Católica | Faculdade de Direito (Escola de Lisboa)

What Católica | Faculdade de Direito (Escola de Lisboa) does

Católica | Faculdade de Direito (Escola de Lisboa) is the Lisbon-based Faculty of Law of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, operating as a private non-profit higher education institution headquartered at Palma de Cima, Lisbon. It delivers a multi-tiered legal education portfolio anchored by a five-year undergraduate Licenciatura em Direito, six specialized master's programs (Administrative Law, Law & Business, Corporate Law, Taxation, Litigation, and Transnational Law), four LL.M. programs (Digital Economy, European and Global Context, International Business Law, and Executive Regulation and Compliance), and doctoral tracks. The school serves degree-seeking law students, master's and doctoral candidates, and practicing legal professionals.

The institution monetizes primarily through tuition fees across all program levels and formats, supplemented by funding from Portugal's Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência (PRR) financed by the European Union. Its Cat\u00f3lica Next division functions as an executive education platform offering 15+ postgraduate specializations spanning Public Procurement, Real Estate, Energy, Health, Sports, ESG, International Taxation, AI Law, and Maritime Law, with some programs (e.g., International Taxation) delivered fully online to reach international and working professional cohorts. Revenue-bearing service lines include an institutional Arbitration Centre and a Centre for Legal Opinions that provides legal consultancy to regulators including Anacom and the Dire\u00e7\u3e3o-Geral dos Assuntos Europeus.

Distribution is direct-to-student via the school's admissions office and website, with international mobility supported through the European Law School (ELS) Network spanning universities in Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Austria, plus the Transnational Law Curriculum. Research output is coordinated through the Cat\u00f3lica Research Centre for the Future of the Law, which publishes the Cat\u00f3lica Law Review and runs a dedicated Law and Artificial Intelligence research line. Career placement is supported by the Cat\u00f3lica Future | Law platform connecting students and alumni with recruiters, contributing to a reported 99.6% undergraduate employability rate as of 2026.

Name

Católica | Faculdade de Direito (Escola de Lisboa)

Legal name

Universidade Católica Portuguesa

Website

https://fd.lisboa.ucp.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Católica | Lisbon School of Law is the Lisbon-based Faculty of Law of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, delivering undergraduate, master's, LL.M., doctoral, and postgraduate programs plus executive legal education to law students and practicing professionals in Portugal and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education / Legal Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAAALAB

Legal & Compliance (CLE, Paralegal CE)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Licensure & Continuing Professional Education (CE/CPE)

SECONDARYEDAAALAA

Accounting, Audit & Tax (CPA/CA/ACCA CPE)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Licensure & Continuing Professional Education (CE/CPE)

Keywords

• Legal education
• Law degrees
• Postgraduate programs
• Executive legal training
• Legal research

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisboa

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: The institution generates revenue primarily through tuition fees charged for undergraduate, master's, LL.M., doctoral, and post-graduate programs. Fees vary by program level and format.
2. Government Funding: The institution receives funding from Portuguese government recovery programs including PRR (Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência) and European Union funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Católica | Faculdade de Direito (Escola de Lisboa) is the law school of Universidade Católica Portuguesa, founded in 1976 in Lisbon. It delivers higher-education legal programs (undergraduate, master's, doctoral, LL.M., and post-graduate/executive courses) and operates the Católica Research Centre for the Future of Law, producing academic research and supporting continuing professional education for lawyers, tax professionals, and managers.

Product overview

Católica | Lisbon School of Law operates as a comprehensive legal education institution offering a multi-tiered academic portfolio. The core offering includes an undergraduate law degree (Licenciatura em Direito) and six specialized master's programs (Administrative Law, Law & Business, Corporate Law, Taxation, Litigation, Transnational Law). The institution provides four LL.M. programs (Law in a Digital Economy, European and Global Context, International Business Law, and Executive Regulation and Compliance) and doctoral programs (Ph.D. and Global Ph.D.). Católica Next serves as the advanced legal education division encompassing over 15 postgraduate specializations covering areas such as Public Procurement, Real Estate, Energy, Corporate, Health, Sports, Tax, Customs, Tax Litigation, Corporate Finance, Maritime, International Taxation, Doing Business in Emerging Markets, Contractual Litigation, Regulatory Sanctions, ESG, and Private Clients. The institution also offers intensive short courses including AI Law, Crypto Regulation, Climate Regulation, and International Transactions. Research activities are coordinated through the Católica Research Centre for the Future of the Law, which includes a dedicated Law and Artificial Intelligence research line. Legal services include an Arbitration Centre and Centre for Legal Opinions. The institution maintains specialized sub-brands including Católica Tax (tax education), Católica Gov (public sector training), and the Católica Case Law Review Series (academic publications).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Católica Next: Advanced legal education and executive education programs including post-graduate courses, intensive courses, Católica Tax, Católica Gov, and Católica Case Law Review Series
• Católica Future | Law
• Católica Research Centre for the Future of the Law
• Católica Global School of Law

