INTRODUCTION TO LAW

Starting from the notion and function of law, the course will delve into the differences between civil law and common law, with a focus on the Italian legal system, on different sources of law and their hierarchy. Special attention will be given to the role of the European Union. The last module will be centered on some of the fundamental institutes of private law.
At the end of the course, attending students will have the chance to be involved in a team work aimed at solving a practical case, to apply to concrete cases the legal concepts covered during the lectures.

- Understand the characteristics of a legal norm. Know the differences between legal norms and social norms;
- Understand the fundamental partitions between legal systems (civil law and common law) and within legal systems (public law and private law)
- Identify the differences between civil law and common law, the role of case law in both legal systems and the implications on the sources of law;
- Understand the structure and the sources of European law and of Italian law;
- Understand how to solve antinomies;
- Understand and know the fundamental institutes of private law;
- Learn a legal glossary;
- Ability to interpret a legal text and apply it to specific cases.

There are no pre-requirements.

- Introduction to the concept of law;
- law and justice;
- interpretation of law
- civil law and common law;
- the role of the European Union;
- sources of law and their hierarchy;
- fundamental institutes 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 book 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 reference book only covers part of the program. During the lectures, additional topics shall be tackled.
Slides used during the lessons and possible additional materials will be available online on the Moodle platform.

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.

The lectures will be taught in class, with the projection of slides.
Additional materials will be 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.