Abstract
The Faculty of Law at the University of Rijeka is a relatively young school in a relatively young university. In 2018 they both celebrated the 45th anniversary. The university has about 17.000 students, while the Faculty of Law has about 1.500 students enrolled into five years integrated legal study and three years professional administrative study. In March 2020 the Faculty signed a contract with the European Social Fund on the improvement of practical legal skills of its students including starting a legal clinic. The project included participation of students in a number of exchanges, national and international moot-court competitions and workshops for building their practical skills. The lockdown followed just two days after the signing of the contract. All activities that included physical contacts had to be stopped, naturally, and eventually only online contacts were allowed. It meant that the teachers in charge of the project had to invent new ways how to ensure its implementation. The article is describing the innovative ways how to overcome the pandemic situation.
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Notes
- 1.
Young Universities for the Future of Europe https://yufe.eu/.
- 2.
The system is based on merits so students don’t pay fees as long as they make at least 55/60 ECTS a year. Failing that they have to pay for the remaining number of ECTS. Stipends also partly subsidize meals for all students and lodging in student dorms. However, their availability is very limited so the majority of students either stay at home with their parents or rent privately with no state aid. Part time students have to pay fees depending on the number of ECTS they take up (between 30 and 60 ECTS).
- 3.
University of Rijeka webpage https://uniri.hr/.
- 4.
The two main programmes are the Integrated Undergraduate and Graduate University Study of Law and the Undergraduate Professional Study Programme in Administration Studies. In addition, the faculty runs several postgraduate and a doctorate studies. Faculty of Law webpage https://pravri.uniri.hr/en.
- 5.
In Croatia university teachers are required by law to advance to a higher title every five years based on their publications and other results.
- 6.
Decision by the Minister of Health on proclamation of epidemic disease COVID-19 was published on 11 March 2020 after the first cases had appeared. https://zdravstvo.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/2020%20CORONAVIRUS/ODLUKA%20O%20PROGLA%C5%A0ENJU%20EPIDEMIJE%20BOLESTI%20COVID-19.pdf. Accessed 20 May 2021.
- 7.
Merlin, System for e-learning. https://moodle.srce.hr/2020-2021/.
- 8.
HRČAK—central portal of Croatian scientific journals. https://hrcak.srce.hr/?lang=en.
- 9.
Library of the Faculty of Law in Rijeka, online legal databases, Instructions in English. https://sites.google.com/pravri.hr/onlinebaze/legal-databases?authuser=0. Accessed 20 May 2021.
- 10.
The first earthquake hit Zagreb on 22 March 2020 and the next one of magnitude 6.2 followed on 29 December 2020 in Petrinja, Sisak and Glina.
- 11.
Marinoni et al. [1, pp. 1–50]
- 12.
Erasmus+ https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/about_en. Accessed 20 May 2021.
- 13.
At the Faculty of Law situation in the fall semester was as follows: 16 incoming and 19 outgoing students.
- 14.
Faculty of Law Erasmus+ page. https://sites.google.com/view/pravri-erasmus/incoming-student-mobility. The FB page. https://www.facebook.com/pravri.uniri/. Accessed 20 May 2021.
- 15.
The University Counselling Centre provides students and staff of the University of Rijeka with different forms of support and counselling through its Psychological Counselling Office, Office for Students with Disabilities, and Career Office.
- 16.
Psychological Aspects of Studying in the pandemic caused crisis situation (Psihološki aspekti studiranja u kriznoj situaciji izazvanoj epidemijom koronavirusa) online leaflet published on 30 April 2020.
- 17.
According to the same source women and people with small children are even more vulnerable in the already risky group of young people. It is worth noting that more than 70% of law students in Croatia are young women.
- 18.
The sample included 923 students aged 19–28 (73% females) from different faculties at the University of Rijeka. Out of total 65% of the students changed their residence to attend university and 86.7% of them have returned back home during lockdown. The students completed Stress Source Questionnaire, Academic Functioning Questionnaire and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Živčić-Bećirević et al. [2].
- 19.
19.6% of students express high or severe depression and 23.9% high or severe anxiety. 12.7% of the students report suicidal ideation which is more than found in general population. Ibid. Prof. Živčić-Bećirević and her team repeated the research in Spring 2021 and the results are apparently even worse. The results will be published in the next volume of Društvena istraživanja. http://drustvena-istrazivanja.pilar.hr/index.php/drustvena-istrazivanja. Accessed 20 May 2021.
- 20.
One of my 2nd year students told me how he does not know “more than five” people from his year that has 280 students!
- 21.
The University of Rijeka proclaimed that the ratio between the on-site and online teaching should be 60:40. However, in the lockdown the ratio was lost and all classes but some medical or laboratories exercises went online.
- 22.
Praxis Iuris—Free primary legal aid and professional practice at the Faculty of Law in Rijeka was concluded for the period from 2020 to 2023. https://praxisiuris.eu/en/about-the-project/. Accessed 20 May 2021.
- 23.
European Social Fund works under the European Commission. It is Europe’s main instrument for supporting jobs, helping people get better jobs and ensuring fairer job opportunities for all EU citizens. https://ec.europa.eu/esf/home.jsp. Accessed 20 May 2021.
- 24.
The programme was encouraged by the American Bar Association/CEELI project. More on the results of the initiative. https://ceeliinstitute.org/. Accessed 20 May 2021.
- 25.
American Bar Association. https://www.americanbar.org/groups/center-pro-bono/. Accessed 20 May 2021.
- 26.
The Law on Free Legal Aid (Zakon o besplatnoj pravnoj pomoći), Narodne novine No. 143/13, 98/19.
- 27.
The law provides that the more complex cases should be dealt with by professional lawyers in order to protect even destitute clients (secondary legal aid). Criminal cases are excluded by law and there should always be professional lawyers included, pro bono or paid by the client.
- 28.
The names of the students-mentors are public on the webpage of the Project. https://praxisiuris.eu/en/students-mentors-2020-2021/.
- 29.
The webpage of the Project includes information on all activities. https://praxisiuris.eu/en/category/activities/page/1/ and other.
- 30.
It is published in Croatian. Priručnik za studente, https://praxisiuris.eu/praxis-iuris/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/prirucnik-za-studente.pdf. Accessed 20 May 2021.
References
Marinoni, G., Land H., Jensen T.: The Impact of COVID 19 on Higher Education around the World. IAU Global Survey Report (2020), pp. 1–50. https://iau-aiu.net/IAU-Global-Survey-on-the-Impact-of-COVID-19-on-Higher-Education-around-the. Accessed 20 May 2021
Živčić-Bećirević, I., et al.: How did students cope with the lockdown?’, COVID-19 From Student Perspective: Impact, Analysis and Recommendations, University of Rijeka, Croatia, (2020). https://uniri.hr/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Simpozij-COVID-V-Finalno.pdf. Accessed 20 May 2021
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Crnić-Grotić, V. (2022). Legal Education and Legal Profession During and After COVID-19 the Shifting Idea of Law School: Systems and Processes. In: Raj Kumar, C., Sreejith, S. (eds) Legal Education and Legal Profession During and After COVID-19. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-2568-9_11
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