The Faculty of Law of Paris (french: Faculté de droit de Paris), called from the late 1950s to 1970 the Faculty of Law and Economics of Paris, is the second-oldest faculty of law in the world and one of the four and eventually five faculties of the

University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

("the Sorbonne"), from the 12th century until 1970. During the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

, it was, with the faculty of law of the

University of Bologna The University of Bologna ( it, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, UNIBO) is a public research university in Bologna, Italy. Founded in 1088 by an organised guild of students (''studiorum''), it is the oldest university in continuo ...

, the oldest one, one of the two most important faculties of law in the world.

Pierre Abélard Peter Abelard (; french: link=no, Pierre Abélard; la, Petrus Abaelardus or ''Abailardus''; 21 April 1142) was a medieval French scholastic philosopher, leading logician, theologian, poet, composer and musician. This source has a detailed desc ...

, founder of modern law, was its precursor, as a teacher at the

cathedral school Cathedral schools began in the Early Middle Ages as centers of advanced education, some of them ultimately evolving into medieval universities. Throughout the Middle Ages and beyond, they were complemented by the monastic schools. Some of these ...

Notre-Dame de Paris Notre-Dame de Paris (; meaning "Our Lady of Paris"), referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the Seine River), in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. The cathedral, dedicated to the ...

Andrea Alciato Andrea Alciato (8 May 149212 January 1550), commonly known as Alciati (Andreas Alciatus), was an Italian jurist and writer. He is regarded as the founder of the French school of legal humanists. Biography Alciati was born in Alzate Brianza, nea ...

, founder of legal humanism, was a professor there, and Saint Ivo, patron of lawyers and "Advocate of the Poor" according to the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, had studied there. The prohibition by the Pope of teaching of Roman Law limited, however, its growth, to the benefit of the nearby

University of Orléans The University of Orléans (french: Université d'Orléans) is a French university, in the Academy of Orléans and Tours. As of July 2015 it is a member of the regional university association Leonardo da Vinci consolidated University. History ...

, where numerous important French people studied law. In 1679, King Louis authorized the teaching of Roman Law. Numerous French intellectuals and revolutionary, like

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his ...

Diderot Denis Diderot (; ; 5 October 171331 July 1784) was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer, best known for serving as co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the ''Encyclopédie'' along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. He was a prominen ...

and

d'Alembert Jean-Baptiste le Rond d'Alembert (; ; 16 November 1717 – 29 October 1783) was a French mathematician, mechanician, physicist, philosopher, and music theorist. Until 1759 he was, together with Denis Diderot, a co-editor of the ''Encyclopédie ...

Robespierre Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre (; 6 May 1758 – 28 July 1794) was a French lawyer and statesman who became one of the best-known, influential and controversial figures of the French Revolution. As a member of the Esta ...

, etc. studied there. Between the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

and its dissolution in 1970, numerous important people in France and in the world taught or studied there, including

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

Claude Lévi-Strauss Claude Lévi-Strauss (, ; 28 November 1908 – 30 October 2009) was a French anthropologist and ethnologist whose work was key in the development of the theories of structuralism and structural anthropology. He held the chair of Social Anthro ...

Tocqueville Alexis Charles Henri Clérel, comte de Tocqueville (; 29 July 180516 April 1859), colloquially known as Tocqueville (), was a French aristocrat, diplomat, political scientist, political philosopher and historian. He is best known for his work ...

, and

Honoré de Balzac Honoré de Balzac ( , more commonly , ; born Honoré Balzac;Jean-Louis Dega, La vie prodigieuse de Bernard-François Balssa, père d'Honoré de Balzac : Aux sources historiques de La Comédie humaine, Rodez, Subervie, 1998, 665 p. 20 May 179 ...

. The faculty of law is also mentioned in classical French literature, in particular in ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...

''. At the dissolution of the Sorbonne in 1970, its two main buildings were ''place du Panthéon'' and ''rue d’Assas''. Most of its law professors (88 out of 108) decided to perpetuate the faculty of law and economics by creating and joining a university of law offering the same programs within the same two buildings; therefore, they created the "University of Law, Economics and Social Sciences of Paris", now called Panthéon-Assas University.

History

c. 1100 – 1223: Law School of Paris

, teacher at the great

(that would eventually become the

Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...

), writing with the influence of his wife

Héloïse Héloïse (; c. 1100–01? – 16 May 1163–64?), variously Héloïse d' ArgenteuilCharrier, Charlotte. Heloise Dans L'histoire Et Dans la Legende. Librairie Ancienne Honore Champion Quai Malaquais, VI, Paris, 1933 or Héloïse du Paraclet, w ...

, stressed that subjective intention determines the moral value of human action and therefore that the legal consequence of an action is related to the person that commits it and not merely to the action. With this doctrine, Abelard created in the Middle Ages the idea of the individual subject central to modern law. This gave to School of Notre-Dame de Paris (later the University of Paris) a recognition of its expertise in the area of Law, even before the faculty of Law existed and the school even recognized as an "universitas" and even if Abelard was primarily a logician and a theologian. The law grew afterwards to be a discipline in its own rights (rather than only a subject within theology and philosophy), and a faculty of law was founded.

