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LEFIS – Legal Framework for the Information SocietyWork Group 1, Undergraduate Studies

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Undergraduate Degree Courses and series of lessons in IT Law and Legal Informatics

at the University of Bologna

Cesare Maioli CIRSFID and University of Bologna

cesare.maioli@unibo.it

Oslo, May 19, 2006

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Evolution of the law degrees in Italy - I

From 1970, and before, to 2000: four years degree in Jurisprudence

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Since 2000-2001 two level degrees:

- three years Degree in Law Science- two years Degree in Jurisprudence (second level)

Since 1997 Law Service Degrees in Consultant in Labour law (2001), on a previuos 2 years school (1991) Law Operator in the enterprise (1997), in Ravenna Operator in IT and law (2003),

Since 2003 Legislation Degree in E-Governance (second level), in Ravenna three years Degree in Law Science, in Ravenna

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Evolution of the law degrees in Italy - II

University degree structure modifications by Government at the begging of 2006

redefinition of the class of the Science of Law services

redefinition of the class of the Legislation

the 3 + 2 model was cancelled; students already enrolled may finish their track

the new 1 + 4 model was introduced (named Laurea magistralis) starting from 2006 for the classes of Law sciences and Legislation

new 1+2 model for the class of Science of Law services, starting from 2007

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Origin and environment

• The oldest University in the world (1088)

• CIRSFID Center for Computers and Law, since 1986

• Strong economic environment

• Market needs (lawyers and enterprises)

• About 1200 enrolments each year for Law studies + about 200 for Ravenna and Law services

Name of the Degree Course Level Class # of IT courses

(CFUs) approx.

1 Operator in IT and law Degree Basic Level

Science of

Law services

10 (70/180)

2 Law Operator in the enterprise

Degree Basic Level

Science of

Law services

2 (12/180)

3 Consultant in Labour law Degree Basic Level

Science of

Law services

1 (8/180)

4 Law sciences Degree Basic Level

Law sciences 2 (12/180)

5 Jurisprudence Degree

Advanced L.

Law sciences 1 (6/120)

6 E-governance Degree

Advanced L.

Legislation 4 (45/120)

7 Seminars credits any n.a. (3)

IT Law and legal informatics in the Faculty of Law

Name of the Degree Course Level Class # of IT courses

(CFUs) approx.

1 Science of Internet Degree

Advanced L.

Tools and methods for the Information society

2 (12/180)

2 Science of Internet Degree Basic Level

Computer Science 1 (6/180)

IT Law and legal informatics in other Faculties

Faculty of Computer Science

Faculty of EngineeringName of the Course Level Class # of IT courses

(CFUs) approx.

Telecommunication Law Degree Basic Level

Telecommunication Engineering

1 (9/180)

Management Engineering Degree Basic Level

Management Engineering

1 (8/180)

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Offers by the Faculty of Law

• Three years degree in Operatore Informatico Giuridico (Operator in Law and Information technology)

– known as Degree in legal informatics– first level degree– since the academic year 2003-2004– based on a previous two-year short degree course– class of the Science of law services

• Two years degree in Teoria e tecnica della normazione in e-governance (Theory and techniques of legislation in e-governance)

– known as Degree in e-governance– since the academic year 2004-2005– based on a previous school of specialization– class of the Legislation– located in Ravenna

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IT Law and legal informatics in the new Laurea magistralis in Law

• Starting 2006-2007• 1+4 model• New curriculum model with less exams and deeper

contents• Legal Informatics mandatory in the third year• IT for law professions elective in the last year

• Availability of a few elective courses with ICT contents such as: Computer forensics, Legimatics, AI and law, Basic skills and other

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Degree in legal informatics - Objectives

• To provide the market with a law operator who is able to integrate legal knowledge with ICT capabilities and insight to manage the penetration of ICT in any sector of law studies and practices, e.g.:

− software houses− law firms − public administration− law enforcement agencies

• To give the student an interdisciplinary preparation in computer law and legal informatics

• To give the students an international vision and foreign languages skills

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Degree in legal informatics – Job opportunities

• Support to computer law professions, e.g.: copyright, e-commerce, privacy, contracts dealing with ICT objects, digital signatures, digital document, e-government

• Digitally supported co-operation in the drafting of rules and regulations (legislative offices, administrative innovation, law court offices)

• Design and evaluation of information system for the judiciary sector, the enterprises, the public administration

