Laurens Jan Brinkhorst (born 18 March 1937) is a retired Dutch politician and diplomat of the Democrats 66 (D66) party and jurist. Early life and education Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst was born in the city of Zwolle. His parents were Marius Jacobus Brinkhorst (1902 - 1943) and Françoise Laurence Wilhelmina Holboom (1901 - 1981). After getting his high school diploma (gymnasium-B-diploma in Dutch) he studied law at the University of Leiden (Rijksuniversiteit Leiden in Dutch), where he obtained his LL.M. degree in 1959. He also received a M.A. degree in Public Law and Government from Columbia University in New York City. Afterwards he worked at Shearman & Sterling in New York City. Brinkhorst attended the Christian Gymnasium Sorghvliet in The Hague from June 1945 until June 1954 and applied at the Leiden University in June 1954, majoring in Law. He obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree in June 1956 before graduating with an Master of Laws degree in July 1959. Brinkhorst applied at the Columbia University in New York City in August 1959 for a postgraduate education in Political science and obtained an Bachelor of Social Science degree before graduating with an Master of Social Science in September 1961. Brinkhorst worked as a paralegal at Shearman & Sterling in New York City from September 1961 until December 1962. Brinkhorst worked as a researcher at the Leiden University from December 1962 until January 1967 and as an associate professor of International law at the Leiden University from April 1965 until January 1967 and as a professor of International law, International relations and European law at the University of Groningen from January 1967 until 11 May 1973. Career in politics and academia Brinkhorst served on the Provincial-Council of Groningen from July 1970 until August 1971. After the election of 1972 Brinkhorst was appointed as State Secretary for Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet Den Uyl, taking office on 19 December 1977. The Cabinet Den Uyl fell on 22 March 1977 after four years of tensions in the coalition and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity. Brinkhorst was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the election of 1977, taking office on 8 June 1977 but he was still serving in the cabinet and because of dualism customs in the constitutional convention of Dutch politics he couldn't serve a dual mandate he subsequently resigned as State Secretary on 8 September 1977. In