NOVA School of Law

What NOVA School of Law does

NOVA School of Law (Faculdade de Direito da Universidade NOVA de Lisboa) is the law faculty of NOVA University Lisbon, a public foundation operating under Portuguese higher-education regulation. The institution delivers a full academic ladder — a bachelor's degree in law (Licenciatura em Direito), an interdisciplinary Ocean Studies track, an LL.M. in Human Rights Advocacy, a broad set of specialized master's programs (Law&Tech, Law and Economics of the Sea, Financial Markets, Security, Public Regulatory Law, Social Law and Innovation, Human Rights and Sustainability, Corporate and Health Law), doctoral and post-doctoral research programs, and executive/specialized training for working legal professionals.

Technology and operations rest on a conventional academic stack: a customized Moodle-based eLearning platform (eLearning NOVA Direito) using Office 365 SSO via OpenID Connect, the internal NetPA academic administration system for curricular management, and Microsoft Teams for collaboration. The school's research arm comprises several centers — CEDIS (law and society), WhatNext.Law (law and technology), SPEED (security, peace, sustainable development), and the Observatório do Racismo e Xenofobia — alongside academic publications including Revista THEMIS and the António Manuel Hespanha Digital Archive.

The revenue model combines capped public-university tuition fees (propinas, billed annually by program level via published edicts), postgraduate and executive education fees, and external research funding — most recently a €4.57 million EU MSCA-Curie doctoral network grant for green-transition research. Internationalization is operationalized through Erasmus mobility, an International Track for Undergraduate Students (ITUS), dual-degree arrangements (notably with Universidade de São Paulo), and study trips. Customer segments are persona-based: undergraduate students, graduate students, doctoral researchers, and legal professionals in continuing education, all sourced through open days, education fairs (e.g., Futurália), and institutional outreach.

Name

NOVA School of Law

Legal name

Universidade NOVA de Lisboa

Website

https://novalaw.unl.pt

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

NOVA School of Law is the public law faculty of Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, offering undergraduate, master's, doctoral, and executive education programs to domestic and international students, supported by research centers in law and technology, human rights, and security.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Legal Education)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Law Schools (e.g., Tax, IP, International, Trial Advocacy) (EDAHAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Law School Continuing Legal Education (CLE) & Executive Programs (EDAHAIAH), Law School Research Centers & Institutes (e.g., Law & Economics, Human Rights) (EDAHAIAJ), Online / Hybrid Law Schools & Programs (EDAHAIAE)

Keywords

• Legal education
• Law degree programs
• Postgraduate legal studies
• Doctoral legal research
• Executive legal training

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisbon

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees (Propinas): Annual tuition fees charged to students for undergraduate, master's, doctoral, and specialized programs. Fee schedules are published annually through official edicts (editais). Revenue is recurring on an annual academic year basis.
2. Postgraduate and Specialized Training: Executive education programs, postgraduate courses, and specialized training programs offered to working professionals and legal practitioners. These programs generate revenue through course fees separate from standard academic tuition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NOVA School of Law is a public law faculty of NOVA University Lisbon that delivers legal education programs from undergraduate through doctoral levels, including a Bachelor's in Law (Licenciatura em Direito), multiple specialized Master's programs (Law&Tech, Law and Economics of the Sea, Financial Markets, Security, Human Rights, Public Regulatory Law, Social Law and Innovation, Corporate and Health Law), doctoral and post-doctoral research, and executive specialized training for legal professionals. The school also operates research centers (CEDIS, WhatNext.Law, SPEED, Observatório do Racismo e Xenofobia) and publishes the THEMIS academic journal.

Product overview

NOVA School of Law is a law faculty of Universidade NOVA de Lisboa offering a comprehensive legal education portfolio. The institution provides undergraduate law degrees (Licenciatura), multiple specialized Master's programs (Mestrado) including Law&Tech, Human Rights Advocacy, Law and Economics of the Sea, Financial Markets, Security, Public Regulatory Law, and Social Law, doctoral programs (Doutoramento), post-doctoral studies, and specialized executive training courses. The school operates its own eLearning platform based on Moodle, and supports several research centers including CEDIS, WhatNext.Law, the Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia, and SPEED, alongside academic publications like THEMIS Journal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CEDIS: Research centre associated with NOVA School of Law focusing on law and society studies.
• WhatNext.Law