1223–1679: Faculty of Canon Law

The Pope forbade Roman law in Paris in 1223 with the

decretal Decretals ( la, litterae decretales) are letters of a pope that formulate decisions in ecclesiastical law of the Catholic Church.McGurk. ''Dictionary of Medieval Terms''. p. 10 They are generally given in answer to consultations but are sometimes ...

Super Specula ''Super Specula'' or ''Super Speculam'' was a decretal issued by Pope Honorius III at the latest by 1215, which had the effect of preventing the teaching of Roman civil law in Paris with the object of suppressing it in favor of canon law. It contai ...

''. Afterwards, the Paris Law Faculty was called "''Faculté de décret''" or "''Consultissima decretorum facultas''", meaning Faculty of Canon Law. During this period, people who wanted to learn civil law (Roman Law) and become lawyers would usually go to the nearby faculty of law of the

. Hence,

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world ...

Calvin Calvin may refer to: Names * Calvin (given name) ** Particularly Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States * Calvin (surname) ** Particularly John Calvin, theologian Places In the United States * Calvin, Arkansas, a hamlet * Calvi ...

, Perrault, Cujas, Rabelais,

Fermat Pierre de Fermat (; between 31 October and 6 December 1607 – 12 January 1665) was a French mathematician who is given credit for early developments that led to infinitesimal calculus, including his technique of adequality. In particular, he i ...

, La Boétie and others went to this faculty.

1679–1793: Faculty of civil and canon law

After the Edict of Saint-Germain of April 1679 by

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Vers ...

reestablished the teaching of Roman law in Paris, the faculty was known as the "faculty of civil and

canon law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

". It was closed alongside other faculties on September 15, 1793, during the

reformed the programs of the faculty of Law of Paris, also introducing French Customary Law.

1802–1970: Faculty of Law of Paris

In 1802, the faculty of law was re-opened, and was called "the School of Law of Paris" (''l'École de droit de Paris)''. In 1896, the law faculty and the henceforth four other Parisian faculties were grouped together to recreate the

. In the late 1950s, it became a "faculty of law and economics". The Code Civil was taught after its creation in 1804. The programs were reformed at the end of the 19th century. Originally, the faculty of law was not organized around research centers and professors were pursuing their research as part of faculty of law in general. Hence, only newly emerging fields of research would have newly created institutes, whereas traditional subjects such as Roman Law and Legal History, Private Law in general and Public law in general, would not necessarily have ones. "Doctorate courses" existed in legal studies at that time until they were replaced in 1925 by the "Diplôme d’études supérieures". The Decree of the 2 May 1925 created in each faculty of Law 4 DES: DES in Roman Law and Legal history, DES in Private Law, DES in public Law and DES in Politics and Economics. It required students to obtain two of them undergraduate studies to be able to begin a doctorate (PhD). In 1964, the undergraduate studies took 4 years (4-year ''licence'', and eventually 3-year ''licence'' and a one-year ''maîtrise'') and only one DES was necessary to begin a doctorate. 2 additional DES are created in each faculty: DES in Criminal Law and Politics and Economics are separated in two DES.

1970: Dissolution

Following the events of May 1968, the faculties of the University of Paris became independent universities Most law professors (88 out of 108) decided to perpetuate the faculty of law and economics within the same two buiildings (Panthéon and Assas). Therefore, they created the "University of Law, Economics and social sciences of Paris" (''Université de droit, d'économie et de sciences sociales de Paris''), administratively shortened as Paris II, and currently named

University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

, which is therefore considered as its direct inheritor. Paris 2 inherited the teaching programs and research centers from the Faculty of Law. Some joined interdisciplinary universities in Paris, like Panthéon-Sorbonne University, Paris Descartes University, Paris-Est Créteil University (these names were formed later), or outside Paris. Most professors (35 out of 41) in economics (which was a secondary subject at the Faculty of Law and Economics) preferred to join the multidisciplinary university, Paris I, later called Pantheon-Sorbonne University while others joined

, Paris-Dauphine University, Paris Descartes University and Paris-Est Créteil University.

Campuses

In 1680,

decided to place the faculty of law at the

Royal College A royal college in some Commonwealth countries is technically a college which has received royal patronage and permission to use the prefix ''royal''. Permission is usually granted through a royal charter. The charter normally confers a constitut ...

. In 1753,

Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reache ...

decided that a new building would be constructed for the faculty of law on the

place du Panthéon The Place du Panthéon ( las dy pɑ̃teɔ̃ is a square in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, France. Located in the Latin Quarter, it is named after and surrounds the Panthéon. Rue Soufflot, west of the Place du Panthéon, runs towards Bouleva ...

Jacques-Germain Soufflot Jacques-Germain Soufflot (, 22 July 1713 – 29 August 1780) was a French architect in the international circle that introduced neoclassicism. His most famous work is the Panthéon, Paris, Panthéon in Paris, built from 1755 onwards, original ...

, alumnus of the faculty who had become the architect of the King designed and supervised the construction. It took place from 1771 to 1773 and the new building opened in 1774. In the 1950s, a new building was constructed ''rue d'Assas'' in Paris. It was designed by

Charles Lemaresquier Charles Henri-Camille Lemaresquier (October 16, 1870, Sète - January 6, 1972, Paris) was a French architect and teacher. Lemaresquier was born in Sète, in southern France, into a family of artists, and apprenticed to a Parisian architect at th ...

