Course presentation
Studying Law in Parma gives you the opportunity to obtain a quality education that is already well oriented towards various professional outlets, including international ones.
You are offered: constant direct contact with professors; strong legal, logical, computer and business skills; activities in the resolution of practical cases, in line with the most modern requirements of society, which is experiencing increasingly rapid changes.
Our remarkable employment levels and the positive results for law graduates in Parma prove these conditions.
Studying Law at Parma also means being able to attend English language elective courses that are offered by the course, or ensuring the possibility of gaining profitable experience abroad, which may enable you to gain an extra point on your degree grade.
During your training you will be able to count on the use of new distance learning technologies (Elly platform, e-learning, blended), on a education manager and on the support of particularly experienced students (tutors), who will help you deal with any organisational difficulties.
What awaits you after graduation
The jurist's ability to solve concrete problems of reality according to justice will be even more valuable and appreciated in a technological world. The opportunities that a law degree opens up are many.
In addition to the classic legal professions (lawyer, magistrate, notary), you can gain access to other roles in any sector: business-related professions (legal, commercial, human resources management, labour consultant); jobs in banks and credit institutions; jobs in the highest positions in the public administration (executive, prefectural, military, police, independent authorities); journalism; positions in international organisations, trade unions, non-profit organisations and sports clubs; diplomatic and consular careers.
You will be guided through these possibilities from the third year onwards, and will also be able to take part in internships, for which ECTS credits are recognised, in companies, banks, professional firms and public offices.
You will be able to continue your studies at our Department, with access to the Specialization school for the Legal Professions or to Postgraduate Courses.
The course in brief
The single-cycle degree course in Law aims to train legal specialists with highly qualified skills in all areas of law, both national and international, but also with knowledge of history and economics, which is necessary to fully understand the functioning of legal systems and to cope with today's civil society and market requirements.
The course aims to prepare graduates for the legal professions (lawyer, magistrate and notary), and to provide them with the legal knowledge and skills to access the roles of senior public management and the diplomatic career, the legal sectors of companies and private organisations, the profession of labour consultant, and positions of significant qualification and responsibility in the world of public administration, international organisations, credit, trade unions, real estate brokerage and specialised journalism.
The course is single-cycle and lasts five years, allowing the 300 CFUs required for the degree to be completed. In the first year's programme of study, there are subjects with a historical-philosophical focus, providing an essential cultural basis for tackling the more strictly positive law subjects envisaged in the following years: in particular, the Logic, Argumentation and Legal Informatics exam is intended to immediately provide students with the methodological tools to be able to understand the subjects studied with a critical approach, also with the aid of the new distance technologies. The entire training programme has been constructed with the needs of jurists that will find their place in an increasingly international context in mind: ample space is given to teachings of international law and European Union law; English language teaching is envisaged, as a language skill; teachings taught entirely in English can be chosen, also by Visiting Professors; the possibility of gaining profitable experience abroad is offered, by accessing the numerous international exchange projects, including the Italian-Brazilian Double Degree project with the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul. The last two years of the course are then characterised by the provision of four elective examinations (24 CFU), in order to allow the student to study in depth specific areas, which are increasingly topical and attractive to the jurist of tomorrow. The course proposes three training paths in order to address the study of choice examinations that are particularly useful for subsequent, possible professional outlets. Alternatives have also been introduced in connection with some compulsory examinations, allowing for the deepening of one subject rather than another.
The quality of teaching receives particular attention and tends increasingly towards a case study and seminar approach, which is highly appreciated by students. From the third year onwards, there is also the possibility of doing training placements in professional firms or organisations, for 150 hours. In the fifth year, it is possible to anticipate a period of practice for access to certain professions. Throughout the course, the student can rely on a teaching manager and the help of student tutors to deal with any organisational difficulties, or the study of individual subjects. Regular labour guidance meetings are organised with professionals, magistrates, diplomats, civil servants and business representatives. After graduation, legal studies can be continued at the Department of Law, Politics and International Studies , with access to the Specialization school for the Legal Professions or to Advanced courses.
