Who we are

The Groningen Centre for Legal Skills (GCJV) consists of a team of lecturer-researchers, student assistants and secretarial support:

Michelle Bruijn

My name is Michelle Bruijn, and I am an associate professor at the department of Legal Methods. I am also the founder and project manager of the Groningen Centre for Legal Skills (GCJV). For the past seven years, I have been involved as a lecturer and coordinator in several skills courses within both the Dutch and English-language bachelor and master programmes. As an associate professor, I am involved in several research projects which are directly related to research, writing and speaking skills. As project leader of GCJV, I will spend the next few years working on strengthening these skills within the teaching of our faculty and continuing to innovate the teaching materials.

Els Schipaanboord

My name is Els Schipaanboord, and I am a lecturer and a PhD researcher at the department of Legal Methods. I am also the student coordinator at GCJV. Over the past 10 years, I have supervised many students within both the Dutch and English language bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes, at universities in the Netherlands and abroad. My experience is that students often encounter the same difficulties when doing research and presenting their research results. As the student coordinator, I will spend the next few years working on strengthening these skills within our education and being the contactperson for the workshops.

Stefan van Tongeren

My name is Stefan van Tongeren, and I am a lecturer and a PhD researcher at the department of Legal Methods. I am also the academic staff coordinator at GCJV. Since 2017, I have been involved as a lecturer and coordinator in the courses Legal Research Skills 1 and 2. In this capacity, I regularly notice that students experience difficulty in conducting (legal) research and that lecturers sometimes lack time and resources to provide optimal support to students. In the coming years, I am committed to improving and strengthening skills education at our faculty, while also serving as a contact person for academic staff members.

Laura Ratniece

My name is Laura Ratniece, and I am an assistant professor at the department of Legal Methods. In the past years, I have gained a lot of experience in mentoring students, teaching legal skills and supporting lecturers in their teaching practice. To improve my own teaching skills and gain more knowledge about teaching and pedagogy, I completed an additional master's degree, in "Educational Technology," at the University of Tartu, Estonia. This knowledge and experience allow me to recognize the main problems related to training legal skills and work on solving them. Within the GCJV, I will be involved in supporting both students and academic staff.

Sander van den Tillaard

My name is Sander van den Tillaard, and I am a lecturer at the department of Legal Methods. I have extensive experience working within the Faculty of Law as a mentor, paralegal, student assistant and student ambassador. I know from my own experiences as a student that as a junior lawyer it is difficult to express yourself well both orally and in writing. These skills are not only important for lawyers, but they are also useful outside of the studies and legal practice. In short, these skills are very important.

Willemijn Krugers Dagneaux

My name is Willemijn Krugers Dagneaux, and I am 23 years old. I completed master’s studies in Health Law at the UvA, and I am now in the second year of the Research Master at the University of Groningen. I am also involved in the Groningen Center for Legal Skills as a student assistant. During my studies, I have noticed that fellow students sometimes stumble over the research skills courses and do not always see the point of them because they do not want to go into science. However, oral and written skills are very important for any lawyer. Through my work with the GCJV, I hope to be able to contribute to improving these skills for students.

Jamie Breedeveld

My name is Jamie Breedeveld, and I am a student at the Research Master programme and a student assistant at the GCJV. I have gained experience conducting research during my master's studies and several internships. In addition, I studied the Dutch language and culture, which gives me experience with writing (academic) texts in a comprehensible way. I see how difficult it can be to be aware of your own legal skills, while they are essential for the future of every law student. I would like to use the skills education to help my fellow students to become better lawyers.

Monique Noordhof

My name is Monique Noordhof, and I am the secretary of GCJV and the department of Legal Methods. I am also an assistant-coordinator of the Student Moot Court and the Togamaster. In recent years, I have supported various courses, including the Thesis Preparation Program. I have an administrative and supporting role within the GCJV

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