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History

In 1976, the Undergraduate Degree in Law of the Catholic University of Portugal represented an opportunity for the teaching of Law in the Portuguese public universities to overcome its critical state. Prof. Mário Pinto, dean of the Faculty of Human Sciences, and Prof. Germano Marques da Silva provided the impulse for the creation of the Law Degree, which was integrated in the Faculty of Human Sciences.

The Law School was founded thirteen years after the creation of the Undergraduate Degree in Law. Foreseeing and moving side by side with society’s needs and demands, the Law School is permanently evolving, both in terms of its degrees and teaching methods.

Here are some of the most relevant landmark moments in our history:

1976 – First Catholic University of Portugal Undergraduate Degree in Law, part of the Faculty of Human Sciences.

1989 – Foundation of Catholic University of Portugal Law School.

2004 – Adoption of a federal structure for the Law School, with the Lisbon School of Law at the Palma de Cima campus and the Porto School of Law at Foz campus, both working as decentralised structures.

2005/2006 – Law Degree curriculum reform, according to the Bologna Declaration.

2006 – Opening of the LL.M. in International Business Law, the first LL.M. in Portugal, taught in English.

2007/ 2008 – Beginning of the first four “Bologna Masters”, directed at professional careers:

  • Master of Litigation;
  • Master of Administrative Law and Public Procurement;
  • Master of Law and Business (together with Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics).
  • Master in Global Legal Studies - fully taught in English, targeting international students.

2009 – Creation of the Católica Global School of Law and launch of a new LL.M. - Law in a European and Global Context.

2010 a 2016 – Católica Global School of Law LL.M. degrees are considered as the most innovative by the Financial Times (Financial Times Innovative Law Schools Report).

2012 / 2013 – Launch of the Master of Corporate Law and Master of Tax Law.

2012 – The research unit Católica Research Centre for the Future of Law is formally created. It is assessed as “very good” by an independent FCT (public funding agency for science and research) committee (2014).

2016 - Master in Global Legal Studies – the first Law Master degree taught in English and designed for international students.

 

List of Law School Deans (since 1989):

1989 to 1995 - Professor António Sousa Franco

1995 to 2002 - Professor Germano Marques da Silva

2002 to 2005 - Professor Rui Medeiros

2005 to 2011 - Professor Germano Marques da Silva

2011 to 2013 - Professor Maria da Glória Garcia

2013 to 2018 - Professor Mário Aroso de Almeida

 

List of Católica | Lisbon School of Law Deans:

2005 to 2011 - Professor Luís Fábrica

2011 to 2013 - Professor Henrique Sousa Antunes

2013 to 2014 - Professor Fernando Ferreira Pinto

2014 to 2018 - Professor Jorge Pereira da Silva