Coordinator
João António Bahia de Almeida Garrett
Who is this course for?
People who have a Bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies, Law or related fields.
Publication in the Official Gazette
Notice nº 9885/2017, 2nd series, n.º 164 de 25 of August
Accreditation of the Study Program
Decision:
Accredited for 6 years
Publication Date:
31-05-2017
This Master in Legal Studies is designed to consolidate and deepen the body of knowledge acquired by students in the area of law during their first cycle of studies. Its main goal is to allow students to acquire specific skills in the different specialisation areas covered: Legal Studies for Business and Legal Studies for Enforcement. It is thus intended to reinforce training in different areas of procedures and processes, with a particular focus on the fields of special administrative procedures (urban planning procedures, public procurement, etc.). At the same time, it aims to solidify knowledge about substantive underlying law, stimulating critical thought and questioning fundamental legal issues. The course is designed for people who wish to work as a solicitador in Portugal, a profession similar to a paralegal in English-speaking countries. This course is also extensively directed towards encouraging applied research in new, developing legal fields (horizontal ownership, intellectual property in the digital age, procurement, arbitration and mediation, etc.) in a business and competition environment that is exposed to new challenges. Attending this Master’s degree will make it possible to gain deeper knowledge and therefore achieve better preparation in highly important fields for practising legal professions, and may be a critical complement to students’ training, therefore providing important support for accessing the relevant professional associations. The study plan is formed of a common first semester with two different specialisations in the second semester. The course lasts for two years, with the second year dedicated to the preparation of a dissertation or project.
Professional opportunities
Working as a solicitador in either a business or enforcement context; advising private and public bodies and connected careers.
What makes this course different?
The aspects that make this course stand out comprise the inclusion of innovative fields in the study plan and the prestige of the teaching staff, which has proven experience in academic training for solicitadores in higher education, as recognised by many professionals within the area. The course structure for the Master’s in Legal Studies aims to provide a suitable response to the extensive requirement for specialisation demanded by the labour market in innovative legal areas, without neglecting further study in traditional fields, which are constantly being updated. Partnerships established with the National Association of Solicitadores and Enforcement Agents, the Maia Legal Association, or the Galician School of Public Administration, mean that initiatives to organise conferences and seminars on legal topics will continue in order to provide updates and advanced training to students and those who work in the field.