About the Faculty

Faculty of Law is a constituent of the University of Rijeka, whose beginning of the Study of Law goes back to the year 1973. At first, the Faculty was a part of the Faculty of Economics, University of Rijeka, but in 1976, the Faculty of Law became an independent higher education institution, where the Study of Law continued to be carried out. In 1985, the Faculty changed its name and became the University of Vladimir Bakarčić Faculty of Law in Rijeka and then changed it again in 1991 into what its current name: the University of Rijeka, Faculty of Law. Before it received its own building in 1980, the Faculty occupied several buildings at different locations. The new, “east” wing of the building was built in 2003.

The Faculty carries out six study programmes. 
The integrated undergraduate/graduate university Study of Law has been carried out, with certain changes and amendments in accordance with positive legal regulations, since the establishment of the Faculty and upon its completion students are awarded the academic title of Master of Jurisprudence (Mag. iur.). 
In the academic year 2007/2008, the Faculty started the Postgraduate Specialist Study in Criminal Investigation and the students graduating from this programme receive the academic title of University Specialist in Criminal Investigation (Univ. spec. crim.). This Study programme is currently carried out at the University of Rijeka as a Postgraduate Specialist University Study programme.
In the academic year 2009/2010, the Faculty started the Postgraduate Specialist Study in Law of European Integrations, upon whose completion the students are awarded the academic title of University Specialist in Law of European Integrations (Univ. spec. iur.).
In the academic year 2012/2013, the Faculty began with the implementation of the Postgraduate Specialist Study in Corporate Finance Law, upon whose completion the students are awarded the academic title of University Specialist in Corporate Finance Law (Univ. spec. iur.).
In the academic year 2011/2012, the Faculty started the Postgraduate Doctoral Study Programme in the field of Social Sciences, the subject of Law, whose students receive upon completion of the studies the academic title of Doctor of Science in the field of Social Sciences, the subject of Law (Ph.D.).
In the academic year 2005/2006, the Faculty started the Undergraduate Professional Study Programme in Administration, upon whose completion the students are awarded the professional title of Professional Bachelor of Public Administration (Bacc. admin. publ.). In the academic year 2011/2012, the Faculty started the Specialist Graduate Professional Study Programme in Public Administration, upon whose completion the students are awarded the professional title of Professional Specialist in Public Administration (Spec. publ. admin.).

Since 2007 the Faculty has been organising the International Summer School of Human Rights in Novi Vinodolski, where law students from Croatia and abroad come to study the application of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Its lecturers are distinguished law professors and legal experts working in practice. The Summer School, organised by the Faculty and the City of Novi Vinodolski, is held every year.
 
Also, since 1994 the Faculty has been organising its traditional annual legal conference Petar Simonetti Legal Experts Counselling (property – liability – procedure), which is held every year in April.

There are currently three scientific research projects being carried out at the Faculty with the support of the University, which are based on the projects previously reviewed and financed by the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports. The projects are:  Protection of Beneficiary on the Croatian/European Financial Services Market, Interdisciplinary Approach to Investigating the Status of Persons with Mental Disorders through the Prism of Conventional Law, and Social Security and Market Competition – European Demands and Croatian Solutions.

The Faculty is involved in publishing, so that in the past several years a lot of textbooks, as well as other types of scientific and professional literature regarding law, have been published. For that reason, the Faculty started the following publishing series:  Book Collection of the University of Rijeka Faculty of Law and Book Collection of the Institute of Criminal Sciences in Mošćenice. Since 1980, the Faculty has been continuously publishing the scientific journal Collected Papers of the University of Rijeka Faculty of Law. In 2014, the Faculty signed a cooperation agreement with Inžinjerski biro d.d. from Zagreb, becoming thus a co-publisher of the journal Croatian Law Review.

In the past few years, the Faculty has seen an increase in international cooperation, both in scientific and teaching activities. As part of Erasmus, SEELS (South East European Law School Network)  and Tempus programmes and other projects, a number of lecturers and students have gone to higher education institutions and science institutes abroad for the purpose of  scientific, professional and teacher training.

Three student associations are active at the Faculty: University of Rijeka Faculty of Law Student Assembly, European Law Students Association – Rijeka (ELSA – Rijeka) and the Student Sports Association “Pravnik”. Both the activities of student associations and their achievements are numerous. The Faculty’s students have been participating for more than 15 years in international moot court competitions Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Vienna and The Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition in Washington. Since 2008, students have begun taking part in the regional Moot Court Competition in Human Rights in Belgrade, Ljubljana, Sarajevo, Ohrid and elsewhere, where they have achieved significant results.  In addition, since 2008 students have been participating in the Moot Court International Humanitarian Law Competition in Sarajevo.

The Faculty is also involved in current reform processes with the aim of contributing to a better education system, both at the university and state level. Thus, a number of the Faculty’s lecturers and assistants are involved in working groups for drafting bills, while some employees are members of the State Judicial Council, State Attorney Council and parliamentary committees. In addition, the Faculty is actively involved in public discussions on bills by submitting its suggestions for changes and amendments. The Faculty’s lecturers are also members of committees on rank and tenure (for approving research and teaching positions). Furthermore, the teachers participate in the greatest number of university bodies which create University policies and govern the University, as well as chair some of those bodies.

• Strategy of the Faculty of Law, University of Rijeka from 2016 to 2020
• Scientific Research Strategy of the Faculty of Law University of Rijeka to 2018