The Course of Study, on 9 April 2019, underwent a periodic accreditation visit by ANVUR, in relation to the Quality Assurance indicators set out in Annex C of the Ministerial Decree. 6/2019. The University of Parma received a score of 7.88, which places it in band 'A', the first in Italy among accredited universities to date. Overall, the course received a score that, to date, is also the highest among accredited law courses in the country to date. The profiles with the highest scores were, in particular: orientation and tutoring; internationalisation of teaching; endowment and qualification of teaching staff; contribution of lecturers and students (https://www.anvur.it/attivita/ava/accreditamento-periodico/rapporti-anv...).
Prizes and awards for students in the single-cycle degree course in Law
Giulia Sura valutata tra i 111 migliori talenti in Italia e tra i primi 10 in ambito giuridico
La dott.ssa Giulia Sura, neo-laureata in Giurisprudenza presso il nostro Dipartimento, è stata valutata da Nova (https://www.novatalent.com), un Network che mira a mettere in contatto professionisti e studenti, fra i 111 migliori talenti in Italia e fra i primi dieci in ambito giuridico ((https://www.novatalent.com/111/italy/student-list/2023). Molti complimenti!
Young America Award to college talent
Two students from the University of Parma's Department of Law, Political and International Studies won the America Giovani Award to University Talent.
Giulia Sura, a graduate in Law, and Gabriele Masullo, a graduate in International and European Relations, received the award that the Italy USA Foundation dedicates to deserving young recent graduates of Italian universities.
The Young America Award aims to highlight 1,000 talents from Italy each year with university backgrounds of excellence, to support them concretely in their entry into the world of work.
The official award ceremony was held on May 8, 2023 in Rome at the Chamber of Deputies. In addition to the parchment, the young awardees receive a full scholarship to take advantage of the Italy USA Foundation's exclusive online master's program in "Leadership for International Relations and Made in Italy" free of charge.
This prestigious recognition is a source of great pride for the Department. Congratulations to Dr. Giulia Sura and Dr. Gabriele Masullo!
Trial simulation in International Aviation Law (Leiden University - The Netherlands and Sarin Foundation - India).
Noemi Bertolini, Miriana Nacci, Lucia Tria
In the year 2019, the University of Parma participated in the 11th edition of the trial simulation in International Aviation Law, organised by the University of Leiden (Netherlands) and the Sarin Foundation (India).
The team consisted of: Miriana Nacci, Lucia Tria
(students in the degree course in Political Science and International Relations) and Noemi Bertolini (students in the degree course in Law).
Following the evaluation of the written briefs, the team from the University of Parma, among 24 teams representing universities from all over the world, came second, tied, just one point behind the first ranked team.
The excellent result is the result of teamwork, led by Elena Carpanelli and Marco Inglese (Professors of International Law and European Union Law at the Department of Law, Politics and International Studies ), which also involved Luca Romano (student in the second-cycle degree coursein International and European Relations), already a finalist, together with Noemi Bertolini, in the Sperduti 2019 trial simulation.
Each year, the mock trial focuses on a fictitious case, submitted to the International Court of Justice, involving multiple issues of public international law and aviation law.
The competition takes place in two stages: a written stage, in which competing teams from all over the world produce defence briefs, in English, for both the plaintiff state and the defendant state; and an oral stage, during which students present their arguments before a panel of judges.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the oral phase of the simulation, which was supposed to be held in Shanghai from 17 to 19 April 2020, was first moved to St. Petersburg and later postponed to October 2020.
The winning team would be given the opportunity to do an internship at the International Civil Aviation Organisation, a specialised UN agency based in Montreal.
The participation of the University of Parma team in the trial simulation was made possible thanks to a generous financial contribution by the law firm Efficient Outcomes of Verona.
