University and Court: A Partnership to Integrate Legal Education with the Reality of Justice
On 18 March, the Department of Law at Unimore and the Court of Modena signed an important memorandum of understanding aimed at developing joint initiatives in education and scientific dissemination. The agreement, signed at the Department by the Director, Professor Carmelo Elio Tavilla, and the President of the Court, Dr Alberto Rizzo, represents another step in the already well-established collaboration between the two institutions.
The agreement aims to strengthen cooperation by establishing training and orientation programmes for students, designed to support them through both their university studies and their post-graduate careers. A particular focus will be the creation and development of an innovative "Communication Office" at the Court, where students will undertake internships alongside academic staff. This initiative aims to improve the public perception of judicial services and enhance collaborative initiatives.
At the same time, a "Study Office" will be set up within the Court, involving interns and academic staff from the Department, dedicated to scientific research on relevant legal issues and the creation of operational guidelines for judges and professionals working in the sector.
The agreement also includes advanced training initiatives, such as seminars, conferences, and cultural activities open to the public. These will be developed together to foster a shared reflection on the cultural and educational needs of both students and professionals involved.
Finally, the protocol offers the opportunity to reconsider the Court’s organisational processes through theoretical studies and practical experiments carried out in collaboration with the Department’s staff, who possess specific expertise. The goal is to optimise the effectiveness and efficiency of the administration of justice.
“The signing of this protocol,” emphasises the Director of the Department of Law, Professor Carmelo Elio Tavilla, “opens an important channel for legal education in direct dialogue with institutions. Exposing students to the complexity of the Court—both in terms of communication and applied research—means preparing lawyers who are attuned to real-world dynamics and capable of addressing sensitive issues with competence, critical independence, and a social outlook. This collaboration provides the tools to understand and tackle today’s challenges from a fresh, practical perspective.”
“The protocol,” says Dr Alberto Rizzo, President of the Court of Modena, “builds on a similar experience that involved hundreds of students from another university, giving them the chance to directly engage with the professional world, exploring potential career paths, while also raising awareness of the various roles within a court. Through this protocol, we offer students the opportunity to not only observe but to experience the dynamics that define the world of justice from within, interacting with all the people who make it function. Judges, of course, who are responsible for upholding jurisdiction; lawyers, who contribute to the judicial process by protecting rights and enriching the factual and legal information available to judges; and the administrative staff, from managers and officials to assistants, operators, and drivers, who provide essential support for the proper functioning of the judicial system.”
“The agreement with the Court of Modena,” points out Professor Giovanna Laura De Fazio, the driving force behind the partnership, “paves the way for collaboration on European research funding opportunities and strengthens Unimore’s role in international legal research. Law thus takes on a broader perspective, where academic innovation interacts directly with judicial institutions, leading to projects that have a tangible impact.”
The agreement is set to last for three years, with the possibility of renewal.
Categorie: International - english, Notizie_eng
Articolo pubblicato da: Ufficio Stampa Unimore - ufficiostampa@unimore.it