The Faculty of Law of 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
The University of Paris (), known Metonymy, metonymically as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, from 1150 to 1970, except for 1793–1806 during the French Revolution. Emerging around 1150 as a corporation associated wit ...
("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 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
, it was one of the two most important faculties of law in the world, along with the faculty of law of the
University of Bologna
The University of Bologna (, abbreviated Unibo) is a Public university, public research university in Bologna, Italy. Teaching began around 1088, with the university becoming organised as guilds of students () by the late 12th century. It is the ...
(the oldest in the world).
Pierre Abélard
Peter Abelard (12 February 1079 – 21 April 1142) was a medieval French scholastic philosopher, leading logician, theologian, teacher, musician, composer, and poet. This source has a detailed description of his philosophical work.
In philos ...
, 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 ...
of
Notre-Dame de Paris
Notre-Dame de Paris ( ; meaning "Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris"), often referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a Medieval architecture, medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the River Seine), in the 4th arrondissemen ...
,
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, n ...
, 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 List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, 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 () 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
In 1230, when for a time the ...
, 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), known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Voltaire (, ; ), was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, philosopher (''philosophe''), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit ...
,
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 along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. He was a prominent figure during t ...
and
d'Alembert
Jean-Baptiste le Rond d'Alembert ( ; ; 16 November 1717 – 29 October 1783) was a French mathematician, mechanics, mechanician, physicist, philosopher, and music theorist. Until 1759 he was, together with Denis Diderot, a co-editor of the ''E ...
,
Robespierre
Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre (; ; 6 May 1758 – 28 July 1794) was a French lawyer and statesman, widely recognised as one of the most influential and controversial figures of the French Revolution. Robespierre fer ...
, etc. studied there. Between the
French Revolution and its dissolution in 1970, numerous important people in France and in the world taught or studied there, including
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician.
His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...
,
Claude Lévi-Strauss
Claude Lévi-Strauss ( ; ; 28 November 1908 – 30 October 2009) was a Belgian-born French anthropologist and ethnologist whose work was key in the development of the theories of structuralism and structural anthropology. He held the chair o ...
,
Tocqueville, and
Honoré de Balzac
Honoré de Balzac ( , more commonly ; ; born Honoré Balzac; 20 May 1799 – 18 August 1850) was a French novelist and playwright. The novel sequence ''La Comédie humaine'', which presents a panorama of post-Napoleonic French life, is ...
. The faculty of law is also mentioned in classical French literature, in particular in ''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...
''.
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.
Likewise, most of the economics professors (35 out of 41) preferred to found the multidisciplinary
Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University
Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University (), also known as Paris 1 (or Paris I) and Panthéon-Sorbonne University (or, together with Sorbonne University and Sorbonne Nouvelle University, simply as the Sorbonne), is a Public university, public rese ...
with professors of the faculty of humanities of Paris and a few professors of law.
History
c. 1100 – 1223: Law School of Paris
Pierre Abélard
Peter Abelard (12 February 1079 – 21 April 1142) was a medieval French scholastic philosopher, leading logician, theologian, teacher, musician, composer, and poet. This source has a detailed description of his philosophical work.
In philos ...
, teacher at the great
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 ...
of
Notre-Dame de Paris
Notre-Dame de Paris ( ; meaning "Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris"), often referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a Medieval architecture, medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the River Seine), in the 4th arrondissemen ...
(that would eventually become the
Sorbonne), 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, was a ...
, 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 () are letters of a pope that formulate decisions in canon law (Catholic Church), ecclesiastical law of the Catholic Church.McGurk. ''Dictionary of Medieval Terms''. p. 10
They are generally given in answer to consultations but are some ...
''
Super Specula''. 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
University of Orléans
The University of 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
In 1230, when for a time 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 great writers in the French language and world liter ...
,
Calvin,
Perrault,
Cujas,
Rabelais,
Fermat
Pierre de Fermat (; ; 17 August 1601 – 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 is recognized for his d ...
