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Study Law in Slovenia

Nov 4, 2024
  • Law Studies
  • Study Abroad in Europe
  • Study Abroad in Slovenia

What Kinds of Law Degrees are Available in Slovenia?

Bachelor and Master of Law degrees are available from two Slovenian universities: the University of Ljubljana and the University of Maribor. Both have Faculty of Law departments that emphasize legal principles in line with tenets of the Bologna reform. Students earning a Master of Law specialize in a certain area of law and are qualified to work with a law firm or as an independent attorney/prosecutor after passing a State Bar examination.

Tuition Fees and Length of Programs

Bachelor degree programs take four years to complete; Master law courses require another year of internships and coursework before the student earns this kind of specialized graduate degree. Students who are members of the European Union or live in a country that has mutual bilateral affinities with Slovenia do not have to pay tuition at Slovenian universities. However, there is an annual registration fee that is compulsory for all students.

Tuition fees for non-exempt students studying law in Slovenia range from 2000 to 10,000 euros ($3000 to $13,000 USD) but may be higher, depending on the intensity and subject of the degree program.

Opportunities for Lawyers in Slovenia

With the unemployment rate in Slovenia hovering around 14 percent, the job market remains depressed across many sectors (Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia). Students pursuing a Master's degree in law are urged to consider specializing in international law or broaden their knowledge of legal principles to include business/corporate law.

About Slovenia

Bordering Italy, Austria, Croatia and Hungary in the southern part of Central Europe is the nation-state of the Republic of Slovenia. With a population of over two million, Slovenia is a developing, secularized country with an export-oriented, open economy sustained primarily by construction, industrial manufacturing and services. A parliamentary republic and member of NATO and the European Union, Slovenia is famous for being home to four large geographic entities that intersect within its territory: the Mediterranean, the Alps, the Pannonian Plain and the Dinaric Alps. Additionally, Slovenia is one of the most water-rich countries in Europe, boasting a dense network of rivers, an aquifer system and significant underground watercourses supported by Karst topography.

Useful Facts about Slovenia

  • Ljubljana is the largest city as well as the capital of Slovenia.
  • The official language is Slovene, with Hungarian and Italian considered as regional languages.
  • Slovenia replaced their old currency, the tolar, with the Euro in 2007.
  • Nearly 60 percent of Slovenia is forested, making it the third most forested European country.
  • Slovenia's education system ranks #12 globally and #4 in the EU.
  • In 1991, Slovenia gained its independency from Yugoslavia

The Judicial System in Slovenia

Founded on tenets specifying the separation of the judicial, legislative and executive branches of power, Slovenia's parliamentary democratic government operates under a multi-party system. The president is considered the head of state and is elected by the majority of votes. The "Vlada Republike Slovenije" (Government of Slovenia) holds administrative and executive authority and is led by a Prime Minister and cabinet members elected by a National Assembly.

Slovenia's Constitutional Court interprets conformity to laws and regulations written in the country's Constitution. Judges and specialized courts execute regional judicial powers in Slovenia, with state prosecutors accountable for prosecuting individuals accused of committing various criminal offenses.

Because Slovenia is a member of the European Union, many of its laws and legal practices closely resemble those of other EU countries.