The bachelor Degree programme – Social Legal Services (SJD)

Social Legal Services (SLS), in Dutch: Sociaal Juridische Dienstverlening (SJD)founded in 1991, is a study programme with a broad scope that trains graduates to be social legal service professionals. With 1,500 students, 60 staff members and more than 2,000 alumni over the last 25 years, SLS plays an important role in the Amsterdam social legal practice. An increase in the number of complicated rules and laws has become a feature of today’s society. Some citizens are unable to cope with the complexity of rules and laws and rely on the SLS professionals for support.

The Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences

The Degree programme SLS is part of the Faculty of Social Work & Law of the Hogeschool van Amsterdam (HvA), the University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam. With 40,000students, 2,300staff members and 125 programmes the HvA is the largest university of applied sciences in the greater Amsterdam area.The programmes are offered in the following clusters:Business and Management Studies, Economics, Education, Engineering, Health Care, Information Sciences, Law, Maritime Sciences, Social Welfare, Fashion, Management and Design.

The Faculty of Social Work & Law

The Faculty of Social Work Law prepares students for Bachelor's degrees in the fields of social work, law, applied psychology and public management. Bachelor programmes run four years (240 EC) and consist of a major (210 EC) and a minor (30 EC). There are seven programmes for Dutch-speaking students, which are mostly offered in both a full time and a part time variety:Social Legal Services (SLS), Legal Studies, Social Work and Community Services, Cultural and Social Education, Social Educational Care Work, Applied Psychology and Public Management.

The study programme: Law, regulations and Communication skills

The SLS study programme is divided into four main streams:Thinking and acting within a social, legal, policy-based and a methodically context. The SLS curriculum features the following qualifications:

  • Knowledge of laws (administrative law, civil law, labour law, tenancy law, social security law and immigration law), rules and procedures.
  • Insight into the interrelationships and systems of the law, and the enactment of rules and regulations concerning the social position of clients.
  • Social, legal, methodical and communication skillsin legal practice to be able to perform in this field of professional activity (advising, delivering bad news, dealing with emotions and aggression).

These skills are necessary when meeting clients, interacting with colleagues, and when meeting civil servants and colleagues from fellow organisations.These skills are developed in a practice environment during the third year internship, and the fourth year minor and the external assignment.

Social Legal practice

The profession of Social Legal Services is exercised within a broad range of organisations.Ten areas of activity can be distinguished:

Organisations providing legal information and advice, e.g.:

  • Consumers’ Association
  • Amsterdam Legal Aid and Advice Centre
  • Amsterdam Complaints Bureau for Discrimination
  • Citizens Advice Bureau
  • Netherlands Workers’ Trade Union

Organisations providing legal debt counselling e.g

  • Debt Advice Office Amsterdam

Organisations in the area of immigration and integration

  • Centre for asylum seekers
  • Dutch Refugee Council, Amsterdam Office

Organisations active in the area of juvenile alternative punishments, the youth probation service e.g

  • Youth Care Agency
  • Bureau for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Organisations active in the area of alternative punishments, the probation service, support to victims of crime, e.g.:

  • Amsterdam Parole Office
  • Victim Support Foundation Amsterdam

Organisations providing facilities on housing and living environment, e.g.:

  • Social housing companies

Organisations in the field of health and welfare

  • Health Care Information and Complaints Bureau

Organisations providing facilities on work and income, e.g

  • Department for Work and Income Amsterdam
  • Social Security Office
  • Municipality of Amsterdam

International activities

The SLS international office coordinates a number of international activities. SLS organises a number of international study trips, internships, exchanges and assignments:

  • A study trip for first year students, to UNHCR, International Labour Organisation (ILO), Red Cross and the Dutch Permanent Representation (NPV) in Geneva.
  • A study trip to Morocco on the topic of remigration.
  • International internships in countries like Curacao, Suriname, Marocco and South Africa;
  • International exchange program with the University of Professional Education in Louvain (Belgium);
  • International external assignments and research projects in Belgium, Germany, Italy,Marocco, Suriname, South Africa, United Kingdom and the Unites States;

More information:

If you would like to receive more information, please contact us. International Office Social Legal Services.

Jeroen Zoon, Senior Lecturer and Coordinator of InternationalStudent Affairs. E-mail: / tel. +31 6 211 58767

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