,
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
LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
reestablished the teaching of Roman law in Paris, the faculty was known as the "faculty of civil and
canon law
Canon law (from , , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its membe ...
".
Louis XIV
LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
also introduced French Customary Law into the programs.
The faculty was closed alongside other faculties on September 15, 1793, by the
French Revolution.
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
University of Paris
The University of Paris (), known Metonymy, metonymically as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, from 1150 to 1970, except for 1793–1806 during the French Revolution. Emerging around 1150 as a corporation associated wit ...
. In the late 1950s, it became a "faculty of law and economics".
The
Code Civil
The Napoleonic Code (), officially the Civil Code of the French (; simply referred to as ), is the French civil code established during the French Consulate in 1804 and still in force in France, although heavily and frequently amended since it ...
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 buildings (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
Panthéon-Assas University,
which is therefore considered as its direct inheritor.
Panthéon-Assas 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 Descartes University (), also known as Paris V, was a French public university located in Paris. It was one of the inheritors of the historic University of Paris, which was split into 13 universities in 1970. Paris Descartes completely merg ...
,
Paris-East Créteil University (these names were formed later), or outside
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
.
Likewise, most of its professors in economics (35 out of 41) preferred to join the multidisciplinary university, Paris I, later called
Panthéon-Sorbonne University while others joined
Panthéon-Assas University,
Paris Dauphine University
Paris Dauphine University - PSL () is a Grande École and public institution of higher education and research based in Paris, France, Collegiate university, constituent college of PSL University. As of 2022, Dauphine has 9,400 students in 8 fields ...
,
Paris Descartes University
Paris Descartes University (), also known as Paris V, was a French public university located in Paris. It was one of the inheritors of the historic University of Paris, which was split into 13 universities in 1970. Paris Descartes completely merg ...
(currently
Paris Cité University
Paris Cité University () is a public research university located in Paris, France. It was created by decree on 20 March 2019, resulting from the merger of Paris Descartes (Paris V) and Paris Diderot (Paris VII) universities, established fol ...
) and
Paris-East Créteil University.
Campuses
In 1680,
Louis XIV
LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
decided to place the faculty of law at the
Royal College.
In 1753,
Louis XV
Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), 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 reached maturity (then defi ...
decided that a new building would be constructed for the faculty of law on the
place du Panthéon
The Place du Panthéon (Help:IPA for French, las dy pɑ̃teɔ̃ is a square in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, 5th arrondissement of Paris, France. Located in the Latin Quarter, Paris, Latin Quarter, it is named after and surrounds the Panth ...
.
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 in Paris, built from 1755 onwards, originally as a church ded ...
, 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, Alain le Normand and François Carpentier
[, p. 206.] to accommodate the growing number of students at the
University of Paris
The University of Paris (), known Metonymy, metonymically as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, from 1150 to 1970, except for 1793–1806 during the French Revolution. Emerging around 1150 as a corporation associated wit ...
. 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
*
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, n ...
, founder of
legal humanism
1679–1793
*
Mathieu-Antoine Bouchaud, author of the
French Enlightenment
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band) ...
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 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. The son of Louis, Dauphin of France (1729–1765), Louis, Dauphin of France (son and heir- ...
at
his trial (with Malesherbes and Deseze)
*Claude-Étienne Delvincourt, also mentioned by
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician.
His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...
in
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...
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 writer and author whose writings spanned a wide variety of styles and topics. He was awarded the 1947 Nobel Prize in Literature. Gide's career ranged from his begi ...
, Nobel Prize in Literature 1947
*
Gustave Boissonade, builder of the Japanese Civil Law during the
Meiji Era
The was an Japanese era name, era of History of Japan, 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 feu ...
*
Émile Acollas, one of the founders of the
League of Peace and Freedom
*
Louis Renault
20th century
*
Gaston Jèze, French academic, humanitarian and human rights activist (including during WW2)
*
André Weiss
*
Boris Mirkin-Getzevich
Boris Sergeyevich Mirkin-Getzevich (; 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 Institute of Comparative LawWinter, Jay; Prost, Antoine (2013). ''Ren ...
