The University of Turin Department of Law is the

law school A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction. Law degrees Argentina In Argentina, ...

of the

University of Turin The University of Turin (Italian: ''Università degli Studi di Torino'', UNITO) is a public research university in the city of Turin, in the Piedmont region of Italy. It is one of the oldest universities in Europe and continues to play an impo ...

. It is commonly shortened ''UNITO Department of Law''. It traces its roots to the founding of the University of Turin, and has produced or hosted some of the most outstanding

jurists A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyses and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal qualification in law and often a legal practitioner. In the Uni ...

, statespeople and scholars in Italian and European history. Among its distinguished faculty and alumni are leading writers, philosophers and legal scholars. Nowadays the Department of Law continues the tradition, with particular strengths in the fields of

private law Private law is that part of a civil law legal system which is part of the ''jus commune'' that involves relationships between individuals, such as the law of contracts and torts (as it is called in the common law), and the law of obligations ( ...

EU law European Union law is a system of rules operating within the member states of the European Union (EU). Since the founding of the European Coal and Steel Community following World War II, the EU has developed the aim to "promote peace, its val ...

comparative law Comparative law is the study of differences and similarities between the law (legal systems) of different countries. More specifically, it involves the study of the different legal "systems" (or "families") in existence in the world, including the ...

and related fields.

History of the Department

The history of the Department of Law can be traced to the establishment of the

, in 1404, and has followed its developments over the ensuing six centuries. In autumn 1404, a

bull A bull is an intact (i.e., not castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e., cows), bulls have long been an important symbol in many religions, includin ...

issued by Benedict XIII, the Avignon Pope, marked the actual birth of a centre of higher learning in Torino, formally ratified in 1412 by the Emperor Sigmund's certification and subsequently, in 1413, by a bull issued by

antipope John XXIII Baldassarre Cossa (c. 1370 – 22 December 1419) was Pisan antipope John XXIII (1410–1415) during the Western Schism. The Catholic Church regards him as an antipope, as he opposed Pope Gregory XII whom the Catholic Church now recognizes as ...

, the Pisan Pope, and probably by another issued in 1419 by

Martin V Pope Martin V ( la, Martinus V; it, Martino V; January/February 1369 – 20 February 1431), born Otto (or Oddone) Colonna, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 November 1417 to his death in February 1431. Hi ...

, Pope of Rome, and by a series of papal privileges. The new institution, which initially only held courses in

civil Civil may refer to: *Civic virtue, or civility *Civil action, or lawsuit * Civil affairs *Civil and political rights *Civil disobedience *Civil engineering *Civil (journalism), a platform for independent journalism *Civilian, someone not a membe ...

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 ...

, was authorized to confer both the academic "licentia" and "doctoratus" titles which were later to become a single "laurea" (degree) title. It was the Bishop, as Rector of Studies, who proclaimed and conferred the title on the new doctors. In 1436, ducal licenses established the three core faculties of Theology, Arts and Medicine, as well as Civil and Canon law. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the legal studies increasingly grew, giving the Department a national and international reputation. Notable academics contributed to the growth of the Department. During the years of the Resurgence, when a numerous group of patriots and intellectuals took refuge in the

Savoy Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south. Savo ...

capital city, some of Italy's most remarkable names taught at the University and the Department of Law, like the jurist and statesman

Pasquale Stanislao Mancini Pasquale Stanislao Mancini, 8th Marquess of Fusignano (17 March 1817 – 26 December 1888) was an Italian jurist and statesman. Early life Mancini was born in Castel Baronia, in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (present-day Province of A ...

, and the two economics professors

Antonio Scialoja Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language-speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular mal ...

and

Francesco Ferrara Francesco Ferrara (1810–1900) was an Italian economist, and political scientist. He helped introduce the classical economic theories of Adam Smith, David Ricardo, and J. S. Mill John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 – 7 May 1873) was an Engl ...

. In modern Italian history, the UNITO Department of Law was known for its central role in Italian national unification and cultural progressiveness. For instance, in 1881, the Department of Law graduated

Lidia Poët Lidia Poët (26 August 1855 – 25 February 1949) was the first modern female Italian lawyer. Her disbarment led to a movement to allow women to practice law and hold public office in Italy. Career Born in 1855 in the hamlet of Traverse, Perrero ...

, who would become the controversial first female jurist in modern Italy. In the first half of 20th century some outstanding names in the history of the Department and the university include:

Luigi Einaudi Luigi Numa Lorenzo Einaudi (; 24 March 1874 – 30 October 1961) was an Italian politician and economist. He served as the president of Italy from 1948 to 1955. Early life Einaudi was born to Lorenzo and Placida Fracchia in Carrù, in the prov ...