, Alain le Normand and François Carpentier, p. 206. to accommodate the growing number of students at the University of Paris. It was built between 1959 and 1963 on the former grounds of ''Société Marinoni.'' At the time of its inauguration, its main lecture theatre was the largest in France, with 1,700 seats

Notable faculty

1100–1679

, founder of legal humanism

1679–1793

Mathieu-Antoine Bouchaud Mathieu-Antoine Bouchaud (16 April 1719 – 1 February 1804) was an 18th-century French economist and lawyer who contributed to the ''Encyclopédie'' by Diderot and d'Alembert. Werke (Auswahl) *1773: ''Théorie des traités de commerce entre ...

, author of the

French Enlightenment French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...

and professor of law at the Paris Law Faculty

19th century

* Francois Denis Tronchet, president of the commission for the creation of the French Civil Code and lawyer of

Louis XVI of France Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was e ...

at his trial (with Malesherbes and Deseze) *Claude-Étienne Delvincourt, also mentioned by

as professor of

Marius Pontmercy Marius Pontmercy () is a fictional character, one of the protagonists of Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. He is a young student, and the suitor of Cosette. Believing Cosette lost to him, and determined to die, he joins the revoluti ...

* Joseph Louis Elzéar Ortolan *Paul Gide and Charles Gide, father and uncle of

André Gide André Paul Guillaume Gide (; 22 November 1869 – 19 February 1951) was a French author and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature (in 1947). Gide's career ranged from its beginnings in the Symbolism (arts), symbolist movement, to the advent o ...

, Nobel Prize in Literature 1947 *

Gustave Boissonade Gustave Émile Boissonade de Fontarabie (7 June 1825 – 27 June 1910) was a French legal scholar, responsible for drafting much of Japan's civil code during the Meiji Era, and honored as one of the founders of modern Japan's legal system. ...

, builder of the Japanese Civil Law during the

Meiji Era The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization b ...

* Émile Acollas, one of the founders of the

League of Peace and Freedom The Ligue internationale de la paix (League of Peace and Freedom) was created after a public opinion campaign against a war between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia over Luxembourg. The Luxembourg crisis was peacefully resolved ...

* Louis Renault

20th century

Gaston Jèze Gaston Jèze (March 2, 1869, Toulouse – August 5, 1953, Deauville) was a French academic, humanitarian and human rights activist. He was a professor of public law and the resident of the International Law Institute. During the 1930s, he serve ...

, French academic, humanitarian and human rights activist (including during WW2) * André Weiss *

Boris Mirkin-Getzevich Boris Sergeyevich Mirkin-Getzevich (russian: Борис Серге́евич Миркин-Гецевич; January 1, 1892 – April 1, 1955), also known by his pen name, Boris Mirsky, was a Russian jurist. He had been a director of the Paris I ...

René Cassin René Samuel Cassin (5 October 1887 – 20 February 1976) was a French jurist known for co-authoring the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. Born in Bayonne, Cassin served as a soldier in the First Wo ...

, known for co-authoring the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is an international document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly that enshrines the Human rights, rights and freedoms of all human beings. Drafted by a UN Drafting of the Universal De ...

, receiving the

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Chemi ...

, soldier during WW2 *

Georges Ripert Georges Ripert (22 April 1880 – 4 July 1958) was a lawyer who was briefly Secretary of State for Public Instruction and Youth in the Vichy Regime. Early career Ripert received his agrégation in 1906 from the Faculty of Law of Aix. He taught M ...

*Henri Mazeaud (1939–1971, later professor emeritus from Paris II), twin brother of Léon Mazeaud, resistant to Nazi Germany and deported to

Buchenwald Buchenwald (; literally 'beech forest') was a Nazi concentration camp established on hill near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within Germany's 1937 borders. Many actual or su ...

*Léon Mazeaud, (1941–1970), twin brother of Henri Mazeaud, resistant to Nazi Germany and deported to

, dead in a hiking accident *

René Capitant René Marie Alphonse Charles Capitant (19 August 1901 in La Tronche, Isère – 23 May 1970 in Suresnes) was a French lawyer and politician. He was the son of a lawyer, Henri Capitant, and attended the Lycée Henri-IV in Paris. He received ...

, minister of Justice after WW2 *

René David René David (January 12, 1906 in Jura, France – May 26, 1990 in Le Tholonet, France) was a French Professor of Law. His work has been published in eight different languages. He was, in the second half of the 20th century, one of the key represen ...