*
René Cassin, 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 D ...
, receiving the
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish language, Swedish and ) is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the Will and testament, will of Sweden, Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobe ...
, soldier during WW2
*
Georges Ripert
*Henri Mazeaud (1939–1971, later professor emeritus from Paris II), twin brother of Léon Mazeaud, resistant to Nazi Germany and deported to
Buchenwald
Buchenwald (; 'beech forest') was a German Nazi concentration camp established on Ettersberg hill near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within the Altreich (Old Reich) territori ...
*Léon Mazeaud, (1941–1970), twin brother of Henri Mazeaud, resistant to Nazi Germany and deported to
Buchenwald
Buchenwald (; 'beech forest') was a German Nazi concentration camp established on Ettersberg hill near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within the Altreich (Old Reich) territori ...
, 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 h ...
, minister of Justice after WW2
*
René David (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 that it has more than ten million members a ...
's
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. I ...
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 (, ) 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 are upheld. It is housed in the ...
*
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 tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...
, 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
decretal
Decretals () are letters of a pope that formulate decisions in canon law (Catholic Church), ecclesiastical law of the Catholic Church.McGurk. ''Dictionary of Medieval Terms''. p. 10
They are generally given in answer to consultations but are some ...
''Super Specula''. Until the reintroduction of Roman Law (civil law) by
Louis XIV
LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
, people who wanted to learn civil law (Roman Law) and become lawyers would usually go to the nearby faculty of Law of the
University of Orléans
The University of 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
In 1230, when for a time 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 great writers in the French language and world liter ...
,
Calvin,
Perrault,
Cujas,
Rabelais,
Fermat
Pierre de Fermat (; ; 17 August 1601 – 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 is recognized for his d ...
,
La Boétie and others went to the latter.
*
Saint Ivo, patron of the lawyers of abandoned children, and of
Brittany
Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...
, "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 or 13 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 Caesar's civil wa ...
, 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 weal ...
,
Superintendent of Finances
The Superintendent of 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 created, the Controller-General of ...
under
King Louis XIV
LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the longest of any monar ...
*
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''
Notable alumni (1679–1793)
*
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778), known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Voltaire (, ; ), was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, philosopher (''philosophe''), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit ...
*
Mathieu-Antoine Bouchaud, author of the
French Enlightenment
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band) ...
*
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 ''Encyclopé ...
, co-creator with Diderot of the ''
Encyclopédie
, better known as ''Encyclopédie'' (), was a general encyclopedia published in France between 1751 and 1772, with later supplements, revised editions, and translations. It had many writers, known as the Encyclopédistes. It was edited by Denis ...
'' (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 along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. He was a prominent figure during th ...
, co-creator with d'Alembert of the ''
Encyclopédie
, better known as ''Encyclopédie'' (), was a general encyclopedia published in France between 1751 and 1772, with later supplements, revised editions, and translations. It had many writers, known as the Encyclopédistes. It was edited by Denis ...
''
*
Étienne Pascal
Étienne Pascal (; 2 May 1588 – 24 September 1651) was a French chief tax officer and the father of Blaise Pascal (1623–1662).
Biography
Pascal was born in Clermont to Martin Pascal, the treasurer of France, and Marguerite Pascal de Mons. H ...
, father and instructor of
Blaise Pascal
Blaise Pascal (19June 162319August 1662) was a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, philosopher, and Catholic Church, Catholic writer.
Pascal was a child prodigy who was educated by his father, a tax collector in Rouen. His earliest ...
*
Maximilien Robespierre
Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre (; ; 6 May 1758 – 28 July 1794) was a French lawyer and statesman, widely recognised as one of the most influential and controversial figures of the French Revolution. Robespierre ferv ...
