Professor Broekman has authored more than 30 books and 500 scientific articles on law and legal theory, philosophy of medicine, contemporary philosophy, semiotics, education, culture and politics in 13 languages, including, with Penn State Law professor Larry Catà Backer: Lawyers Making Meaning, (Springer, 2013) and also with Professor Backer, Signs in Law--A Source Book (Springer, 2014).
From 2007-2013, he established and directed the Roberta Kevelson Seminar on Law and Semiotics at the Dickinson School of Law. The seminar inspired two Special Issues of the International Journal for the Semiotics of Law in 2009 and 2010. In addition, he is supervising the preparation of the Kevelson Archive, designed to provide deeper insight and research into the origins and dimensions of semiotics in U.S. law.Professor Broekman studied Social Sciences/Law in Leiden, The Netherlands, and Philosophy/Psychiatry and Education in Göttingen, Germany, where he obtained his Ph.D. in 1961. From 1961 to 1966, he was vice-director of The Hague Social Academy, The Netherlands; from 1966 to 1968, Associate Professor Contemporary Philosophy and Aesthetics at the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; and, from 1968 to 1996, Professor of Contemporary Philosophy at the Higher Institute of Philosophy (HIW) and Professor of Philosophy of Law, Legal Theory, and EU Law at the K.U. Leuven, Belgium. He also served as Dean of the Leuven Faculty of Law from 1988 to 1991 and Pro-Dean from 1991 to 1994.
He was a Visiting Professor of Law at the University of Illinois College of Law, Champaign/Urbana, from 1998 to 2005, where he taught Civil Law and EU Law and directed a seminar on law and bioethics.Professor Broekman was nominated an Honorary Professor at the Universidad Nacional de Argentina, Mar del Plata, Argentina, in 1991, teaching Philosophy of Law, EU/Mercosur Relations and Comparative Bioethics.