Giuseppe Sperduti Award
Noemi Bertolini, Virginia Oddi e Costanza Santoro
On 3 December 2019, the final of the 17th edition of the competition for the Giuseppe Sperduti Prize, organised by the Human Rights Committee of the Italian Society for International Organisation (SIOI), was held in Rome.
On this occasion, the two finalist teams - the University of Parma and the University of Catania, who had achieved the best results in the first competition phase - faced each other in a fierce mock trial before a panel of judges composed of university professors and SIOI representatives.
The team from the University of Parma - comprised of Noemi Bertolini, Virginia Oddi and Costanza Santoro, enrolled in the second-cycle degree course in Law degree course - came second, scoring a total of 426 points, compared to 429 for the winning team. An excellent result, especially in view of the narrow gap between Parma's score and that of the University of Catania, a multiple finalist in past editions of the Sperduti Prize. Moreover, at the end of the simulation, the jury expressed particular appreciation for the work done by the contenders, qualifying the written pleadings and oral defence of both teams as products of excellence.
Achieving second place earned the Parma students a prize of 500 euros, as well as the opportunity to benefit from a 20% discount on enrolment fees for master's courses organised by SIOI.
The Giuseppe Sperduti Prize consists of a trial simulation competition on a practical case related to the application of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR) and its Protocols. The text of the case dealt with by the students is available at: https://www.sioi.org/attivita/focus-on/premio-sperduti/premio-sperduti-…).
Negotiation Workshop
Elisa Onori e Federico D’Imporzano
Elisa Onori and Federico D'Imporzano, students of the second-cycle degree coursee in Law, together with two other students of the second-cycle degree course in Trade and Consumer Marketing, participated in the second edition of the Mav (Mediations in Verona), master edition of the Cim, held on 4 and 5 October 2019 at the University of Verona, after their February 2019 experience at the Cim (Italian Mediation Competition) in Milan.
In the a.y. 2018/2019 the four students attended the Negotiation workshop led by Prof. Cristina Ziliani and professional coach and mediator Marina Malori.
Among the 22 teams taking part in the MAV, the University students brought home an excellent result by winning third place overall and a special prize.
The team consisting of Flavio Adriano Iervolino (CdL in Trade and Consumer Marketing) and Elisa Onori (CdL in Law) finished on the podium while the team consisting of Salvatore Ferraro ((CdL in Trade and Consumer Marketing) and Federico D'Imporzano (CdL in Law) received a special award for 'Best Exploration of Interests' of the counterpart.
During the two days, the Parma teams held three meeting each. In each meeting, the two pairs (each consisting of one student as party and one as lawyer) competed at the negotiating table with participants from all over Italy. The purpose of these meetings was to explore possibilities, settle differences and eventually define a mutually beneficial agreement, facilitated by a professional mediator who assisted the parties in pursuing their mutual interests.The commitment of the Trade and Consumer Marketing and Law courses is therefore renewed in encouraging their students to invest in an all-round education as they are immersed in a context (be it business or legal) in which negotiating, listening, lateral thinking and value generation skills for all parties are of great importance: indispensable skills for tomorrow's professionals.
Negotiation Workshop - Testimony by Sara Galvani
Sara Galvani
Student Sara Galvani enrolled in the second-cycle degree course in Law, participated in the Negotiation Workshop in 2018 with excellent results. Here is a description of this experience in his own words:
I am Sara Galvani, a student enrolled in the Law degree course, almost at the end of my university course. In the year 2017, I had the privilege of taking part in the Negotiation Workshop that allowed me to get in touch with the world of mediation, and from there began the most intense and rewarding experience of these five university years.
The workshop provided me with knowledge ranging from communication to negotiation to mediation. Beyond my university career, which was enriched with valuable knowledge, I was also able to enjoy many benefits from a personal point of view, first and foremost my confidence and self-confidence.