(1945–1968, went in 1968 to Aix-Marseille University until 1976), one of the most prominent professors of comparative law in the world in the 20th century, honorary degrees from the University of Edinburgh, Brussels, Ottawa, Basel, Leicester and Helsinki, recipient of the

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

Erasmus Prize The Erasmus Prize is an annual prize awarded by the board of the Praemium Erasmianum Foundation to individuals or institutions that have made exceptional contributions to culture, society, or social science in Europe and the rest of the world. It ...

in 1976. *Suzanne Bastid (1947–1977, Paris II from 1971) was the first woman professor of Law of France, the first woman to be a member of the ''Académie des sciences morales et politiques'' Secretary General of the Institute of International Law (Nobel prize 1904). * Georges Vedel (1949–1979, Paris II from 1971), former member of the

Constitutional Council of France The Constitutional Council (french: Conseil constitutionnel; ) is the highest constitutional authority in France. It was established by the Constitution of the Fifth Republic on 4 October 1958 to ensure that constitutional principles and rules ...

* Jean Carbonnier (1955–1976, Paris II from 1971), one of the most famous French professors in Law of the 20th Century. *Gérard Cornu (born 1967, Paris II from 1971), who wrote the new French Code of Civil Procedure in the late 1970s and is also well known in France for his Dictionary of Legal Vocabulary, translated in English. *François Terré (1969–1999, Paris II from 1971), president in 2008 of the legal section of the

Académie des sciences morales et politiques An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, f ...

, head of the private committee for the reform of French Law of Obligations. * Jacques Robert (1969–1979, Paris II from 1971), former member of the Constitutional Council of France

Notable alumni (1100–1679)

The Pope forbade the teaching of Roman law in Paris in 1223 with the

''Super Specula''. Until the reintroduction of Roman Law (civil law) by

, people who wanted to learn civil law (Roman Law) and become lawyers would usually go to the nearby faculty of Law of the

. Hence,

, Perrault, Cujas, Rabelais,

, La Boétie and others went to the latter. * Saint Ivo, patron of the lawyers of abandoned children, and of

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...

, "Advocate of the Poor" *

Nicolas Boileau Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to: People Given name * Nicolas (given name) Mononym * Nicolas (footballer, born 1999), Brazilian footballer * Nicolas (footballer, born 2000), Brazilian footballer Surname Nicolas * Dafydd Nicolas (c.1705–1774), ...

, one of the builders of French poetry *

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

, Chancellor of the Exchequer *

Nicolas Fouquet Nicolas Fouquet, marquis de Belle-Île, vicomte de Melun et Vaux (27 January 1615 – 23 March 1680) was the Superintendent of Finances in France from 1653 until 1661 under King Louis XIV. He had a glittering career, and acquired enormous wealth ...

Superintendent of Finances The Superintendent of Finances (french: Surintendant des finances) was the name of the minister in charge of finances in France from 1561 to 1661. The position was abolished in 1661 with the downfall of Nicolas Fouquet, and a new position was cr ...

under

King Louis XIV Louis XIV (Louis Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was List of French monarchs, King of France from 14 May 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the Li ...

Alain-René Lesage Alain-René Lesage (; 6 May 166817 November 1747; older spelling Le Sage) was a French novelist and playwright. Lesage is best known for his comic novel '' The Devil upon Two Sticks'' (1707, ''Le Diable boiteux''), his comedy ''Turcaret'' (170 ...

, author of ''

Gil Blas ''Gil Blas'' (french: L'Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane ) is a picaresque novel by Alain-René Lesage published between 1715 and 1735. It was highly popular, and was translated several times into English, most notably as The Adventures of G ...

Notable alumni (1679–1793)

, author of the

Jean le Rond d'Alembert Jean-Baptiste le Rond d'Alembert (; ; 16 November 1717 – 29 October 1783) was a French mathematician, mechanician, physicist, philosopher, and music theorist. Until 1759 he was, together with Denis Diderot, a co-editor of the ''Encyclopédie ...

, co-creator with Diderot of the ''

Encyclopédie ''Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers'' (English: ''Encyclopedia, or a Systematic Dictionary of the Sciences, Arts, and Crafts''), better known as ''Encyclopédie'', was a general encyclopedia publis ...

'' (creating the concept of encyclopedia) *

Denis Diderot Denis Diderot (; ; 5 October 171331 July 1784) was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer, best known for serving as co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the ''Encyclopédie'' along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. He was a promine ...

, co-creator with d'Alembert of the ''

'' *

Étienne Pascal Étienne Pascal (; 2 May 1588 – 24 September 1651) was a French chief tax officer and the father of Blaise Pascal. Biography Pascal was born in Clermont to Martin Pascal, the treasurer of France, and Marguerite Pascal de Mons. He had three da ...

, father and instructor of

Blaise Pascal Blaise Pascal ( , , ; ; 19 June 1623 – 19 August 1662) was a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, philosopher, and Catholic Church, Catholic writer. He was a child prodigy who was educated by his father, a tax collector in Rouen. Pa ...

Maximilien Robespierre Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre (; 6 May 1758 – 28 July 1794) was a French lawyer and statesman who became one of the best-known, influential and controversial figures of the French Revolution. As a member of the Esta ...

, prominent member of the

Camille Desmoulins Lucie-Simplice-Camille-Benoît Desmoulins (; 2 March 17605 April 1794) was a French journalist and politician who played an important role in the French Revolution. Desmoulins was tried and executed alongside Georges Danton when the Committee ...

, member of the

Notable alumni (1802–1970)

Intellectuals

Alexis de Tocqueville Alexis Charles Henri Clérel, comte de Tocqueville (; 29 July 180516 April 1859), colloquially known as Tocqueville (), was a French aristocrat, diplomat, political scientist, political philosopher and historian. He is best known for his works ...

