The Faculty of Law
The Faculty of Law, founded in 1671, belongs to Austria’s oldest and largest law schools. Situated in an inspiring academic environment and the breathtaking scenery of the Tyrolean Alps, its well-established scholarly community consists of 188 members, including renowned academics, top justices and legal consultants. A lively community of roughly 3,700 students is presently studying at our Faculty.
Our Faculty consists of ten full-fledged departments (Department of Business and Tax Law, Department of Civil Law, Department of Civil Procedure Law, Department of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure Law and Criminology, Department of European and Public International Law, Department of Italian Law, Department of Labour Law and Social Law, Department of Legal Theory and Future of Law, Department of Public Law, State and Administrative Theory, Department of Roman Law and Legal History) to which a number of interdisciplinary research centres - on European law, federalism, medical law and the law of Liechtenstein - have been added recently. Our research covers a full-fledged range of fields across diverse issues, such as international relations, European law, human rights, federalism, consumer protection, the environment, law and digitalisation, international business law, medical law or criminal justice. Traditional publications in leading academic journals and legal commentaries of high repute have been recently joined by a new blog in which members of our Faculty staff publish regularly.
The Faculty of Law offers a broad variety of study programmes, such as the diploma study of law, the doctorate in law as well as a specialist bachelor and master programme in economic law. A unique feature among Austrian universities is the diploma study of Italian law which, together with the doctoral study of Italian law, are taught almost entirely in Italian by a large number of law professors of the renowned Università degli Studi di Padova and Universitá degli Studi di Trento as well as experts of Italian law based at our Faculty. A traditional focus in research and teaching was also set on the law of the Principality of Liechtenstein to which an innovative doctoral college as well as the above-mentioned research centre have recently been dedicated. Another doctoral college equally linked to a faculty research centre focuses on health and medical law.
Postgraduate students as well as professional lawyers enjoy a unique range of options to expand their knowledge through a number of stimulating legal courses (European cyberlaw and digitalisation, Italian law, professionalization of supervisory and controlling bodies, European law) and continuing education programmes (medical law, business law, tax law and accounting, legal clerks’ academic training). Additionally, a large number of legal update seminars as well as lecture series inform lawyers of the most recent developments in selected legal fields.
Our Winter School on Federalism and Governance, taught jointly by the Faculty of the Law, the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences as well as EURAC Bolzano/Bozen, and the Summer School organized by St. Mary’s University at Innsbruck, are long-standing programmes undertaken in an inspiring international environment and taught by leading experts.
Our Faculty enjoys an excellent reputation and is a place where staff and students can thrive. This website introduces you to the many ways you can study and work at the Faculty of Law. For further information, please contact the Dean's Office.