Tradition of Leadership in Legal Education

The Faculty of Law – Tradition of Leadership in Legal Education

The Faculty of Law, established in The University of Belgrade is one 1808 as part of the University of of the oldest university centers in Belgrade, is one of the largest law the region. It was established in the faculties in the region, with a long first half of the 19th century and has tradition of being in the forefront of a long tradition of the leading edu- the country’s legal education. Since cational institution. Presently, the its founding, it has educated almost University of Belgrade comprises 31 50,000 law graduates and more than faculties, 11 research institutes and 5,000 magistri iuris, masters of laws a University library. It has approxi- and doctores iuris, as well as hun- mately 2,500 professors and about dreds of specialists in various areas. 78,000 students. A great many Faculty of Law alumni have become recognized experts and scholars in all branches of law, law professors and high-ranking government officials. “During the four years of my studies at the Faculty of Law, International Law Stream, I realized that the Faculty not only offers various opportunities in terms of competitions, simulation model programs and exchange programs abroad, but also that the number of these increases each year! My most valuable learning experience Academic Studies was definitely being a part of the Faculty’s team at the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, the oldest and most prestigious international law competition in the world, which takes place In order to meet the challenges of enter and quickly advance in their annually in Washington D.C. This unique educating a large number of students careers in the ever more competitive opportunity prompted me to continue my master studies at the renowned Leiden Law and maintaining high academic stand- and transforming labor market. School (Netherlands), for which I received ards at the same time, a great variety “Dositeja” Scholarship awarded by the Fund of teaching methods is used, ranging Undergraduate Academic Studies for Young Talents of the Republic of Serbia. After returning to Serbia, I entered the from lectures, seminars, study and ex- Duration of undergraduate studies Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic pert groups (for advanced students), of Serbia, graduated from the Diplomatic of law at the Faculty is four years. In mentor work to various other modern Academy and started pursuing my career order to receive an LL.B. degree, stu- methods of teaching. in diplomacy. Today, more than six years dents are required to take 29 man- after I obtained my diploma, I am certain datory courses (out of which five it is safe to say that studying at the Faculty The Faculty has been dedicated depend on the student’s choice of the of Law and taking the valuable opportunity for a long time to developing and to participate in numerous extracurricular specific stream of studies), 2 elective strengthening the practical meth- activities was the cornerstone of my former courses, 2 legal skills of their choice and future endeavors and successes.” ods of lecturing in order to equip its (out of 5 that are offered) and to (Branislav Radović, Ministry of Foreign students with the necessary practi- complete an internship in judiciary Affairs of the RS, Department for United cal knowledge and skills required to or in the corporate sector. Nations, graduated 2013) •• Streams of bachelor studies •• Legal skills Students have an option to choose Students are required to master two between four different streams of different legal skills of their choice bachelor studies according their out of the following five: Legal Clin- preferences and interests: ic, Legal Writing, Case Study and Moot Court, Legal Informatics and 1. Judicial-Administrative Stream Legal Interpretation Skills. – designed for students interested in developing their careers in judi- •• Internship ciary, or administrative bodies. 2. Business Law Stream – combines Students have a vast variety of op- the best of law and economics, tions to choose from when deciding designed for students who are on where to conduct their intern- interested in law in a business ship, thanks to the cooperation of context. the Faculty with numerous public bodies and organizations, such as: 3. International Law Stream – for the National Bank of Serbia, vari- those interested in diplomacy, ous ministries in the Government public relations, human rights, of the Republic of Serbia, the Repub- international criminal law and lic Agency for Peaceful Settlement the work of international organi- of Labor Disputes, the Office of the zations. National Security Council, the Intel- 4. Legal