Law professors

* Manuel Alejandro Álvarez Jofré,

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

an professor of

international law International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...

and a

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

at the

International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordanc ...

*Henri Batiffol * Raymond Carré de Malberg *

Lev Kasso Lev Aristidovich Kasso (1865–1914) was an Imperial Russian politician. A Professor of Civil Law by education, he served as Imperial Minister of Education from 1910 through 1914 in the Stolypin and Kokovtsov governments. The state's unive ...

, Russian professor of law and secretary of public instruction *

Judiciary and lawyers

Lawyers who are more well known as politicians are listed in the section about politicians. * Sarmiza Bilcescu, first female student in law in France and first female doctor of law in France *

Jeanne Chauvin Jeanne Chauvin (22 April 1862 – 7 September 1926) was the second woman to obtain a degree in law in France, in 1890. Her application to be sworn in as a lawyer was at first rejected, but after the law was changed in 1900 she was the second French ...

, first woman to lead at the bar in France *

Henri Donnedieu de Vabres Henri Donnedieu de Vabres (8 July 1880 – 14 February 1952) was a French jurist who took part in the Nuremberg trials after World War II. He was the primary French judge during the proceedings, with Robert Falco as his alternate. Donnedieu was ...

, French judge at the

Nuremberg trials The Nuremberg trials were held by the Allies of World War II, Allies against representatives of the defeated Nazi Germany, for plotting and carrying out invasions of other countries, and other crimes, in World War II. Between 1939 and 1945 ...

* Louis Henri Barboux, lawyer for

Sarah Bernhardt Sarah Bernhardt (; born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; 22 or 23 October 1844 – 26 March 1923) was a French stage actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including '' La Dame Aux Camel ...

in her 1880 breach-of-contract suit against the

Comédie-Française The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...

*Louis Leblois, magistrate and lawyer of

Alfred Dreyfus Alfred Dreyfus ( , also , ; 9 October 1859 – 12 July 1935) was a French artillery officer of Jewish ancestry whose trial and conviction in 1894 on charges of treason became one of the most polarizing political dramas in modern French history. ...

, symbolic French antisemitism case *

Fernand Labori Fernand-Gustave-Gaston Labori (April 18, 1860 – March 14, 1917) was a French attorney. He was born in Reims and educated at the Faculty of Law of Paris. In his professional life, he defended the accused in some of the most prominent polit ...

, lawyer of

* Paul Magnaud, prominent magistrate * Rodolphe-Madeleine Cleophas Dareste de La Chavanne * Mireille Ndiaye * Olga Petit, first woman to take the oath to become barrister in France *Simone Rozès, first female president of the French Court of Cassation (highest position for a judge in France) *

Jacques Vergès Jacques Vergès (5 March 1925 – 15 August 2013) was a Siamese-born French lawyer and anti-colonial activist. Vergès began as a fighter in the French Resistance during World War II, under Charles de Gaulle's Free French forces. After becoming ...

, prominent French lawyer * Tcheng Yu-hsiu, first female lawyer and judge in Chinese history

Literature, arts and social activism

, prominent author *

René Bazin René François Nicolas Marie Bazin (26 December 1853 – 20 July 1932) was a French novelist. Biography Born at Angers, he studied law in Paris, and on his return to Angers became Professor of Law in the Catholic university. In 1876, Bazin marr ...

, prominent author *

Gustave Flaubert Gustave Flaubert ( , , ; 12 December 1821 – 8 May 1880) was a French novelist. Highly influential, he has been considered the leading exponent of literary realism in his country. According to the literary theorist Kornelije Kvas, "in Flauber ...

, author of ''

Madame Bovary ''Madame Bovary'' (; ), originally published as ''Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners'' ( ), is a novel by France, French writer Gustave Flaubert, published in 1856. The eponymous character lives beyond her means in order to escape the banalities ...

'' *

Marcel Proust Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust (; ; 10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, critic, and essayist who wrote the monumental novel ''In Search of Lost Time'' (''À la recherche du temps perdu''; with the previous Eng ...

, author of ''

In Search of Lost Time ''In Search of Lost Time'' (french: À la recherche du temps perdu), first translated into English as ''Remembrance of Things Past'', and sometimes referred to in French as ''La Recherche'' (''The Search''), is a novel in seven volumes by French ...

'' * Anne Ancelin Schützenberger, psychologist * Jean Aubert, engineer *

Jacques Bainville Jacques Pierre Bainville (; 9 February 1879 – 9 February 1936) was a French historian and journalist. A geopolitical theorist, concerned by Franco-German relations, he was a leading figure in the monarchist ''Action Française''. As fascinated a ...

, journalist and historian *

Alfred Binet Alfred Binet (; 8 July 1857 – 18 October 1911), born Alfredo Binetti, was a French psychologist who invented the first practical IQ test, the Binet–Simon test. In 1904, the French Ministry of Education asked psychologist Alfred Binet to ...