Products and services

• Licenciatura em Direito (Bachelor's Degree in Law) Undergraduate law degree program providing foundational legal education with specializations such as Ocean Studies; designed for prospective students seeking a recognized bachelor's-level law qualification.
• LL.M. in Human Rights Advocacy Master of Laws program focused on human rights and advocacy, aimed at graduate students and legal professionals seeking specialization in human rights law.
• Mestrado em Direito Aplicado à Tecnologia (Law&Tech) Master's program combining law and technology, covering legal implications of emerging technologies; designed for graduate students and legal professionals seeking specialization at the intersection of law and technology.
• Mestrado em Direito e Economia do Mar - A Governação do Oceano Master's program focusing on law and economics of the sea and ocean governance, aimed at graduate students and professionals interested in maritime and ocean law.
• Mestrado em Direito e Mercados Financeiros Master's program on law and financial markets, aimed at graduate students and professionals seeking specialization in financial regulation and markets.
• Mestrado em Direito e Segurança Master's program on law and security studies, designed for graduate students and professionals interested in legal aspects of security.
• Mestrado com especialização em Direito Público da Regulação Master's specialization in public regulatory law, aimed at graduate students and legal professionals seeking expertise in regulatory frameworks.
• Mestrado com especialização em Direito Social e da Inovação Master's specialization in social law and innovation, aimed at graduate students and professionals interested in social policy and legal innovation.
• Mestrado com especialização em Direitos Humanos e Sustentabilidade Master's specialization in human rights and sustainability, aimed at graduate students and professionals interested in human rights and environmental law.
• Mestrado com especialização em Direito Empresarial e da Saúde Master's specialization in corporate and health law, aimed at graduate students and professionals seeking expertise in corporate and health-related legal matters.
• Doutoramento em Direito (Doctoral Program in Law) Doctoral program in law with various research areas, including participation in European doctoral networks; designed for advanced researchers pursuing doctoral-level research in law.
• Pós-Doutoramento (Post-Doctoral Studies) Post-doctoral research programs at NOVA School of Law, aimed at advanced researchers continuing their research after completing a doctoral degree.
• Formação Especializada (Specialized Training) Executive education and specialized professional development courses in various legal fields, including compliance, AI in European legal framework, foreigner's rights, children's rights, and consumer law; aimed at working legal professionals, lawyers, judges, prosecutors, and public officials.

Quantifiable outcome

• Partnership with Universidade de São Paulo for dual degree programs
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Universidade de São Paulo (USP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOVA School of Law and Universidade de São Paulo have established a partnership for dual degree programs in law. This strategic partnership enables students from both institutions to obtain degrees from both universities, enhancing international academic exchange and cross-cultural legal education between Portugal and Brazil.
• European University NetworkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOVA School of Law participates in European doctoral networks, including a green transition research network funded with €4.57 million. The school is integrated into broader European higher education and research collaboration frameworks through NOVA University Lisbon's international partnerships.
• NOVA University LisboncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOVA School of Law operates as a faculty (unidade orgânica) within NOVA University Lisbon, benefiting from institutional resources, shared services, and the university's broader international network and research infrastructure.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de Santiago de Compostela: Public Spanish law faculty offering full-stack legal education with strong specialty master's portfolio (including technology, environmental, and EU law). Comparable on curriculum and public-university positioning; serves the Iberian market that overlaps with NOVA's Lusophone and EU cross-border applicant pool.

Others

• Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Nova de Lisboa - Católica Global School of Law: Rather than a distinct entity, this entry highlights Católica's Global School of Law in Lisbon as a directly comparable peer — an LL.M.-focused international law offering co-located with a top Portuguese faculty, competing head-to-head for the international master's student that NOVA's LL.M. and specialty mestrados target.

Direct peers

• Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de Lisboa: Public law faculty of the University of Lisbon, operating in the same city and same Portuguese public higher-education system. Directly comparable on curriculum (licenciatura, mestrados, doutoramento), admission model via the national concurso, and target student segments.
• Faculdade de Direito da Universidade do Porto: Public Portuguese law faculty operating across the full degree spectrum from licenciatura through doutoramento. Comparable on academic structure, public funding model, and competition for northern Portuguese and international applicants.
• Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de Coimbra: Historic Portuguese public law faculty with strong research profile, broad master's and doctoral portfolio, and national reach. Comparable on full-stack legal education offering and public funding model; key competitor for research talent and graduate students.
• Universidade de São Paulo — Faculdade de Direito: Brazil's flagship public law faculty and NOVA's documented dual-degree partner. Comparable as a full-stack law school (licenciatura/mestrado/doutorado) with strong research centers and Lusophone internationalization — directly tied to NOVA through the 2025 dual-degree partnership and shared student/alumni flows.
• Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Católica Portuguesa: Lisbon-based law school with the strongest brand in Portugal, offering undergraduate, master's and doctoral law programs with tuition-driven, semi-private funding. Comparable on product mix, target student segments, and specialty masters, and the principal domestic competitor for top applicants.
• Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa: Lisbon-based private law school with licenciatura, master's and doctoral programs in law. Comparable on product mix and metropolitan Lisbon student capture; competes for the same UG and specialty master's pool under a tuition-funded model.

Emerging players

• IE Law School (Instituto de Empresa): Madrid-based international law school with strong specialty LL.M. portfolio (including technology, business, and human rights law). Comparable on the specialty Master's and executive education angle and represents a credible international competitor for cross-border fee-paying students NOVA targets through ITUS and LL.M. programs.

Broad incumbents

• London School of Economics — Department of Law: Elite UK law school with broad LL.M., PhD and research portfolio spanning many of the same specialty areas NOVA targets (human rights, financial markets, technology law). Comparable as a specialist LL.M. competitor for high-fee international students and an upper benchmark in EU/global rankings NOVA references.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCI_N-UBKbJOv3gZAk0yZE-w
• Facebookfacebook.com/novaschooloflaw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/11155774
• Instagraminstagram.com/novaschooloflaw

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about NOVA School of Law