• Design and implementation of software systems for law firms and law professionals and practitioners

• Support to computer forensics activities

• Management of the legal side of ICT projects, including security systems

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Degree in legal informatics – Courses

First year (63 credits)

• Legal informatics• General theory of law• Private law• Constitutional law• Introduction to informatics• Political and enterprise economy• Computer lab• Foreign languages

Second year (60 credits)

• Advanced legal informatics• Advanced general theory of law• Commercial law• Administrative law• Algorithms and programming• Data bases and information systems• Computer lab• Foreign languages• Optional courses

Third year (57 credits)• Computer law • Advanced computer law • Civil law or Judiciary organization• Computer lab• Foreign languages

• Optional courses• Focused seminars• Internship• Final thesis

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Degree in legal informatics – Courses

First year (63 credits)

• Legal informatics• General theory of law• Private law• Constitutional law• Introduction to informatics• Political and enterprise economy• Computer lab• Foreign languages

Second year (60 credits)

• Advanced legal informatics• Advanced general theory of law• Commercial law• Administrative law• Algorithms and programming• Data bases and information systems• Computer lab• Foreign languages• Optional courses

Third year (57 credits)• IT law • Advanced legal informatics • Civil law or Judiciary organization• Computer lab• Foreign languages

• Optional courses• Focused seminars• Internship• Final thesis

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Degree in Law Sciences and in Jurisprudence

Advanced legal informatics

Applications for the law profession• Query and retrieval from legal data bases• Internet for the legal operator• HTML and XML drafting• Information system in the law firm• Digital signature and certified email• Artificial Intelligence to legal knowledge• Expert systems, neural networks, frames to represent legal reasoning• Data and application security

Automation of the Civil lawsuit• Systems, rules and roles• ICT implementation

Data protection law

Degree in legal informatics – lead course

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Degree in legal informatics – Highlights

• Electronic Civil Proceedings, in co-operation with the Law Court of Bologna in the framework of a national project

• Computer assisted legal drafting, i. e. legimatics, in co-operation with nation and local public administration authorities

• Agents and contracts, negotiation between intelligent agents, in co-operation with international research centres

• Expert systems in law, rule based systems in the tax domain, in co-operation with administrative and fiscal international bodies

• Support to computer forensics activities, in co-operation with national investigation, law enforcement representatives and defense lawyers

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National Service Card, Digital Identity CardNational Service Card, Digital Identity CardNational Service Card, Digital Identity CardNational Service Card, Digital Identity Card

National networks, RUPA, RUPAR National networks, RUPA, RUPAR National networks, RUPA, RUPAR National networks, RUPA, RUPAR

System of application co-operationSystem of application co-operationSystem of application co-operationSystem of application co-operation

Key elements

Digital Digital recognitionrecognition

Access Access channelschannels

Supply Supply OrganizationsOrganizations

InteroperabilityInteroperability

Telecommunication Telecommunication infrastructureinfrastructure

Citizens Enterprises

Nazional LocalHealth

Web (Portals P.A.)

Call center

One-stop- shop

Cellulars,palm pc

ISP (Post offices, Banks, …)

…………Munici-

palitiesRegions PAC

• Communication metaphorCommunication metaphor• Levels of users Levels of users

authenticationauthentication• Priority services Priority services • Measures of the service levelsMeasures of the service levels

•Process re-Process re-engineeringengineering

•Privacy issuesPrivacy issues

•International issuesInternational issues

•Commercial issuesCommercial issues

•From From As isAs is to to To beTo be

Application Integration

Back office

Reference view for e-society services (emphasis on Law)

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Degree in e-governance - Objectives

• To provide the public administration at large with innovation actors in the legislative, organizational and technological fields in a European context

• To put on the market professionals in e-governance solutions (i.e. providers of legislative and ICT solutions in a well defined political framework)

• To give the students a deep understanding of the links between different branches of law (administrative, constitutional, private) and organizations and ICT solutions

• To reinforce the international vision and the foreign languages skills of the students

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Degree in e-governance – Job opportunities

• support to the definition and implementation of e-government plans by the public administration bodies at different level according to national and European indications

• design and management of e-government projects launched by different levels of authorities

• support to the process of subsidiary responsibilities and federalism dealing mainly with their ICT components such as digital signatures, electronic contracts, e-procurement, digital documents, network capabilities

• design and help to the definition of the legislation and the implementation of activities such as digital identity card, digital card of services, fiscal issues in the Internet, software protection, software reuse, distance work, international co-operative work and commerce

