offers an introduction to selected aspects of energy law that are relevant for working in the energy industry.

    In particular, the following topics are covered:

    • Introduction to legal aspects of electricity supply and electricity grids
    • Determination of electricity grid charges by way of incentive regulation
      • Formation of a revenue cap for the respective electricity grid
      • Content of the regulatory formula and its elements
      • Benchmarking of energy supply grids
      • Determination of the specific grid charges
    • Support mechanisms for electricity generation from renewable energy sources
      • Germany's underlying energy and climate policy goals
      • Expansion of electricity generation from renewable energies
      • Description of the support models
      • Financing the subsidy costs
  • Lecture Series "Sector Coupling Technologies"

    The institute contributes one unit to the lecture series „Sector Coupling Technologies“ (in English). The lecture series examines various aspects of sector coupling in an integrated energy system. It adresses the cross-linkages between electricity, gas, hydrogen, heat, mobility and industry. The IBER’s unit covers the legal framework for the emerging hydrogen industry on both the European and German level.

Exercises and tutorials

  • Exercises for Introduction to Law I

    The scores accompanies the lecture "Introduction to Law I". It chose the application of law in the areas of the general part of the German Civil Code (BGB), contracts and tort law.

    The exercise serves as a preparation for the exam "Introduction to Law I".

    Participation in the exercise is open to all participants of the lecture, regardless of the study program.

  • Exercises for Introduction to Law II

    The scores accompanies the lecture "Introduction to Law II". It focuses on state organization, structural principles of Germany (e.g. the democratic principle and the principle of the rule of law) as well as essential fundamental rights. In addition, an introduction to the principles of general administrative law is given.

    The exercise serves as a preparation for the exam "Introduction to Law II".

    Participation in the exercise is open to all participants of the lecture, regardless of the study program.

  • Tutorial for Legal Framework of the Recycling Industry

    The tutorial accompanies the lecture "Legal Framework of the Recycling Industry". It further develops the German circular economy act and the sector specific regulations e.g. for packaging, electrical and electronic equipment, batteries, used vehicles, used oils, biowaste and sewage sludge.

    The tutorial serves as a preparation for the exam.

    Participation in the tutorial is open to all participants of the lecture, regardless of the study program.