Sixteen deans of law faculties have established the Conference of Deans of Public University Law Faculties. One of the initiators of the Conference was the Dean of the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Gdańsk, dr hab. Wojciech Zalewski, prof. UG. The Conference was established as a nationwide forum for cooperation between public university law faculties, aiming to improve the quality of legal education and support the development of legal scholarship.

The agreement was signed on 20 April this year at the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Warsaw. The initiators of the Conference were the deans of the law faculties of the University of Gdańsk, the University of Szczecin, the University of Silesia in Katowice and the University of Wrocław.

‘The establishment of the Conference of Deans of Public University Law Faculties is an important signal that the academic community is beginning to speak with one voice on matters fundamental to the future of legal education in Poland. Public law faculties share a common goal: to maintain and develop high-quality education and to establish clear, ambitious educational standards for future lawyers. Consequently, this involves efforts to restore the rule of law,’ said Dean prof. Wojciech Zalewski. ‘Our aim is not only to enhance the standard of teaching, but also to address more practical issues that directly affect the quality of education - such as adequate funding, determining the cost of studies, or establishing realistic minimum staffing levels. Without these foundations, it is difficult to speak of responsible and thorough preparation for the legal profession.’

The establishment of the Conference also creates a platform for the legal community to engage in dialogue with public authorities and institutions responsible for shaping higher education and the legal education system.

The founding members are 16 public university law faculties:

Catholic University of Lublin, University of Białystok, University of Gdańsk, Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, University of Łódź, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, University of Opole, University of Rzeszów, University of Szczecin, University of Silesia in Katowice, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, University of Warsaw, University of Wrocław, University of Zielona Góra.

‘We believe that strength lies in the unity of the academic community and that only through joint action can we restore the significance of legal studies in Poland,’ added the Dean of the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Gdańsk.