Português
“Helping to build a law degree with tradition”
“In the age of AI, we must bring the human back.” This was one of the messages Helena Carreiras left for the Law students who are starting Iscte’s new degree this year. At the inaugural session, held last Tuesday, 29 September, the Rector also recalled that Iscte is “the university with the greatest impact” and that the new degree has the highest average admission grades at the institution.
The inaugural session also welcomed a few special guests: Eduarda Gonçalves, professor emerita; João Massano, Bastonário of the Portuguese Bar Association; and Diniz Lopes, director of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities. The programme director, Helena Pereira de Melo, stressed that this is the first time a Law degree has been created in collaboration with the Bar Association, with the aim of training an “elite”.
João Massano, in turn, noted that it is to Iscte’s credit that it agreed to “link practice to theory” in legal education. He also spoke of the need for “vocation”, since the work involves “dealing with people’s lives”. He added: “What does the law do? It prevents problems from getting bigger.”
Finally, student Lara Pinto, elected representative of the Law class, also shared her view. She spoke of the welcoming atmosphere in which the new students were received. “We feel that we are already part of this community. We know the programme is demanding, and we hope to grow a lot, including in soft skills. As pioneers, we want to help build a Law degree with tradition.”
