Preparing Students for University-Level Legal Study

The Porto Faculty of Law is recognised for its academic rigour and for setting high expectations regarding the standards its students are expected to achieve. Because individual attention is a priority, we support students in overcoming the challenges typically associated with the transition to higher education, whether in interpreting legal texts, structuring legal reasoning, or developing clear and precise legal language.

Curricular Unit - Transition to Higher Education

To support this transition, first-year students are required to attend the curricular unit Transition to Higher Education, offered in the first semester. Its purpose is to equip students with the tools needed to address the difficulties encountered in the early stages of legal study, thereby promoting success both as law students and, later on, as legal professionals and engaged citizens.

At the end of the first semester, students who demonstrate the required competences may be exempted from continuation. Those who show the need for further support, or who request it, remain in the programme during the second semester under a tutorial regime.

Contact: Professor Ana Andrade

Foundational Skills for Legal Training

It is widely acknowledged that a modern legal education requires a solid foundation in English language proficiency and digital literacy. With this in mind, the Porto Faculty of Law requires its students to demonstrate an adequate level of preparation in these areas.

At the start of the academic year, all new first-semester students take an assessment in English and Information Technology. Students who already hold at least the Cambridge First Certificate are exempt from this assessment.

Those who are not exempt, and who do not achieve the necessary level in the placement test, may attend English and IT courses offered by Universidade Católica Portuguesa, with schedules and conditions announced throughout the academic year.

No student may complete the degree without fulfilling these requirements.

Employability and Professional Development

ADN do Jurista Programme

Responding to the increasing importance of competences beyond technical legal knowledge, the School aims to foster in its students a range of differentiating qualities, such as:

• The ability to think critically about novel legal problems;
• Creativity in developing solutions;
• Initiative, teamwork skills, negotiation abilities, and clear and effective communication with clients, peers and the wider public;
• A strong ethical foundation.

From the first year onward, students are encouraged to reflect on their personal and professional goals and to develop transversal competences within a collaborative environment. This approach promotes the formation of legal professionals who are more aware, thoughtful and engaged.

The ADN do Jurista programme runs across six of the eight semesters of the degree.

Connection to Legal Practice and Employability

A direct link to professional practice is ensured through curricular units designed to train practical forensic competences, including:

• Practicum in Civil Procedure
• Practicum in Criminal Procedure

This connection is further strengthened through seminars delivered by practising professionals, such as lawyers and in-house counsel, who provide insights into the practical application of legal knowledge in specific areas, including:

• Consumer Law
• Introduction to Environmental Law
• Electronic Communications Law
• Sentencing
• Administrative Offences and Fines
• Road Traffic Offences

Additionally, the Interdisciplinary Practicum, an exclusively practical curricular unit, prepares students to approach concrete legal problems creatively and interdisciplinarily through the resolution of sequential case studies. As in real legal practice, these cases require integrating both substantive and procedural knowledge from multiple fields.

Curricular Internships

The Porto Faculty of Law, together with the Students and Employability Office, organises optional curricular internships that may take place at any time of the year. These internships may be credited with 2.5 or 5 ECTS. Placement opportunities may be sourced by the School or by the students themselves.

Final-Year Specialisation Tracks

In the final year of the programme, students may tailor their studies by choosing curricular units within three major branches of law:

• Private Law
• Criminal Law
• Public Law

This structure offers full flexibility, allowing students to select the subjects that best align with their interests, regardless of the broader area in which they fall.