During my studies I have often found myself thinking that law, however varied and constantly evolving, sometimes fails to provide the most satisfactory solution to concrete cases; this is where mediation comes in, allowing you to go beyond the rules but without breaking them, to see paths you did not think possible, to create rather than destroy.
The art of mediation is a tool that can come in handy whenever conflicts arise between two or more parties; once at the conciliation table, the parties will have the opportunity in complete confidentiality to seek an understanding with the help of a mediator, who will not play the role of a judge, but of a facilitator.
Thanks to teaching, I was able to discover how, with the coordination of a mediator, it is possible to settle conflicts arising between societies, between private citizens, between friends, between family members. The method to solve them lies in knowing how to use the common tools of communication intelligently and having the interests of the parties at heart and not merely winning.
The Workshop provides specific preparation for participation in the Italian Mediation Competition from 22 to 24 February 2018. The team from the University of Parma, of which I had the honour of being a part, achieved third place in the sixth edition, competing against 22 other universities from all over Italy. Thanks to this participation, I was also able to take part in the MaV Competition, held in Verona on 28 and 29 September 2018, paired with a student from the University of Ferrara, Rovigo hub. Together, we won the special prize 'Aptitude for Cooperation', an award for the demonstrated ability to play the role of the other party, to understand their interests and to know how to combine them with one's own, or that of one's client, in the search for a mutually satisfactory result.
The Workshop gave me a lot of theory and then put me to the test; the result was rewarding and I consider it a good stepping stone for the future. Step by step it allowed me to understand what I want to do 'when I grow up', but above all who I want to be.
I would recommend this experience to all law students because it gives them an insight into a very important part of their future: anyone who wants to become a lawyer will sooner or later find themselves at a mediation table and there they will have to be able to listen, to be able to separate the positions and interests of the parties, to be able to negotiate, to be able to compromise, to cooperate with the other party, to create, to invent.
I take advantage of this space to thank Professor Massimo Montanari and Professor Cristina Ziliani once again for allowing me to take part in the Workshop. Thanks also to Geom. Stefano Tommasini, Avv. Paolo Lannutti, Dr David Finardi and Geom. Giuseppe Iamiglio for providing me with the tools and showing me how to use them. And finally to Geom. Marina Malori who continues to guide me in the world of mediation.
I am Sara Galvani, a student enrolled in the Law degree course, almost at the end of my university course. In the year 2017, I had the privilege of taking part in the Negotiation Workshop that allowed me to get in touch with the world of mediation, and from there began the most intense and rewarding experience of these five university years.
The workshop provided me with knowledge ranging from communication to negotiation to mediation. Beyond my university career, which was enriched with valuable knowledge, I was also able to enjoy many benefits from a personal point of view, first and foremost my confidence and self-confidence.
During my studies I have often found myself thinking that law, however varied and constantly evolving, sometimes fails to provide the most satisfactory solution to concrete cases; this is where mediation comes in, allowing you to go beyond the rules but without breaking them, to see paths you did not think possible, to create rather than destroy.
The art of mediation is a tool that can come in handy whenever conflicts arise between two or more parties; once at the conciliation table, the parties will have the opportunity in complete confidentiality to seek an understanding with the help of a mediator, who will not play the role of a judge, but of a facilitator.
Thanks to teaching, I was able to discover how, with the coordination of a mediator, it is possible to settle conflicts arising between societies, between private citizens, between friends, between family members. The method to solve them lies in knowing how to use the common tools of communication intelligently and having the interests of the parties at heart and not merely winning.
The Workshop provides specific preparation for participation in the Italian Mediation Competition from 22 to 24 February 2018. The team from the University of Parma, of which I had the honour of being a part, achieved third place in the sixth edition, competing against 22 other universities from all over Italy. Thanks to this participation, I was also able to take part in the MaV Competition, held in Verona on 28 and 29 September 2018, paired with a student from the University of Ferrara, Rovigo hub. Together, we won the special prize 'Aptitude for Cooperation', an award for the demonstrated ability to play the role of the other party, to understand their interests and to know how to combine them with one's own, or that of one's client, in the search for a mutually satisfactory result.