, psychologist *

Henri Burin des Roziers Henri Burin des Roziers, O.P. (February 18, 1930 – November 26, 2017), was a French Dominican Order priest and lawyer, who spent forty years working with and defending Brazilian peasants forced into labor or harassed by wealthy landowners. Landow ...

, priest and social activist * Charles Champoiseau, archeologist *Éric de Dampierre, ethnologist * Émile Dard, historian *

Henri de Gaulle Henri Charles Alexandre de Gaulle (22 November 1848 – 3 May 1932) was a French civil servant and later a schoolteacher. He was the father of Charles de Gaulle, a general of the French army and President of France. Biography Early life Henri d ...

, teacher, father of

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...

(president of France) *

Gaëtan Duval Sir Charles Gaëtan Duval QC (9 October 1930 – 5 May 1996) was a barrister, statesman and politician from Mauritius who was the leader of the Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate (PMSD). Early life and education Duval was born in Rose Hill on ...

, activist *

Dariush Safvat Dariush Safvat ( fa, داريوش صفوت‎; 28 November 1928 – 17 April 2013) also spelled as Daryush Safvat, was a master Persian traditional musician, teacher, and ethnomusicologist. Safvat is best known for his mastery of setar and sa ...

, music master *

Raphaël Salem Raphaël Salem (Greek: Ραφαέλ Σαλέμ; November 7, 1898 in Salonika, Ottoman Empire (now Thessaloniki, Greece) – June 20, 1963 in Paris, France) was a Greek mathematician after whom are named the Salem numbers and Salem–Spencer sets ...

, Greek mathematician whose name gave the

Salem number In mathematics, a Salem number is a real algebraic integer ''α'' > 1 whose conjugate roots all have absolute value no greater than 1, and at least one of which has absolute value exactly 1. Salem numbers are of interest in Dio ...

s, the

Salem–Spencer set In mathematics, and in particular in arithmetic combinatorics, a Salem-Spencer set is a set of numbers no three of which form an arithmetic progression. Salem–Spencer sets are also called 3-AP-free sequences or progression-free sets. They have a ...

s and the Salem Prize *

, "father of modern anthropology"

Politics and military

France: presidents

François Mitterrand François Marie Adrien Maurice Mitterrand (26 October 19168 January 1996) was President of France, serving under that position from 1981 to 1995, the longest time in office in the history of France. As First Secretary of the Socialist Party, he ...

, president for 14 years *

Jean Casimir-Perier Jean Paul Pierre Casimir-Perier (; 8 November 1847 – 11 March 1907) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1894 to 1895. Biography He was born in Paris, the son of Auguste Casimir-Perier, the grandson of Casimir Pie ...

, president and prime minister, involved in the

Dreyfus affair The Dreyfus affair (french: affaire Dreyfus, ) was a political scandal that divided the French Third Republic from 1894 until its resolution in 1906. "L'Affaire", as it is known in French, has come to symbolise modern injustice in the Francop ...

against antisemitism *

Raymond Poincaré Raymond Nicolas Landry Poincaré (, ; 20 August 1860 – 15 October 1934) was a French statesman who served as President of France from 1913 to 1920, and three times as Prime Minister of France. Trained in law, Poincaré was elected deputy in 1 ...

, president during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and prime minister

France: prime ministers

Aristide Briand Aristide Pierre Henri Briand (; 28 March 18627 March 1932) was a French statesman who served eleven terms as Prime Minister of France during the French Third Republic. He is mainly remembered for his focus on international issues and reconciliat ...

, prime minister, Nobel Peace Prize 1926 *

Léon Gambetta Léon Gambetta (; 2 April 1838 – 31 December 1882) was a French lawyer and republican politician who proclaimed the French Third Republic in 1870 and played a prominent role in its early government. Early life and education Born in Cahors, Ga ...

, prime minister, influential during the Franco-Prussian War and in the restoration of the Republic in France *

Jules Grévy François Judith Paul Grévy (15 August 1807 – 9 September 1891), known as Jules Grévy (), was a French lawyer and politician who served as President of France from 1879 to 1887. He was a leader of the Moderate Republicans, and given that hi ...

, prime minister *

Michel Debré Michel Jean-Pierre Debré (; 15 January 1912 – 2 August 1996) was the first Prime Minister of the French Fifth Republic. He is considered the "father" of the current Constitution of France. He served under President Charles de Gaulle from 195 ...

, prime minister *

Pierre Messmer Pierre Joseph Auguste Messmer (; 20 March 191629 August 2007) was a French Gaullist politician. He served as Minister of Armies under Charles de Gaulle from 1960 to 1969 – the longest serving since Étienne François, duc de Choiseul under L ...

, prime minister *

Maurice Couve de Murville Jacques-Maurice Couve de Murville (; 24 January 1907 – 24 December 1999) was a French diplomat and politician who was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1958 to 1968 and Prime Minister from 1968 to 1969 under the presidency of General de Gaull ...

, prime minister *

Henri Brisson Eugène Henri Brisson (; 31 July 183514 April 1912) was a French statesman, Prime Minister of France for a period in 1885-1886 and again in 1898. Biography He was born at Bourges (Cher), and followed his father's profession of advocate. Havi ...

