00532 - Institutes in Private Law

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide students with the fundamentals notions of Italian civil law, with special regard to goods and property, intellectual property, obligations, contracts, securities and torts, natural and legal persons, including business associations and cooperatives. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to: understand the peculiarities of inter-private legal relations, in particular those of contractual nature; apply the store of knowledge thus acquired to a wide array of social and economic events, with a view to independently spot the most suitable remedy for the case.

Course contents

The course covers the following topics: 1) fundamental concepts and principles of private law; 2) sources of private law, statutory interpretation, and the application of the law; 3) natural and legal persons, and fundamental rights; 4) property, ownership, and possession; 5) obligations and contracts; 6) torts; 7) other acts or events giving rise to obligations; 8) debtor liability and the protection of creditors; 9) the assignment and other forms of transfer or modification of claims and contracts; 10) limitation periods and forfeiture; 11) Artificial Intelligence and contract law.

The course is divided into two modules, as follows.

Module 1: (A) From F. Galgano, Diritto privato: Chapters 1–4 (Private Law; Sources of Private Law; The Application of Private Law; Legal Subjects); Chapters 12–19 (Contracts and Torts). (B) Artificial Intelligence Law (materials will be made available online via the University's "Virtuale" platform by the end of the teaching period).

Module 2: From F. Galgano, Diritto privato: Chapters 5–9 (Property); Chapters 10–11 (Obligations); Chapters 36–37 (Associations, Foundations and Committees); Chapter 53 (Limitation Periods and Forfeiture).

Readings/Bibliography

(1) F. Galgano, Diritto privato, Wolters Kluwer–Cedam, Milan, latest edition, limited to Chapters 1–19, Chapters 36–37, and Chapter 53.

(2) A selection of materials on Artificial Intelligence Law (to be made available on the University's Virtuale online learning platform).

(3) Students attending the course may follow an alternative study pathway involving the substitution of part of the syllabus. Further details will be provided during the lectures and subsequently published on the Virtuale platform during the teaching period.

Teaching methods

Lectures. Analysis and discussion of significant judicial decisions. Practical exercises and simulations. Where appropriate, conferences, seminars and/or specialist workshops.

Assessment methods

Assessment is by means of an oral examination consisting of three or four questions covering the course syllabus. The final mark is awarded on a scale of 30.

More specifically, each of the first three questions is marked out of 10, and the overall mark out of 30 is obtained by adding together the marks awarded for each question. Where considered necessary or appropriate in order to verify the final mark or the student's knowledge of the syllabus, a fourth question may also be asked.

The examination covers the entire syllabus.

Both attending and non-attending students may elect to sit a first mid-term oral examination covering the contents of Module 1 at the end of the first teaching period, followed by a second mid-term examination covering the remainder of the syllabus corresponding to Module 2.

The second mid-term examination may be taken during the first examination session following the end of the teaching period. Where the mid-term examinations are conducted orally, the first mid-term examination will consist of two questions, while the remaining questions will be asked during the second mid-term examination, so that the total number of questions across the two examinations is equivalent to that of the full examination. Where assessment is completed through two mid-term examinations, the final mark is determined by taking into account the marks obtained in both examinations, in the same manner as for the comprehensive final examination.

To pass the first mid-term examination, students must obtain at least a pass mark for each oral answer relating to different parts of the syllabus. Students who do not pass the first mid-term examination must sit the comprehensive examination covering the entire syllabus and may not proceed to the second mid-term examination.

The comprehensive examination is deemed to have been passed where the student obtains a final mark of at least 18/30.

The following general marking criteria apply:

Unsatisfactory: 0–5/10 | 0–17/30

Insufficient and inadequate knowledge of the topics covered by the syllabus; significant gaps in knowledge; generally inaccurate use of legal terminology and language.

Satisfactory: 6/10 | 18–20/30

Satisfactory knowledge of the topics covered by the syllabus and generally accurate use of language.

Fair: 7/10 | 21–23/30

Fair knowledge of the topics covered by the syllabus; fair ability to analyse and explore selected aspects in greater depth; generally accurate use of language.

Good: 8/10 | 24–26/30

Good knowledge of the topics covered by the syllabus; good analytical skills and ability to examine the different parts of the syllabus in depth; good critical skills; generally accurate and technically appropriate use of legal language.

Very Good: 9/10 | 27–28/30

More than good knowledge of all topics covered by the syllabus; good ability to analyse the various parts of the syllabus in depth; good ability to establish connections between different topics; good analytical and critical skills; generally accurate and technically appropriate use of legal language, with a good command of the relevant technical terminology.

Excellent: 10/10 | 29–30/30

Excellent knowledge of all topics covered by the syllabus; excellent analytical skills and ability to examine the various parts of the syllabus in depth; excellent ability to establish connections between different topics; excellent critical skills; generally accurate and technically appropriate use of legal language, with a very good command of the relevant technical terminology.

Excellent with Honours: 10L/10 | 30L/30

Outstanding knowledge of all topics covered by the syllabus; outstanding analytical and critical skills; outstanding ability to examine the various parts of the syllabus in depth and to establish connections between different topics; consistently accurate and technically appropriate use of legal language, with an excellent command of the relevant technical terminology.

Please note: the mark awarded relates solely to the course Institutions of Private Law. The final mark for the integrated course Institutions of Law can be officially recorded only after the student has obtained a passing grade in both constituent courses of the integrated programme.

Please also note: from the summer examination session of the 2025/2026 academic year onwards, the final mark for the integrated course Institutions of Law will be officially recorded even where the two constituent examinations have been passed in different academic years.

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools will not be used for assessment.

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Students with specific learning difficulties (SpLDs), temporary or permanent disabilities: Students are encouraged to contact the University's Disability and Specific Learning Difficulties Service at the earliest opportunity (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en). The Service will propose any appropriate reasonable adjustments for the students concerned. Any such adjustments must, however, be submitted to the lecturer for approval at least 15 days in advance. In deciding whether to approve the proposed adjustments, the lecturer will take into account their appropriateness in light of the intended learning outcomes of the course. Where the University's Disability and Specific Learning Difficulties Service recommends the use of mind maps as a reasonable adjustment, students are advised that such mind maps must be prepared using keywords only.

Teaching tools

(1) Computer and projector; presentation slides; multimedia resources; Internet access; and, where appropriate, interactive learning tools to reinforce students' understanding of the course content during face-to-face teaching. (2) Supplementary teaching materials, including case law, model contracts, and other supporting resources.

Office hours

See the website of Fabio Bravo

See the website of Francesca Mollo