, prominent member of the
French Revolution
*
Camille Desmoulins
Lucie-Simplice-Camille-Benoît Desmoulins (; 2 March 17605 April 1794) was a French journalist, politician and a prominent figure of the French Revolution. He is best known for playing an instrumental role in the events that led to the Stormin ...
, member of the
French Revolution
Notable alumni (1802–1970)
Intellectuals
*
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician.
His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...
*
Alexis de Tocqueville
Alexis Charles Henri Clérel, comte de Tocqueville (29 July 180516 April 1859), was a French Aristocracy (class), aristocrat, diplomat, political philosopher, and historian. He is best known for his works ''Democracy in America'' (appearing in t ...
Law professors
*
Manuel Alejandro Álvarez Jofré,
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
an professor of
international law
International law, also known as public international law and the law of nations, is the set of Rule of law, rules, norms, Customary law, legal customs and standards that State (polity), states and other actors feel an obligation to, and generall ...
and a
judge
A judge is a person who wiktionary:preside, presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a judicial panel. In an adversarial system, the judge hears all the witnesses and any other Evidence (law), evidence presented by the barris ...
at the
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice (ICJ; , CIJ), or colloquially the World Court, is the only international court that Adjudication, adjudicates general disputes between nations, and gives advisory opinions on International law, internation ...
*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 uni ...
, Russian professor of law and secretary of public instruction
*
Gustave Boissonade
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, 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 and a president of the AIDP. He was the primary French judge during the proceedings, with Robert Falco ...
, French judge at the
Nuremberg trials #REDIRECT Nuremberg trials
{{redirect category shell, {{R from other capitalisation{{R from move ...
*
Louis Henri Barboux, lawyer for
Sarah Bernhardt
Sarah Bernhardt (; born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; 22 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 by Alexandre Dumas fils, ...
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 (9 October 1859 – 12 July 1935) was a French Army officer best known for his central role in the Dreyfus affair. In 1894, Dreyfus fell victim to a judicial conspiracy that eventually sparked a major political crisis in the Fre ...
, symbolic French antisemitism case
*
Fernand Labori, lawyer of
Alfred Dreyfus
Alfred Dreyfus (9 October 1859 – 12 July 1935) was a French Army officer best known for his central role in the Dreyfus affair. In 1894, Dreyfus fell victim to a judicial conspiracy that eventually sparked a major political crisis in the Fre ...
*
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, prominent French lawyer
*
Tcheng Yu-hsiu, first female lawyer and judge in Chinese history
Literature, arts and social activism
*
Honoré de Balzac
Honoré de Balzac ( , more commonly ; ; born Honoré Balzac; 20 May 1799 – 18 August 1850) was a French novelist and playwright. The novel sequence ''La Comédie humaine'', which presents a panorama of post-Napoleonic French life, is ...
, prominent author
*
René Bazin, prominent author
*
Gustave Flaubert
Gustave Flaubert ( , ; ; 12 December 1821 – 8 May 1880) was a French novelist. He has been considered the leading exponent of literary realism in his country and abroad. According to the literary theorist Kornelije Kvas, "in Flaubert, realis ...
, author of ''
Madame Bovary
''Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners'' (; ), commonly known as simply ''Madame Bovary'', is the début novel by France, French writer Gustave Flaubert, originally published in 1856 and 1857. The eponymous character, Emma Bovary, lives beyond he ...
''
*
Marcel Proust
Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust ( ; ; 10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, literary critic, and essayist who wrote the novel (in French – translated in English as ''Remembrance of Things Past'' and more r ...
, author of ''
In Search of Lost Time
''In Search of Lost Time'' (), 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 author Marcel Proust. This early twen ...
''
*
Anne Ancelin Schützenberger, psychologist
*
Jean Aubert, engineer
*
Jacques Bainville, journalist and historian
*
Alfred Binet
Alfred Binet (; ; 8 July 1857 – 18 October 1911), born Alfredo Binetti, was a French psychologist who together with Théodore Simon invented the first practical intelligence test, the Binet–Simon test. In 1904, Binet took part in a comm ...