, prime minister *

Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury Maurice Jean Marie Bourgès-Maunoury (; 19 August 1914 – 10 February 1993) was a French Radical politician who served as the Prime Minister in the Fourth Republic during 1957. Bourgès-Maunoury was born in Luisant, Eure-et-Loir. He is famo ...

, prime minister *

Léon Bourgeois Léon Victor Auguste Bourgeois (; 21 May 185129 September 1925) was a French statesman. His ideas influenced the Radical Party regarding a wide range of issues. He promoted progressive taxation such as progressive income taxes and social insuran ...

, prime minister

France: other

Jules Favre Jules Claude Gabriel Favre (21 March 1809 – 20 January 1880) was a French statesman and lawyer. After the establishment of the Third Republic in September 1870, he became one of the leaders of the Opportunist Republicans in the National Assem ...

, opponent to

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...

Robert Badinter Robert Badinter (; born 30 March 1928) is a French lawyer, politician and author who enacted the abolition of the death penalty in France in 1981, while serving as Minister of Justice under François Mitterrand. He has also served in high-lev ...

, minister of justice *

Gustave Rouland Gustave Rouland (3 February 1806 – 12 December 1878) was a French lawyer and politician. During the Second French Empire he was Minister of Education and Religious Affairs from 1856 to 1863. In this role he undertook reforms to curb the influence ...

Simone Veil Simone Veil (; ; 13 July 1927 – 30 June 2017) was a French magistrate and politician who served as Health Minister in several governments and was President of the European Parliament from 1979 to 1982, the first woman to hold that office. ...

, minister of justice *

Pierre-Antoine Berryer Pierre-Antoine Berryer (4 January 179029 November 1868) was a French advocate and parliamentary orator. He was the twelfth member elected to occupy Seat Four of the Académie française in 1852. Biography Early years Berryer was born in Paris, t ...

, member of parliament and the

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

*Bernard Barberon, resistant to Nazi Germany *

Jean-Baptiste Biaggi Jean-Baptiste Biaggi (27 August 1917 – 29 July 2009) was a French politician. Biaggi was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on 27 August 1917. He attended Lycée de Bastia, and before graduating from Faculty of Law of Paris. During World War II, Biaggi ...

, resistant and member of parliament *Guy de Boysson, resistant * Lucien Brun, prominent member of parliament of the

French Third Republic The French Third Republic (french: Troisième République, sometimes written as ) was the system of government adopted in France from 4 September 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 1940 ...

Pierre Jacobsen Pierre Jacobsen (1917 to 1957) was a Denmark-born French soldier and civil servant known for his work to support refugees. Jacobsen fought for France in World War II and became the youngest French general since the Napoleonic Era. Afterwards he was ...

, resistant and high-rank military *

Jean-Marie Le Pen Jean Louis Marie Le Pen (, born 20 June 1928) is a French far-right politician who served as President of the National Front from 1972 to 2011. He also served as Honorary President of the National Front from 2011 to 2015. Le Pen graduated fro ...

, member of parliament

Outside of France

Javad Ameri Javad Ameri (1891 – 10 January 1980; better known as Mirza Javad Khan Ameri) was an Iranian politician. He served as Member of Parliament for Semnan and Dameghan from 1944 until 1953. He was previously Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minis ...

, Iranian minister of Interior *

Ali Amini Ali Amini ( fa, علی امینی; 12 September 1905–12 December 1992) was an Iranian politician who was the Prime Minister of Iran from 1961 to 1962. He held several cabinet portfolios during the 1950s, and served as a member of parliamen ...

, Prime Minister of Iran *

Constantin Argetoianu Constantin Argetoianu ( – 6 February 1955) was a Romanian politician, one of the best-known personalities of interwar Greater Romania, who served as the Prime Minister between 28 September and 23 November 1939. His memoirs, ''Memorii. Pentr ...

, prime minister of Romania *

Shapour Bakhtiar Shapour Bakhtiar ( fa, شاپور بختیار, ; 26 June 19146 August 1991) was an Iranian politician who served as the last Prime Minister of Iran under the Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. In the words of historian Abbas Milani: "more than once in ...

, last prime minister of Iran before the

Islamic Republic The term Islamic republic has been used in different ways. Some Muslim religious leaders have used it as the name for a theoretical form of Islamic theocratic government enforcing sharia, or laws compatible with sharia. The term has also been u ...

, voluntary soldier during WW2 to help France, opponent to monarchy, to clerical rule and to the communists, assassinated in France by agents of the Islamic Republic in 1991 *

Hassen Belkhodja Hassen Belkhodja (10 March 1916, Ras Jebel – 29 November 1981), also known as Hassan Belkhodja, was a Tunisian politician and businessman. Biography Belkhodja attended the Lycée Carnot de Tunis before going to study at the faculté de dro ...

, Tunisian secretary of state *

Habib Bourguiba Jr. Habib Bourguiba Jr. ( ar, الحبيب بورقيبة الابن, al-Ḥabīb Būrqībah al-Ibn; 9 April 1927 – 28 December 2009) was a Tunisians, Tunisian diplomat and politician. Biography Jean-Claude Habib Bourguiba was the son of Habib Bo ...

