Ceremonial speeches and honorary doctorates

The Faculty of Law celebrated its 50th anniversary with a scientific symposium and a ceremony. The occasion allowed for a look back on half a century of modern education and research. Aside from many guests from the top echelons of politics, law, administration and academia, Georg Eisenreich, Bavarian State Minister of Justice, and Prof. Dr. Andreas Voßkuhle, former President of the Federal Constitutional Court and alumnus of the University of Augsburg, were present to congratulate.

In his welcome address, which was only delivered digitally due to the pandemic, Dean Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Wollenschläger was not only very satisfied with the development of the faculty over the last 50 years, but also sees the faculty "very well positioned for taking on future challenges". Two new chairs in the fields of artificial intelligence and medicine, as well as climate and crisis resilience, created as part of the High Tech Agenda Bayern, contribute to this and round off the already strong key research areas of Europe and International Affairs, Health, Economics, Fundamentals of Law and Environment in an excellent way.

First, University President Prof. Dr. Sabine Doering-Manteuffel congratulated: "50 years of law - finally we can celebrate this milestone, albeit with a slight delay. The Faculty of Law is the third largest of our eight faculties and a great magnet for students from Bavarian Swabia, Bavaria and all over Germany. We are proud of what we have achieved so far and of international profile geared towards new fields of research and teaching."

Georg Eisenreich, MdL, Bavarian State Minister of Justice, welcomed the audience. *© University of Augsburg*

Georg Eisenreich, Bavarian State Minister of Justice, praised the faculty's achievements in education and research. Furthermore, he addressed the importance of the megatrend of digitalisation for law, which was why this aspect had been strengthened in legal studies. He also emphasised the importance of a value-based education for young lawyers in view of the current crises and experiences with National Socialist injustice and the injustice of the SED dictatorship.

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Andreas Voßkuhle, the former President of the Federal Constitutional Court and one of the many outstanding alumni of the Faculty of Law at the University of Augsburg, described the role of law faculties as "energy centres of free democratic constitutional states" in his keynote speech. He concluded with a personal segment on his own time in Augsburg, during which he experienced the faculty as "uncomplicated, curious, hands-on", a spirit that he still connected with the Faculty of Law of the University of Augsburg today.

Another academic highlight of the ceremony was the conferral of honorary doctorates on three outstanding personalities who have made exceptional contributions to legal science and legal practice:

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Andreas Voßkuhle, former President of the Federal Constitutional Court, held the keynote speech in honour of the 50th anniversary of the Faculty of Law. *© University of Augsburg*

Professor Dr. Juliane Kokott, LL.M. (Am. Univ.), S.J.D. (Harvard), Advocate General at the European Court of Justice.
In recognition of her outstanding services to the development of European law, international law, environmental law and European tax law, and in recognition of her outstanding services to the European Court of Justice. Juliane Kokott received her first appointment as professor at the University of Augsburg and remained very attached to the faculty.
Professor Kenneth Reid, F.B.A., F.R.S.E., LL.D. (h.c.) (University of Edinburgh, Scotland)
In recognition of his services to the creation of modern European private law scholarship and in recognition of his services to the German-Scottish legal dialogue.
Professor Masahiro Hieda (Waseda University, Japan)
In recognition of his outstanding services to traditional Japanese-German comparative law and Japanese-German academic exchange in the field of criminal law and criminal procedure. Professor Hieda was already a visiting scholar at the Faculty of Law in Augsburg in the early 1990s and has since been an active promoter of exchange with Waseda University.

Prof. em. Dr. Herbert Buchner, the first elected Dean of the faculty, provided a glimpse into the history of the Faculty of Law. 51 years ago on 18 October he held its very first lecture in front of 90 students and thus opened the teaching activvities.

Finally Vice Dean Arnd Koch presented the Faculty's commemorative publication, which was published by Mohr Siebeck to mark the anniversary in 2021: "50 Jahre Juristische Fakultät Augsburg".

The Faculty of Law

The Faculty of Law is the third largest of the eight faculties at the University of Augsburg and a great magnet for students from Bavaria and Germany. more than 3.100 students are currently enrolled, not only in the very well-established sate examination programme, the core of the education, but also in the degree programme Law and Business Studies, a practice-oriented programme that is aimed at activities in the interface area between business and law and so represents a distinctive feature in the German university landscape.

Shortly after the founding of the University of Augsburg in 1970, the Faculty of Law was established on 8 October 1971. Teaching began ten days later in Eichnleitnerstraße, the former location "Alter Universität". The move to the new location on the University of Augsburg's campus took place in 1999. An extension of the faculty with a seminar wing followed in 2014, another structural extension in 2019.

The Faculty of Law's influence extends not only to the rest of the University due to its elective areas open to other faculties, but also to society due to a special student project: since 2015 the Law CLinic Augsburg has been offering free legal advice , especially for socially disadvantaged persons and refugees. Students help pragmatically, apply their knwoledge and at the same time gain an early insight into legal practice. "This social commitment shows to what extent research, teaching and the sense of responsibility can go hand in hand and is a great example," emphasised University President Prof. Doering-Manteuffel in her greeting.