The Legal Education In Italy Between Twelfth And Thirteenth Century

The Modern legal education derived from the legal education in Italy betweentwelfth and thirteenth century, and Bologna University was the representative of theeducation in this era. Since the second half of the eleventh century, the jurists inBologna began to study the Roman Law documents by the methods of glossae, thestudents all over the Europe came to Bologna together and launched a famousmovement named the Renaissance of Roman Law. After1140A.D., the education ofCanon Law was developed in Bologna as well and then the situation that both RomanLaw and Canon Law were prosperous formed in Bologna. The educational system ofBologna University exerted an extensive influence on legal education in other Italiancities, which made Italian legal education be the most advanced education in WestEurope and played a predominant role between twelfth and thirteenth century. On theother hand, the teaching methods, course arrangements, teaching texts, studyorganizations, examination systems and degree systems of Bologna had made a greatimpact on the legal education of West Europe and established the footstone of modernlegal education. Therefore, we could deepen the realization of university throughstudying the Italian legal education, especially Bologna’s legal education betweentwelfth and thirteenth century, and it would help us to improve the conception andexpectation of legal education.The introduction part of my thesis introduced a series of changes which emergedin West Europe in twelfth century and pointed out that the rise of Italian legaleducation between twelfth and thirteenth century should be realized as an importantcomponent of the Renaissance of the Twelfth Century in Western Europe, and then we could define the historical status of Italian legal education between twelfth andthirteenth century.The first chapter discussed the background of the rise of Italian legal educationbetween twelfth and thirteenth century, and also introduced the economic, social andcultural development in Italy and new academic trends between twelfth and thirteenthcentury. In this chapter, some elements which impressively influenced universityeducation would be emphasized, such as the geographic advantages of Bologna, themendicants and the rise of scholasticism.The second chapter thoroughly set forth the Bologna University between twelfthand thirteenth century, in addition, the law schools in other Italian cities would beintroduced as well. I would like to explain the historic progress of Bologna Universitywhich developed from a primary community of universitas to the most importantlegal education center in Europe. As a typical student university, the character ofBologna University and the origin of legal degree system would also be discussed.The third chapter demonstrated Roman Law education, Canon Law educationand their relationship. And then, in the next chapter, I would explain the situation ofteachers and students under the legal education. I would like to illustrate the panoramaof teachers and students first, then I would introduced two important stylish teachers,Irnerius and Gratian,besides, the circumstance of universitas.The fifth chapter demonstrated the teaching system and methods, the coexistenceof Roman Law and Canon Law education, scholastic method, glossae, disputatio,among which lectura would be emphasized.In the sixth chapter, I would summarize the characters of legal education in Italybetween twelfth and thirteenth century and give some commentaries. I would discussthe significance of legal education by situating it to the macro-background of theRenaissance of the Twelfth Century, and reaffirmed the spirit and ideal of university,in order to offer some useful themes of thinking to the readers.