Theory Stream – designed lectual Property Office, Agency for for students whose interests are Restitution, the Serbian Chamber of not confined to the legal field, Commerce, various national courts, but spread to other humanities as well as numerous renowned law subjects, such as philosophy, offices, corporations and NGOs. politics, sociology and religion. “The competence of the professors, the diversity of courses taught, as well as Master Studies of Law (Belgium) and College of Europe in the level of academic coaching at this Bruge (Belgium). The master in Eu- master’s program provides an excellent ropean Integration enables students opportunity for all students to increase Master studies of law at the Faculty to acquire theoretical and practical their knowledge in European political last for one year. During that period knowledge, as well as professional and legal issues, which is becoming in- students are required to take 1 man- competences in all relevant areas of creasingly important in today’s world. datory and 2 elective courses in one European law, political and econom- This program fully met my expectations of the many areas of specialization ic system of the European Union and it was a pleasure attending it.“ offered in the curriculum (9 modules and European integration. Students Alexandre Maïdanatz, student from France with numerous sub-modules), and are required to take 4 mandatory “This is much more than just a master’s to complete a master thesis, in order courses, as well as 3 out of 17 offered to receive an LL.M. degree (all to- program that has a purely academic ap- optional courses, and to complete a proach. Thanks to its international char- gether amounting to 60 ECTS). The master thesis (all together amount- acter, MPPM opens a window into the language of instruction is Serbian, ing to 60 ECTS). This master pro- world of public procurement. You become with an exception for certain courses gram is taught in English only. familiar with the experience and practice which are taught in English. in other countries in a very practical and innovative way through daily collabora- Master in Public Procurement Master in European Integration tion with your colleagues and you can ap- Management ply the acquired knowledge immediately through practical work. Connections that This study program is the result of This multidisciplinary study pro- are built and strengthened in this way are joint work of the Serbian and for- gram is developed in cooperation be- invaluable. You realize quickly that you have become a part of the MPPM family, eign universities within the TEM- tween the Faculty of Law, University PUS project and as such its design is connected not only by understanding and of Belgrade and University of Rome applying public procurement, but by crea- based on similar programs at lead- Tor Vergata, Department of Econom- ing European universities e.g. King’s tive and innovative ideas that can only be ics and Finance and is modeled upon put into practice through a joint effort.” College London (United Kingdom), the International Master Program Université Catholique de Louvain Andrea Ćirjanić, MPPM student held in Rome. The focus is on students from Western Balkan countries Doctoral Academic Studies and is realized with the support of the European Bank for Reconstruc- Doctoral studies at the Faculty last tion and Development. The program three years. During this period, the enables students to master the sci- students are required to take one man- entific and technical methodology, datory course and five elective cours- which is necessary for the acquisition es depending on the area of special- and application of knowledge, scientific and technical achievements in ization, to write a seminar paper and the field of public procurement. publish an article, as well as to prepare a project of doctoral dissertation before Students are required to take 6 man- completing the final doctoral thesis, datory courses, as well as 6 optional upon which they will receive an aca- courses out of 10 which are offered, demic title of Doctor of Legal Scienc- to complete a traineeship and to sub- es. During their PhD studies, students mit a thesis dealing with a case study gain comprehensive knowledge and concerning procurement issues re- understanding of the scientific area lated to their own organizations, to which their doctoral thesis relates, to a specific country or to a public procurement challenge (all together as well as the skills, and competences amounting to 60 ECTS). This master which enable them to independently program is taught in English only. solve both practical and theoretical problems related to the legal field. Faculty Building – The Cultural Monument in the Heart of the City

