The University of Turin Department of Law is the

law school A law school (also known as a law centre/center, college of law, or faculty of law) is an institution, professional school, or department of a college or university specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for b ...

of the

University of Turin The University of Turin (Italian language, Italian: ''Università degli Studi di Torino'', UNITO) is a public university, public research university in the city of Turin, in the Piedmont (Italy), Piedmont region of Italy. It is one of the List ...

. 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 analyzes and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal education in law (a law degree) and often a legal practition ...

, 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 legal system that governs interactions between individual persons. It is distinguished from public law, which deals with relationships between both natural and artificial persons (i.e., organizations) and the st ...

EU law European Union law is a system of Supranational union, supranational Law, laws operating within the 27 member states of the European Union (EU). It has grown over time since the 1952 founding of the European Coal and Steel Community, to promote ...

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

and related fields, and a unique global role in delivering

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

-linked graduate training.

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 Castration, castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e. cows proper), bulls have long been an important symbol cattle in r ...

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 (died 22 December 1419) was Pisan antipope as John XXIII (1410–1415) during the Western Schism. The Catholic Church today regards him as an antipope in opposition to Pope Gregory XII, whom it recognizes as the rightful succ ...

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

Martin V Pope Martin V (; ; January/February 1369 – 20 February 1431), born 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. His election effectively ended the West ...

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

, 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 (; )  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 and west and to the Aosta Vall ...

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, and the two economics professors Antonio Scialoja 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 David Ricardo (18 April 1772 – 11 September 1823) was a British politi ...

. 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, 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, economist and banker who served as President of Italy from 1948 to 1955 and is considered one of the founding fathers of the 1946 Italian institutional ...

, 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 const ...

in public law;

Francesco Ruffini Francesco Ruffini (Lessolo, April 10, 1863 - Turin, March 29, 1934) was an Italian jurist, historian, politician and Anti-fascism, antifascist. Biography Francesco Ruffini attended the ''Liceo Classico Carlo Botta'' in Ivrea. After teaching in ...

and Paolo Greco in

commercial law Commercial law (or business law), which is also known by other names such as mercantile law or trade law depending on jurisdiction; is the body of law that applies to the rights, relations, and conduct of Legal person, persons and organizations ...

. 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 lib ...

, 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 i ...

, 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 (), to the (AD 529) ordered by Eastern Roman emperor Justinian I. Roman law also den ...

; Rodolfo Sacco in civil and

. The Department of Law is located in

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) 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 from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

, nearby the fascinating

Mole Antonelliana The Mole Antonelliana () is a major landmark building in Turin, Italy, named after its architect, Alessandro Antonelli. A ''wikt:mole#Italian, mole'' in Italian language, Italian is a building of monumental proportions. Construction began in 186 ...

. It is one of the leading law departments in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

, 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 (; ; ; ) is a city and in Piedmont, 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 the south-west of Piedmont, at the confluence of the ri ...

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.), ''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. degree. As a result of the

Bologna Process file:Bologna-Prozess-Logo.svg, 96px, alt=Logo with stylized stars, Logo file:Bologna zone.svg, alt=Map of Europe, encompassing the entire Bologna zone, 256px, Bologna zone The Bologna Process is a series of ministerial meetings and agreements b ...

, 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

Among the Department of Law's distinguishing features in delivering graduate training is its partnership with various specialized

agencies, including the

International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is one of the firs ...

and

World Intellectual Property Organization The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO; (OMPI)) is one of the 15 specialized agencies of the United Nations (UN). Pursuant to the 1967 Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization, WIPO was created to pr ...

. Its LL.M. program offerings, which are offered in English, Italian, and other languages, reflect this cooperation.

LL.M. in Agricultural & Food Markets Law

This Italian-language programme provides multidisciplinary training in the areas of agricultural law, food safety, production and marketing of food. It aims to train professionals for roles such as agro-food law specialist, food chain inspection expert, and consumer protection or trade association advocate
Official Website

M.Sc. in Comparative Law, Economics and Finance

This programme is delivered in English as a full-time, residential degree in conjunction with the International University College of Turin, a small graduate centre for the interdisciplinary and critical study of law, economics, finance and the commons

Master in Industrial and Employment Relations

This English-language programme is co-organized with the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization. It is delivered through a combination of online and in-person learning
Official Website

LL.M. in Intellectual Property

This English-language programme is co-organized with the

and the University of Turin's School of Management. It is the long-running of a series of joint master's degrees in intellectual property convened by the WIPO Academy with universities around the world including, also within the European Union, at

Sofia University Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" () is a public university, public research university in Sofia, Bulgaria. It is the oldest institution of higher education in Bulgaria. Founded on 1 October 1888, the edifice of the university was constr ...

(Bulgaria),

IE University IE University, known as IE Universidad or Universidad Instituto de Empresa (lit. University Institute of Business), is a private university with campuses in Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populou ...

(Spain), and

Jagiellonian University The Jagiellonian University (, UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by Casimir III the Great, King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and one of the List of oldest universities in con ...

(Poland)
Official Website

LL.M. in International Trade Law

This English-language programme is co-organized with the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization,

United Nations Commission on International Trade Law The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) (French language, French: ''Commission des Nations Unies pour le droit commercial international (CNUDCI)'') is a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly, U.N. Gene ...

, and

UNIDROIT UNIDROIT (formally, the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law; French: ''Institut international pour l'unification du droit privé'') is an intergovernmental organization whose objective is to harmonize private internati ...

. It is delivered through a combination of online and in-person learning
Official Website

LL.M. in Public Administrative Law

This Italian-language programme includes courses on substantive and procedural administrative law, civil law, constitutional law, European Union law, tax law, criminal law and public accounting

LL.M. in Public Procurement for Sustainable Development

This English-language programme is co-organized with the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization and

. It is delivered through a combination of online and in-person learning
Official Website

Master in Management of Development

This English-language programme is co-organized with the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization and

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is an intergovernmental organization within the United Nations Secretariat that promotes the interests of developing countries in world trade. It was established in 1964 by the United Nations General Assembl ...

. It is delivered through a combination of online and in-person learning
Official Website

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 The Center for Transnational Legal Studies (CTLS) is a global educational center for the study of transnational law. The Center was founded in London in October 2008 as an initiative by Georgetown University Law Center, providing educational ser ...

* Centre of Advanced Studies on Contemporary China * Turin School of Development * 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 North America, academic divisions are sometimes titled colleges, sc ...

Law schools in Italy Legal research institutes

History of the Department

Academics and degree programs

Master of Laws programs

LL.M. in Agricultural & Food Markets Law

M.Sc. in Comparative Law, Economics and Finance

Master in Industrial and Employment Relations

LL.M. in Intellectual Property

LL.M. in International Trade Law

LL.M. in Public Administrative Law

LL.M. in Public Procurement for Sustainable Development

Master in Management of Development

Affiliated research institutes

See also

External links

References