INTRODUCTION TO LAW

The course starts from the notion and the concept of the law. It delves into the differences between legal systems, civil and common law ones particularly, with a focus on the Italian one, on the different sources of law, and on the role of the European Union and transnational law. The last part of the course examines some fundamentals of private law.
At the end of the course, attending students may be involved in a team work aimed at solving a practical case, with the aim to apply to concrete cases the legal concepts covered during the lectures.

- To understand the characteristics of legal norms and legal systems;
- To understand the fundamental differences between legal systems (civil law and common law, mixed legal systems) and within legal systems (public law and private law)
- To identify the differences between civil law and common law, the main sources of law and the role of case law;
- To understand the structure and the sources of European and Italian law;
- To understand what antinomies are, and how to solve them;
- To learn and master legal language;
- To understand the fundamentals of private law;
- To master legal reasoning, and to apply it to concrete cases.

No pre-requirements are needed for attending this course.

- The concept of law;
- law and justice;
- the sources of the law;
- the interpretation of the law;
- legal systems of the world (especially, civil and common law systems);
- public law and private law;
- European and international law;
- fundamentals of private law.

P. Sirena, Introduction to Private Law, Il Mulino, 2021 (3rd ed.), limited to chapters: I, IV (§§3.1.1 and 3.1.2 excluded), V, VI, VII (only §§ 1., 3., 3.1., 3.2.), VIII (only §§ 1., 2.), X and XI.
The handbook contains quotations of philosophers and jurists, and their biographies; those parts will be not part of the final exam. Please consider that the content of the handbook only covers part of the program. Lectures enrich the programme of the course, and additional topics and themes will be covered therein.
Slides used during the lessons and possible additional materials will be made available online on Moodle.

Learning evaluation consists of a written exam at the end of the course. The exam aims to verify that students have understood and acquired the concepts presented during the lessons, as well as their ability to explain them in a logical and linear manner.
More specifically, there will be twenty multiple-choice questions and two open-ended questions covering the entire course program. Students must answer all twenty multiple-choice questions and choose only one of the two open-ended questions to answer.
Multiple-choice questions: each correct answer is worth 1 point; there will be no penalty for incorrect answers. For the open-ended question, the lecturer will award a mark between 0 and 10 points. The final mark will be the sum of the marks obtained for the multiple-choice questions and the open-ended question.
Students will have one hour to complete the exam.
The use of books, notes or electronic devices is not permitted during the exam.

written

Regarding the grading scale (criteria for assigning grades):
A. Scores in the 18-22 range will be assigned in the presence of:
Sufficient knowledge and understanding of the course program;
Limited ability to apply knowledge and formulate independent judgments;
Sufficient ability to communicate using the appropriate technical language of the subject.

B. Scores in the 23-26 range will be assigned in the presence of:
Fair knowledge and understanding of the course program;
Fair ability to apply knowledge and formulate independent judgments;
Fair ability to communicate using the appropriate technical language of the subject.

C. Scores in the 27-30 range will be assigned in the presence of:
Good to excellent knowledge and understanding of the course program;
Good to excellent ability to apply knowledge and formulate independent judgments;
Good to excellent ability to communicate using the appropriate technical language of the subject.
D. Honors will be awarded in the presence of outstanding knowledge and applied understanding of the program, excellent judgment skills, and exceptional communication abilities.

Lectures are taught in class, with slides.
Additional materials will be made available on Moodle.
Active participation of students in lectures and seminars is encouraged.

The materials of the course and every additional information will be available on the e-learning platform (Moodle). The students can log in with their personal credentials at moodle.unive.it
Accessibility, Disability and Inclusion
Accommodation and support services for students with disabilities and students with specific learning impairments.
Ca' Foscari abides by Italian Law (Law 17/1999; Law 170/2010) regarding support services and accommodation available to students with disabilities. This includes students with mobility, visual, hearing and other disabilities (Law 17/1999), and specific learning impairments (Law 170/2010). If you have a disability or impairment that requires accommodations (i.e., alternate testing, readers, note takers or interpreters) please contact the Disability and Accessibility Offices in Student Services: disabilita@unive.it.