The Faculty is situated in the heart manent exhibition space, a comput- of the old part of Belgrade, close to ing center, students’ computer lab, a the large city park Tašmajdan. The bookstore, a photocopying center, a Faculty’s historic building, built pri- students’ club, a legal clinic, a moot The Faculty also organizes an array of spe- or to WWII, has undergone numer- courtroom and a fitness center. cialist courses in a number of fields. The ous upgrades and nowadays it occu- number of courses is growing every year. 2 In addition, the Faculty organizes training pies more than 12,000 m of space. courses, a course in legal writing, intern- The building houses ten lecture halls ships, the legal clinic, trial simulations, and large amphitheaters (the largest moot courts, etc. so that students can gain of which – the famous Amphitheater some practical skills essential to the practice of law. V – may accommodate 1,000 people), more than ten classrooms and The Faculty has put in an extra effort to seminar rooms, a boardroom, and a facilitate the learning process of students with special needs, including special pro- modern conference hall. The build- grams for electronic access to textbooks ing also accommodates the extensive and other facilities. library with four reading rooms, per-

The Finest Academic Law Library in the Region

Located inside the Faculty’s building, the National Library, to the major the extensive library occupies an area international services with numer- of around 2,000 m2, in addition to 600 ous international books and mag- m2 of reading rooms, one of which azines in full text. The Faculty also The Library collection comprises 154,207 is reserved for researchers only. The provides access to various electronic monographs, 2,889 titles with 34,609 years outstanding collection of publications legal research databases such as Par- of serial publications, reference collection from all bodies of law, as well as from agraf Net, KoBSON, Kluwer, Oxford with over 500 encyclopedias, lexicons, dic- other social sciences, both in Serbian University Press and many others. tionaries and other reference books, and a and numerous foreign languages, is priceless collection of 91 rarities (featuring comprehensively catalogued by au- several XVII and XVIII century editions of thor and subject, both in hard-copy Justinian’s Codification, a singular edition of Corpus Iuris Canonici, etc.). and in electronic format. In addition to electronic searches of the Library’s resources, the academic network users have electronic access to the largest libraries in Serbia and, through the University Library and

Academic and Scientific Cooperation

The Faculty has established world- the SEE | EU Cluster of Excellence wide academic and professional re- in European and International Law. lations and cooperation with numer- The Faculty has close contacts with ous law schools in Europe, the USA other law faculties in Serbia and pro- and Asia. In addition, it has devel- fessional cooperation with the judi- oped prolific relations with various ciary, ministries and state agencies international centers, foundations of the Republic of Serbia. and organizations that promote the improvement of legal studies, such Every year the Faculty hosts dozens as the German Organization for of foreign guests, amongst whom are Technical Cooperation (GTZ), the the most distinguished international German Foundation for the Inter- academics and experts, who deliver national Legal Cooperation (IRZ), numerous lectures and courses to the National Centre for State Courts, the students of the Faculty. USAID, as well the Europa-Institut of Saarland University, Saarbrück- en (Germany), with whom the Fac- ulty takes part in The Network of Student Life at the Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade

Student life at the Faculty is enriched others are related to sports, enter- by a diverse array of student activi- tainment or informative, literary and ties. There are many students’ or- social activities. ganizations, of which the Belgrade •• Moot Court branch of ELSA (The European Law Students’ Association), is one of the Especially challenging and even most active ones, organizing student more rewarding for students is the exchange programs throughout Eu- participation in moot court com- rope. Students elect their represent- petitions organized on a national, atives to coordinate various student regional or international level in activities, represent their interests in various expert fields. Exceptional re- the Faculty bodies, participate in the cord of victories and various awards evaluation of studies and the faculty, earned by the Faculty team members and secure the involvement and par- prove not only the quality of our stu- ticipation of students in all matters dents but also the dedication of the and issues of interest to them. While Faculty to generously supporting some activities relate to students’ ac- their endeavors. One of the Faculty’s ademic interests and competitions, lecture halls has been specially designed and equipped as a courtroom •• Debate Club for students preparing for these competitions. The following com- The Faculty’s Debate Club promotes petitions, in which previous gener- the freedom of speech, develops the ations of the Faculty’s students have culture of dialogue and provides excelled, are just some of the options students with the skills necessary to students have before them: present their ideas in a concise, per- Willem C. Vis International suasive and logical manner. Commercial Arbitration Moot Members of the Faculty’s Debate Club won Foreign Direct Investment Moot •• Competition in Oratory the 1st place at the oldest and most prestig- International Commercial The Oratory Centre, Institutio or- ious debate competition in the world - Ox- Mediation Moot ford Intervarsity 2019. It was the first time atoria, gathers students interested Monroe E. Price International that a team from a non-English speaking in developing public speaking skills country won this outstanding prize. Media Law Moot Court Competition and prepares them for competitions. European Tax College Moot The traditional annual student ora- Court Competition tory competition has become a pres- Jessup Moot Court tigious event that attracts interest of European Law Moot Court the entire academic community and Competition the general public. Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition •• Sports competitions Air Law Moot Court Competition Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Our students take part in various Moot Court competitions through their sports Students of the Faculty of Law won the club Victoria and have so far been 2nd place at the 40th World Universites Big Deal Company Law Moot Debating Championship which took place Condemn Discrimination exceptionally successful, both re- in Thailand. Competition gionally and internationally. •• Forum Romanum The Club for Roman Law and Clas- sics Enthusiasts was established five decades ago and organizes discus- sion forums and social activities on a weekly basis. Over the years, dozens of internationally renowned professors have participated in its activities.