, in the field of the financial studies;

Gaetano Mosca Gaetano Mosca (; 1 April 1858 – 8 November 1941) was an Italian political scientist, journalist and public servant. He is credited with developing the elite theory and the doctrine of the political class and is one of the three members constitu ...

in public law;

Francesco Ruffini Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name "Francis", is the most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name include: People with the given name Francesco * Francesco I (disambiguation), sever ...

and

Paolo Greco Paolo is both a given name and a surname, the Italian form of the name Paul. Notable people with the name include: People with the given name Paolo Art *Paolo Alboni (1671–1734), Italian painter *Paolo Abbate (1884–1973), Italian-American s ...

commercial law Commercial law, also known as mercantile law or trade law, is the body of law that applies to the rights, relations, and conduct of persons and business engaged in commerce, merchandising, trade, and sales. It is often considered to be a branc ...

. Most recently should be mentioned at least

Norberto Bobbio Norberto Bobbio (; 18 October 1909 – 9 January 2004) was an Italian philosopher of law and political sciences and a historian of political thought. He also wrote regularly for the Turin-based daily ''La Stampa''. Bobbio was a social libera ...

, in legal philosophy;

Giovanni Conso Giovanni Battista Conso (23 March 1922 – 2 August 2015) was an Italian jurist who served on the Constitutional Court of Italy for nine years beginning in 1982, and has served as President of the Accademia dei Lincei from 1989 until his death ...

, in criminal law; Gastone Cottino in commercial law; Marcello Gallo, in criminal law; Giuseppe Grosso in

Roman law Roman law is the law, legal system of ancient Rome, including the legal developments spanning over a thousand years of jurisprudence, from the Twelve Tables (c. 449 BC), to the ''Corpus Juris Civilis'' (AD 529) ordered by Eastern Roman emperor J ...

;

Rodolfo Sacco Rodolfo Sacco (21 November 1923 – 21 March 2022) was an Italian legal scholar. Biography Born in Fossano, Kingdom of Italy, Italy, he was professor emeritus at the University of Turin, Faculty of Law. He is arguably one of the country's best k ...

in civil and

. The Department of Law is located in

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...

, nearby the fascinating

Mole Antonelliana The Mole Antonelliana () is a major landmark building in Turin, Italy, named after its architect, Alessandro Antonelli. A '' mole'' in Italian is a building of monumental proportions. Construction began in 1863, soon after Italian unificati ...

. It is one of the leading law departments in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, with particular strengths in the fields of comparative law and private law. Additionally, the Department of Law has improved its physical facilities (including course offerings in

Cuneo Cuneo (; pms, Coni ; oc, Coni/Couni ; french: Coni ) is a city and ''comune'' in Piedmont, Northern Italy, the capital of the province of Cuneo, the fourth largest of Italy’s provinces by area. It is located at 550 metres (1,804 ft) in ...

and international exchange programs with a number of the world's leading research universities). The Department of Law coordinates the research work of more than 120 law professors in the different areas of law.

Academics and degree programs

The Department offers a number of degrees, starting with the ''laurea di giurisprudenza'' (equivalent to an

LL.B. Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

), ''laurea specialistica'' or ''laurea magistrale'' (postgraduate law degree, equivalent to an LL.M.) and several specialized LL.M. programs. The Department also offers some brief degree courses (three years). In addition, the Department offers the ''dottorato di ricerca'' or the traditional research

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

degree. As a result of the Bologna Process, all of the UNITO Law degrees are fully comparable and transferable across Europe, and graduates of the law department in fact practice in a number of leading jurisdictions across Europe.

Master of Laws programs

In addition, the Department of Law offers LL.M. programs:

Master's programme in industrial and employment relations

Official Website

Master en Gouvernance et management des marchés publics en appui au développement durable

Official Website

LL.M. in Intellectual Property

Official Website

LL.M. in International Crime and Justice

Official Website

LL.M. in Public Procurement for Sustainable Development

Official Website

Master in International trade law - Contracts and Dispute Resolution

Official Website

Master in Management of Development

Official Website

LL.M. in Comparative Law, Economics and Finance

Official Website

Master in International trade law (blended)

Affiliated research institutes

The UNITO Department of Law is a founding member of a number of innovative international law programs, such as th
Center for Transnational Legal Studies, London
and several independent research institutes: * Center for Transnational Legal Studies * Centre of Advanced Studies on Contemporary China *

Turin School of Development The Turin School of Development (TSD) was founded in Turin in October 2009 as a joint venture between the International Training Center of the ILO, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooper ...

* CLEI Centre

External links

University of Turin - Official website

Law Department - Official website

University of Turin, Department of Law - Academics website

ITC - ILO

UNICRI

References

{{authority control

Faculty of Law A faculty is a division within a university or college comprising one subject area or a group of related subject areas, possibly also delimited by level (e.g. undergraduate). In American usage such divisions are generally referred to as colleges ...

Law schools in Italy Legal research institutes

History of the Department

Academics and degree programs

Master of Laws programs

Master's programme in industrial and employment relations

Master en Gouvernance et management des marchés publics en appui au développement durable

LL.M. in Intellectual Property

LL.M. in International Crime and Justice

LL.M. in Public Procurement for Sustainable Development

Master in International trade law - Contracts and Dispute Resolution

Master in Management of Development

LL.M. in Comparative Law, Economics and Finance

Master in International trade law (blended)

Affiliated research institutes

See also

External links

References