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Degree in e-governance – Courses

First year (58 credits)

• Informatics for e-government• Theory of e-governance• Theory and techniques of legislation• Administrative law in the Information

society• Models of e-governance• Economy of the enterprise and of

innovation• Legislative language• History of modern codification • Free courses

Second year (62 credits)

• Digital processing of legal information• Information system for e-government• Sociology of law and e-governance• Theory of e-governance• Digital contract law• Comparative public law• Free courses• Internship• Thesis

Admittance for students who already received 180 credit from the classes of Law studies

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Degree in e-governance – Courses

First year (58 credits)

• Informatics for e-government• Legal informatics• Theory of e-governance• Theory and techniques of legislation• Administrative law in the Information

society• Models of e-governance• Economy of the enterprise and of

innovation• Legislative language• History of modern codification

Second year (62 credits)

• Digital processing of legal information• Information system for e-government• Sociology of law and e-governance• Theory of e-governance• Digital contract law• Comparative public law• Free courses• Internship• Thesis

Admittance for students who already received 180 credit from the classes of Law studies

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Laurea magistralis in Law – Courses (also for Degree in Law Sciences and in Jurisprudence)

Legal informatics

• Information systems and organization

• Hardware systems architecture• Software systems architecture• Network systems architecture• Expert systems and AI • Legal knowledge bases

• Trade secrets and proprietary information

• Intellectual property• Software contracts and software

reuse• E-commerce and e-governance• Information privacy and computer

security• Electronic document• Computer forensics

IT for the law professionsIT for the lawyer• Basic ICT resources • Software and communication tools• Documents, archives and data bases• Privacy and security• Web support to transactions and

decisions • Access to registries and data banks• Internet supported legal services • Computer forensics

IT for the judiciary• Legal informatics • Information systems for the judiciary• Decisions and management of lawsuits• E-government and public

administration• Privacy issues• Web information services• IT supported investigation

(elective, recommended)

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Main elective courses - I

Legal drafting

• Legistics• Law drafting and editing• Mark-up languages• HTML• XML

• Semantic Web

• Information systems for documentation

• Web based services for the retrieval and management of norms

• Law ontologies and OWL

• Topic maps

• Security issues

• Software engineering issues

Knowledge based systems for law

Legal knowledge representation• First order logic

• Logical representation tools

• Formalization techniques

• Obligation, rules, power

• Law dynamic

• Deontic logic

Legal knowledge based systems

• Structure and functionalities of expert systems in law

• Development methods

• Software tools

• Rule based systems

• Case studies

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Main elective courses - II

Computer forensics

• Computer security risks and remedies• Incident responses: tools, cases, methods• Preservation of computer evidence• Time line analysis of computer files based on file creation, file modification and

file access• Differences between operating systems and file systems from a forensics

standpoint• Computer and network forensics processing methods and procedures• Case studies and laboratory tested and certified forensic search tools

experiences

• Penal code and Civil code issues• Defensive investigations• The documentation of computer and network forensics findings for use in trial

and for management review• European laws and legal framework

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Basic ICT skill acquisition courses

ECDL like Certification

• Basic introduction to hardware, software and network concepts

• Use of facilities and tools• Word processing• Spreadsheet• Elementary data base• Data and information

presentation• Essentials of Internet • Web structure and services• Elementary programming

Computer literacy for law

• ICT architectures• Archives and file management• Law data banks • Documentation and retrieval

systems• Retrieval strategies and tools• Mark-up languages • HTML and XML• Semantic Web• Point-in-time norms• Web portals and information server

for law

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Elective seminars

• Typically a time concentrated 24 hours lectures-exam-3 credits learning entity

• Limited number of admissions for students from any degree in the Faculty of Law

• Topics of 2005-2006:– Technical architectures and legal issues in the production and distribution of digital

goods and services– The Semantic Web– Dynamics of the norm in the time– Computer forensics– Digital document and electronic signatures– E-government– Open source software

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Conclusions

• The need to provide each and every student with general knowledge and skills in ICT and law is cautiously accepted by the Faculty members

• Work placement of legal informatics more oriented graduates not yet experienced, but for the period of internship: more and more requests of thesis work

• Good interest and acceptance of the initiatives by the institutions, the judiciary, the lawyer associations

• Focusing of traditional law discipline into information society issues somehow is hard to reach