•• Fitness Cente Our motto is: Mens sana in corpore sano. Therefore, at the Faculty, students have at their disposal a modern fitness center covering an area of app. 200 m2, fully equipped with high-quality equipment and knowl- edgeable coaches. Here, students can relieve themselves from the stress and improve their health.

•• Students’ club Last but not least, within the Faculty’s building, there is the spacious students’ club, where students can relax, spend time together and have fun. Studying at the Faculty of Law University of Belgrade has definitely had one of the most important impacts on my professional life. It provided me with numerous op- Student Mobility and International portunities, such as participating at international competitions as well as studying Cooperation abroad. I spent six months in Rome, Italy, as part of the Erasmus+ exchange program for master’s studies with the Roma Tre University. I had the chance to study law Faculty is dedicated to eliminating Law with many universities from the abroad, to meet, work and study with stu- barriers in the flow of education by European Union countries – some of dents from all over Europe, to improve my supporting student mobility. Student the traditional partners are faculties knowledge of Italian language and to enjoy mobility involves attending a part of of law from Austria, France, Germa- the beautiful Italy. As I was working on my study program at a foreign universi- ny, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, master’s thesis at that moment, I used the ty. Mobility can be organized during Poland, Croatia, Slovenia, Sweden precious opportunity to use the library of both undergraduate and postgraduate and Spain. Apart from that, cooper- the Supreme court of Italy where I had the studies. The Faculty of Law is a mem- ation is established with numerous chance to research the most important lit- ber of several international networks universities from China, Russia, In- erature in the field and to exchange views and organizations, such as the Rotter- dia, Belorussia and Bosnia and Her- on the topic with Italian lawyers, profes- dam Law Network (RLN), the South zegovina. sors and students. The whole experience East European Law School (SEELS), was definitely one of the best experienc- the European Law Institute (ELI), the es of my professional life for which I can Center for International Legal Studies thank the Faculty of Law. (CILS). The University of Belgrade Iva Ivanov, Ministry of Finance of the is a full member of the ERASMUS+ Republic of Serbia, graduated 2015 program, which so far has enabled fruitful cooperation of the Faculty of

Belgrade – Vibrant Capital Rich in Diverse Influences

The city of Belgrade – the home of its hospitality, friendliness, delicious the Faculty of Law – offers an inter- cuisine, café culture and vibrant esting and stimulating environment nightlife, Belgrade is a great meeting in which to live and study. Located at place for young people from all over the crossroads of Eastern and West- the world. ern Europe, historically at the bor- der of Christianity in the north and Islam in the south, today’s Belgrade has been shaped by centuries of diverse influences. With 1.5 million inhabitants, located at the conflu- ence of the rivers Danube and Sava, it is the host city for numerous annual renowned international cultural events – music, film, theatre and dance festivals. Those interested in art can find plenty of museums and art galleries in Belgrade. Famous for

CONTACTS

Website: http://www1.ius.bg.ac.rs/ Facebook: /Pravnifakultetbg Linkedin: /www.linkedin.com/school/university-of-belgrade/ Instagram: /pravnifakultetbg Mailing address: Bulevar kralja Aleksandra 67, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia E-mail: [email protected] International cooperation: [email protected] Dean’s Office: +381(11)3027-700