The Workshop gave me a lot of theory and then put me to the test; the result was rewarding and I consider it a good stepping stone for the future. Step by step it allowed me to understand what I want to do 'when I grow up', but above all who I want to be.
I would recommend this experience to all law students because it gives them an insight into a very important part of their future: anyone who wants to become a lawyer will sooner or later find themselves at a mediation table and there they will have to be able to listen, to be able to separate the positions and interests of the parties, to be able to negotiate, to be able to compromise, to cooperate with the other party, to create, to invent.
I take advantage of this space to thank Professor Massimo Montanari and Professor Cristina Ziliani once again for allowing me to take part in the Workshop. Thanks also to Geom. Stefano Tommasini, Avv. Paolo Lannutti, Dr David Finardi and Geom. Giuseppe Iamiglio for providing me with the tools and showing me how to use them. And finally to Geom. Marina Malori who continues to guide me in the world of mediation.
Rotary National Competition 'Corruption steals our future. A brake on development, a detriment to all'
Beatrice Signorini
Beatrice Signorini, then enrolled in the second-cycle degree course in Law at the University of Parma, won third prize in the Rotary National Competition 'Corruption steals our future. A brake for development, a detriment for all', convened by the Legality and Culture of Ethics Commission created within District 2080, and aimed at schools and universities. The award ceremony took place in Rome, on 24 March 2017, at the General Headquarters of the Guardia di Finanza, in the Salone d'Onore Caserma Gen. B. S. Sante Laria. Here is the account of his experience.
TALE OF A PRIZE (by Beatrice Signorini)
Three prizes, in three consecutive years: two first places, and one third place. Yet, even today I return from my awarding experience in the capital, honoured and amazed by the important result. The Legality and Culture of Ethics Commission (created within Rotary District 2080) launches this National Competition, aimed at schools and universities, varying the theme from year to year. In 2017, the theme chosen was 'Corruption steals our future. A brake on development, a detriment to all'. Many authorities attended the award ceremony, including Dr. Raffaele Cantone, President of the National Anti-Corruption Authority, and Avv. Antonio Di Pietro, who tried to explain what the phenomenon known as 'Tangentopoli' really was.
I am Beatrice Signorini, a student, like many of you, enrolled in the Master's Degree Course in Law at the University of Parma, to whom I would now like to address my thanks. I believe I won these competitions also thanks to the means provided to me by the Law.
I am now at the end of my university cycle and I could express many concepts, however, I will only emphasise something I truly believe in. Those who study on this degree course have the privilege of learning how our society is structured. What are the rules for its functioning and, therefore, also what needs to be changed or transformed as times progress. Ours is a study that goes beyond law itself, because it touches every sphere of reality. Of course, this is an awareness that, over time, can also become burdensome, but it is a responsibility that we all have a duty to honour; whatever career path each of us takes after graduation. What we learn becomes practical every day, as we deal with those everyday situations, which are no longer just a social custom for us: even taking a coffee - to take a banal, but, I believe, effective example -, becomes the simplest of contracts, because each person, good or situation, for those who study in the Law Course, acquires a different meaning. For me, it allows me to see reality more clearly, and even to see beyond the reality of what appears.
I feel enriched each time by the debates that precede these award days. Each speaker invited us young people in the room to always believe that we can make a difference. And that is what I want to believe. It is not true that the individual cannot determine anything. As for corruption, the individual does not have the power to solve it, but he certainly has the ability to shake it up. My shock, combined with yours and those who follow you, will eventually cause an earthquake. Something, eventually, we will have changed. Let us not stall. Let us not give in to qualunquism and the state of affairs. Let us have the courage to try and believe. Especially us, students and law students. Let us take responsibility, which what we study entails. Let us reappropriate our future, because the one left to us as a dowry needs to be understood, to be, at times, rebuilt.
Ad maiora, semper!