Court of Justice of the European Union & EU Law
This course is one of a new series of 1-credit courses utilizing practitioners to teach students on a variety of topics related to European and EU studies. These classes combine academic discussion with real-world insights from the instructors based on their experiences working in, with or for the European Union.
The EU in Practice courses are a unique, one-time opportunity for students to engage with practitioners and policymakers. Space in the class is limited to allow participation and engagement with the guest faculty.
In the Spring 2022 iteration of the EU in Practice course, students will explore EU law and the workings of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to gain new insights into the function of the EU political and legal systems. Through its focus on the ECJ, the highest court in the EU (equivalent to the U.S. Supreme Court), the course will provide new insights and a unique perspective on the legal structure of the EU and the function of an international court. This includes an overview and a solid and dynamic knowledge of the principles of the EU legal order, as well as the structure, functioning, evolution and the central role of the system of judicial protection established by the EU Treaties. Some of the main features characterising the EU jurisprudence and the new challenges it is currently facing will also be discussed.
The instructor, José Luís da Cruz Vilaça is a former Advocate General, Judge and President of Chamber at the European Court of Justice, as well as the founding President of the Court of First Instance (now the General Court of the EU) with over three decades working with and for the ECJ. Mr Luís da Cruz Vilaça is also a former government minister for EU integration and a practicing lawyer.
Meet the instructor
José Luís da Cruz Vilaça has a thorough knowledge of the various areas of European Union Law and Competition Law as well as of issues related to the European Convention on Human Rights and the protection of Fundamental Rights.
As Secretary of State for European Integration, in 1981/82, he led the accession negotiations to the European Communities (ECs), and, for the past 35 years, his entire professional and academic career has been under the aegis of European Integration, European Law, and Competition Law. Following Portugal’s accession to the EC in January 1986, Cruz Vilaça has served as Advocate General and later, between 2012 and 2018, as Judge at the Court of Justice of the EU, where he was elected President of Chamber in 2015. From 1989 to 1995, he presided, first by unanimous decision of the governments of the Member States and then by election of his peers, the newly established Court of First Instance of the EC’s.
