11316 - Private Law

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the course, students will have mastered the fundamental concepts and terminology of private law, with particular emphasis on the concepts and regulations governing private law subjects, property and possession rights, contracts in general, contracts of sale, procurement, leasing, mandate, mortgage, loan for use, and torts. They will also acquire fundamental knowledge regarding the subjects of sports law, sports employment contracts, sports sponsorship contracts, and sports torts. Finally, they will acquire the ability to locate legal sources, consult codes and databases, and thus stay current on relevant legislation.

Course contents

The final exam will cover the following topics:
- Law, the legal system, legal norms, and legal relationships;
- Sources and application of law;
- Private law in the Constitution;
- Reasons and characteristics of the 1942 Civil Code;
- Legal subjects: natural and legal persons;
- Personality rights;
- Kinship and affinity;
- Mental illness, interdiction, incapacity, and support measures;
- Family (general principles);
- Successions and donations;
- Assets;
- Property (acquisition and defense) and other rights on things;
- Possession;
- Obligations;
- Contracts in general;
- Sports contracts;
- Torts;
- Sports liability;
- Statute of limitations and forfeiture.

Readings/Bibliography

F. Galgano, Istituzioni di diritto privato, Padova, Cedam, 2024 (anyway, the most recent available edition).

To acquire a systematic preparation and to appreciate all the connections within the subject, students are encouraged to read the textbook in its entirety.

When studying for the exam, the following sections may be omitted:

- paragraphs 5, 6, 7, and 8 of Chapter IV;
- Chapters VIII, XVIII, XX, XXI, XXIII, XXVII.

Teaching methods

Teaching will be structured through lectures and collateral activities designed to encourage student engagement.

Lectures will systematically present the course topics, according to the syllabus above, followed by a discussion of case law on the individual topics covered.

Assessment methods

The final exam will consist of:


1) A MANDATORY WRITTEN TEST, consisting of 30 multiple-choice questions on the topics listed in the "Contents" section: each correct answer is worth 1 point, while zero points are awarded for an incorrect answer or no answer. The passing threshold is 18 points out of 30.


Upon completion of the written test, students may request that their final grade be recorded, or they may take...


2) AN OPTIONAL ORAL EXAM, covering the topics listed in the "Contents" section, in which the grade obtained in the written test may be lowered, confirmed, or raised.


The oral exam will be evaluated taking into account:
- knowledge of institutional profiles;
- the ability to analyze jurisprudential and doctrinal orientations;
- the ability to make connections between the different parts of the program;
- the ability to develop critical arguments;
- the structure of the presentation;
- the accuracy of the presentation.


The final grade will be based on the following criteria:
- Sufficient or slightly above-sufficient preparation on the topics covered, poor critical thinking, difficulty using technical and legal language → 18-21;
- Fair or rather good preparation on the topics covered, fair critical thinking, good use of technical and legal language → 22-25;
- Good or more than good preparation on the topics covered, good critical thinking, mastery of technical and legal language → 26-29;
- Substantially exhaustive preparation on the topics covered, excellent critical thinking, full mastery of technical and legal language → 30-30L.


Registration for the final exam must be completed using the Almaesami application (https://almaesami.unibo.it/almaesami/welcome.htm).

Teaching tools

Some of the topics covered in class will be explained through slides representing logical connections between private law topics in order to facilitate learning. Other supporting materials ( legal cases, documents, legal texts, slides) will be made available to students on the website.

Students which need compensatory tools for reasons of disability or Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) will communicate to the teacher their needs so as to be directed to the dedicated person and arrange on the adoption of the most appropriate measures.

Office hours

See the website of Matteo De Pamphilis