Products and services

• Licenciatura em Direito (Undergraduate Law Degree)
• Master's Degrees in Law
• Doctoral Program in Law
• LL.M. Programs
• Post-Graduate Program in International Taxation
• Post-Graduate Programs (Pós-Graduações)
• Executive Training (Formação Executiva)
• Católica Research Centre for the Future of Law

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.6% employability rate for undergraduate law graduates

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• European Law School (ELS) NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school participates in the European Law School (ELS) Network, which facilitates student exchanges and collaborative programs with partner universities across Europe. The network includes universities in Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Austria.
• European Union (PRR Funding)coreOthersThe institution receives funding through Portugal's Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência (PRR) and is financed by the European Union. This funding supports institutional development and modernization initiatives.
• Transnational Law Curriculum (TLC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA specialized curriculum track that provides students with international legal perspectives and transnational law competencies, enhancing their preparation for cross-border legal practice.
• Câmara de Comércio e Indústria (Commercial Arbitration Center)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school is a partner entity in the XIX Congress of the Commercial Arbitration Center organized by the Commerce and Industry Chamber, reflecting collaboration in arbitration education and professional development.
• Anacom (Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA protocol agreement with Anacom (Portugal's national communications authority) for the provision of legal opinions in telecommunications regulatory matters.
• Direção-Geral dos Assuntos EuropeusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerApplied research protocol with Portugal's Directorate-General for European Affairs focusing on European integration matters.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Universidade de Lisboa - Faculdade de Direito: The historic public law faculty of the University of Lisbon is the most established competitor for traditional undergraduate and postgraduate legal education in Portugal, sharing the Lisbon student pool and competing for faculty talent.
• Universidade Católica Portuguesa - Faculdade de Direito (Porto): The sister law school within the same Universidade Católica Portuguesa system, located in Porto. Provides cross-campus academic mobility and competes for the same brand-aligned student pool in Portugal.
• Nova School of Law: Nova School of Law is a Lisbon-based, English-taught law school within Universidade Nova de Lisboa. It is a direct competitor in the Portuguese and international postgraduate legal education market, offering LL.M. and master's programs targeting the same student segments as Católica.
• IE Law School (IE University): IE's Madrid-based law school is a leading international private competitor offering English-taught LL.M. and master's programs across Europe, competing directly with Católica for international postgraduate law students.
• ESADE Law School: ESADE in Barcelona offers specialized LL.M. and legal programs with strong international orientation, competing for the same European postgraduate law student pool as Católica.

Regional players

• Universidade do Porto - Faculdade de Direito: Major public law faculty in northern Portugal with strong tradition in legal education. Regional competitor for Portuguese undergraduate law students, particularly those in northern catchment areas.

Broad incumbents

• King's College London - The Dickson Poon School of Law: A globally ranked UK law school offering extensive LL.M. and research programs. Competes for international postgraduate students and represents a global benchmark in legal education against which Católica's English-language LL.M.s are positioned.
• Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore - Facoltà di Giurisprudenza: The Italian sister Catholic university law faculty shares Catholic academic tradition and European academic network positioning, offering a comparable private Catholic university model for legal education across Europe.
• Leiden Law School: One of the most prestigious European law faculties, located in the Netherlands. Comparable as a high-end European law school with international LL.M. and research programs targeting similar postgraduate audiences.

Emerging players

• Católica Global School of Law: An internal division of Católica Lisbon School of Law focused on international programs. Listed for completeness as a related entity within the same institution that competes in the international LL.M. market alongside external schools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/faculdade-de-direito-escola-de-lisboa

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Católica | Faculdade de Direito (Escola de Lisboa)