, psychologist
*
Henri Burin des Roziers, priest and social activist
*
Charles Champoiseau, archeologist
*Éric de Dampierre, ethnologist
* Émile Dard, historian
*
Henri de Gaulle, teacher, father of
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free France, Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Re ...
(president of France)
*
Gaëtan Duval, activist
*
Dariush Safvat, 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, ...
,
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 number, real algebraic integer \alpha > 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 Di ...
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 ...
s and the
Salem Prize
*
Claude Lévi-Strauss
Claude Lévi-Strauss ( ; ; 28 November 1908 – 30 October 2009) was a Belgian-born French anthropologist and ethnologist whose work was key in the development of the theories of structuralism and structural anthropology. He held the chair o ...
, "father of modern anthropology"
Politics and military
France: presidents
*
François Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand (26 October 19168 January 1996) was a French politician and statesman who served as President of France from 1981 to 1995, the longest holder of that position in the history of France. As a former First ...
, president for 14 years
*Jean Casimir-Perier, president and prime minister, involved in the Dreyfus affair against antisemitism
*Raymond Poincaré, president during World War I and prime minister
France: prime ministers
*Aristide Briand, prime minister, Nobel Peace Prize 1926
*Léon Gambetta, prime minister, influential during the Franco-Prussian War and in the restoration of the Republic in France
*Jules Grévy, prime minister
*Michel Debré, prime minister
*Pierre Messmer, prime minister
*Maurice Couve de Murville, prime minister
*Henri Brisson, prime minister
*Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury, prime minister
*Léon Bourgeois, prime minister
France: other
*Jules Favre, opponent to Napoleon III
*Robert Badinter, minister of justice
*Gustave Rouland
*Simone Veil, minister of justice
*Pierre-Antoine Berryer, member of parliament and the Académie française
*Bernard Barberon, resistant to Nazi Germany
*Jean-Baptiste Biaggi, resistant and member of parliament
*Guy de Boysson, resistant
*Lucien Brun, prominent member of parliament of the French Third Republic
*Pierre Jacobsen, resistant and high-rank military
*Jean-Marie Le Pen, member of parliament
Outside of France
*Javad Ameri, Iranian minister of Interior
*Ali Amini, Prime Minister of Iran
*Constantin Argetoianu, prime minister of Romania
*Shapour Bakhtiar, last prime minister of Iran before the Islamic Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic, 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, Tunisian secretary of state
*Habib Bourguiba Jr., Tunisian politician, son of Habib Bourguiba
*Boutros Boutros-Ghali, List of Secretaries-General of the United Nations, sixth secretary-general of the United Nations (UN)
*Armand Călinescu, prime minister of Romania
*Hasan Dosti, Albanian nationalist
*Abbas Ali Khalatbari, Iranian secretary of foreign affairs
*Gheorghe Mironescu
*Vũ Văn Mẫu, Minister of Foreign Affairs (South Vietnam), Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Vietnam and Prime Minister of the Republic of Vietnam
*Wei Tao-ming, Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China's ambassador to the United States during the Second World War
Fictional
*
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 ...
, from ''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...
''
Deans
* 1417- : Raoul Roussel
* Charles Giraud
* 1805-1809 : Louis-François Portiez
* 1809-1830 : Claude-Étienne Delvincourt
* 1830-1843 : Hyacinthe Blondeau
* 1843-1845 : Pellegrino Rossi
* 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 :
Georges Ripert
* 1944-1955 : Léon Julliot de La Morandière
* 1962-1967 :
Georges Vedel
* 1967-1970 : Alain Barrère
References
Sources
*
*
*.
Further reading
*
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.
Pictures of the Faculty of Law of Paris between 1880 and 1945 from the
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
public library.
{{Coord, 48.8469, N, 2.3447, E, source:wikidata-and-enwiki-cat-tree_region:FR, display=title
University of Paris
Legal history of France
Law schools in France
12th-century establishments in France
1970 disestablishments in France