Street law

In 2017, the Faculty of Law started its new holistic project by establishing “Centre of the Legal Education of Society”. The rationale behind is based on the understanding that the mission of the Faculty of Law, as a community of legal experts, has to go beyond its traditional functions in the University, i.e.

(1) to teach and prepare professional lawyers in the stage of a student and

(2) to advance legal science in country and region. Two dimensions in this respect were separated.

First – to step into domain of lifelong education before the higher/university education stage, i.e. to go to regular schools and gymnasiums, to spread legal knowledge to their pupils and also to communicate with teachers therein with the aim to promote the need of the understanding of law and its societal role to younger generation. In this respect the “Street Law” activities were started, scholars of the unit visited around 50 schools/gymnasiums with special lectures adapted to school-children. These activities were very successful, involving children into the discussions of the problems relevant for younger generation (as the security of private information in digital age, certain aspects of the legal responsibility of minors, certain issues of securing certain constitutional rights and so on). These activities are planned to be continued in the future. Moreover, the scholars of the Faculty of Law have met with teachers of the schools, prepared and delivered certain lectures to them on certain legal issues. Finally, the Unit plans to prepare a manual on the basics of law adapted to education in schools/gymnasiums.

Second dimension of the activities of the Faculty of Law in this respect is substantial entering of the domain of lifelong education after the higher/university education stage, i.e. professional/vocational training and raising of the qualification of already practicing lawyers. In this respect, in 2017, the scholars of the Faculty of Law have applied (and in 2018 were successfully accredited) to Lithuanian Bar Association for accreditation as an official institution to provide vocational training services to Lithuanian attorneys. Also, individual scholars of the Faculty of Law participated and will continue to participate in certain activities of vocational training in the country.