, Tunisian politician, son of

Habib Bourguiba Habib Bourguiba (; ar, الحبيب بورقيبة, al-Ḥabīb Būrqībah; 3 August 19036 April 2000) was a Tunisian lawyer, nationalist leader and statesman who led the country from 1956 to 1957 as the prime minister of the Kingdom of T ...

Boutros Boutros-Ghali Boutros Boutros-Ghali (; , ar, بطرس بطرس غالي ', ; 14 November 1922 – 16 February 2016) was an Egyptian politician and diplomat who served as the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) from 1992 to 1996. An academic ...

, sixth secretary-general of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

(UN) *

Armand Călinescu Armand Călinescu (4 June 1893 – 21 September 1939) was a Romanian economist and politician, who served as 39th Prime Minister from March 1939 until his assassination six months later. He was a staunch opponent of the fascist Iron Guard and m ...

, prime minister of Romania *

Hasan Dosti Hasan Dosti (1895January 29, 1991) was an Albanian jurist and politician. Being a staunch Albanian nationalist, Dosti was considered by the Albanian communists to be one of their greatest enemies. Biography Early life Hasan Dosti was born in ...

, Albanian nationalist *

Abbas Ali Khalatbari Abbas Ali Khalatbari ( fa, عباسعلی خلعتبری, Abbās-'Alī Khal’atbarī; 1912 – 11 April 1979), also known as Abbas Ali Khal'atbari, was an Iranian diplomat, who served as the minister of foreign affairs from 1971 to 1978. He was ...

, Iranian secretary of foreign affairs *

Gheorghe Mironescu Gheorghe G. Mironescu, commonly known as G. G. Mironescu (January 28, 1874 – October 8, 1949), was a Romanian politician, member of the National Peasants' Party (PNȚ), who served as Prime Minister of Romania for two terms. Biography Born in ...

Wei Tao-ming Wei Tao-ming (; October 28, 1899 – May 18, 1978) was a distinguished Chinese diplomat and public servant. He was prominent as the Republic of China's Ambassador to the United States during the Second World War and foreign minister during t ...

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...

's ambassador to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Fictional

, from ''

Deans

* 1417- :

Raoul Roussel Raoul Roussel (1389–1452) was a French churchman, who played a part in the trial of Joan of Arc in 1431, and was archbishop of Rouen from 1443 to 1452. He was born at Saultchevreuil in the diocese of Coutances, and became a doctor of canon law ...

Charles Giraud Charles Joseph Barthélémy Giraud (20 February 1802 – 13 July 1881) was a French lawyer and politician. He was twice Minister of Education during the French Second Republic. Early years Charles Joseph Barthélémy Giraud was born on 20 Februa ...

* 1805-1809 : Louis-François Portiez * 1809-1830 : Claude-Étienne Delvincourt * 1830-1843 : Hyacinthe Blondeau * 1843-1845 :

Pellegrino Rossi Pellegrino Luigi Odoardo Rossi (13 July 1787 – 15 November 1848) was an Italian economist, politician and jurist. He was an important figure of the July Monarchy in France, and the minister of justice in the government of the Papal States, unde ...

* 1845-1846 : Jacques Berriat-Saint-Prix * 1846-1847 : Albert-Paul Royer-Collard * 1847-1868 : Charles Auguste Pellat * 1868-1879 : Gabriel Frédéric Colmet-Daâge * 1879-1887 : Charles Beudant * 1887-1896 : Edmond Colmet de Santerre * 1896-1899 : Eugène Garsonnet * 1899-1906 : Ernest Désiré Glasson * 1906-1910 : Charles Lyon-Caen * 1910-1913 : Paul Cauwès] * 1913-1922 : Ferdinand Larnaude * 1922-1933 : Henry Berthélemy * 1933-1938 : Edgard Allix * 1937-1944 :

* 1944-1955 : Léon Julliot de La Morandière * 1962-1967 : Georges Vedel * 1967-1970 : Alain Barrère

References

Sources

* * *.

External links

L’histoire de la Faculté de Droit de Paris (v. 1100-1970)
detailed history of the Faculty of Law of Paris (and from the teaching of law from the 4th Century BC in Celtic Gauls)
Pictures of the Faculty of Law of Paris in the early 20th century
from the

Bibliothèque interuniversitaire de la Sorbonne The Bibliothèque interuniversitaire de la Sorbonne () is an inter-university library in Paris, France. It is situated in the Sorbonne (building), Sorbonne building. It is a medieval institution of the Sorbonne, which evolved over the centuries as ...

.
Pictures of the Faculty of Law of Paris between 1880 and 1945
from the

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

public library.

History

c. 1100 – 1223: Law School of Paris

1223–1679: Faculty of Canon Law

1679–1793: Faculty of civil and canon law

1802–1970: Faculty of Law of Paris

1970: Dissolution

Campuses

Notable faculty

1100–1679

1679–1793

19th century

20th century

Notable alumni (1100–1679)

Notable alumni (1679–1793)

Notable alumni (1802–1970)

Intellectuals

Law professors

Judiciary and lawyers

Literature, arts and social activism

Politics and military

France: presidents

France: prime ministers

France: other

Outside of France

Fictional

Deans

References

Sources

External links

Further reading