From the earliest of times, societies of people have implemented core ideas regarding societal guidelines and ideas of rules and regulations to govern the community. The same applies towards the idea of a country as an (inter)personal political organizational form as well as for the international community as an organizational form of (inter)country society.

During earlier periods, the structure of regulations and country were much simpler and it was rather feasible for everyone to easily participate in legal matters. Today, society is more highly specialized and includes distinct divisions of labor in all areas and levels. It has become increasingly necessary to educate people in the areas of law, state and national regulations in order for society to have a sufficient number of legal experts available. The complexities of today’s living conditions have created a number of isolated legal cases and situations for which there appear to be insufficient resolutions, in turn demanding an interdisciplinary approach in order to regulate them

To address these and many other topics, the Faculty of Law offers a wide-range of base knowledge and in-depth specialization courses in many different areas to prepare students to understand interdisciplinary tasks and become generalists who will be in a position to understand the law as cultural manifestation in all of its historical depth and dogmatic dissimilarity as well as to understand societal preconditions and consequences and, in individual cases, find and procure solutions. On a national and international scale, we strongly believe that students of law studies should be provided with the highest level of education in regards to quality.

Above all, this extensive program ensures ample professional training and leaves the Austrian model of a scientific education at a university, including practical on-hands training, in tact. The Faculty of Law places great importance on life-long learning by providing numerous postgraduate programs.

The Faculty of Law is aware that the mere transfer of expert knowledge is not enough to manage the complex problems of society today and seeks to provide each individual with a way to address basic questions of human existence. The Faculty of Law is dedicated to the concept of education by science and believes this does not only ensure a relevant outlook and a distinct power of judgment, but can also combine intellectual probity with tolerance and a heightened, value oriented sense of responsibility towards society and the environment in particular.

In addition to education and continual education, the Faculty of Law supports continual and supplementary education for its faculty and staff at all levels, including professional mobility. The faculty highly values didactic instruction aimed at educating future managers and leaders as well as helping students to develop superior team skills.

The Faculty of Law believes that all research studies should focus equally on both cognitive knowledge and be application-oriented. Applied uses of research in humanities and social sciences are certainly important compared to the mere, direct economic applications because the base knowledge of the study predetermines the course it will take as well as its social effects, which can only be observed after a mid to longer period of time.

In this regard, our faculty and staff unanimously agree on the importance of conducting research studies at a high international level; research studies that are not merely self-serving but rather research that is dedicated to overall perspectives in society. In addition to the topic, there should be an indispensable opportunity to satisfy a dedicated researcher’s scientific curiosity. The research topic should always address ethical and social conditions, thereby producing results and findings that will benefit society.

Research conducted at the Faculty of Law is committed to serving the public by addressing and focusing on specific regional matters and issues. The highest level of expert knowledge, as well as arbitrating competence, are available at the disposal of the community to address legal concerns that regularly confront not only the individual, but also society in aspects of personal, professional and public life.

This includes leading topics in key socio-political areas of public discourse and ensuring that the latest research results from studies conducted by members of the Faculty of Law are quickly made public and accessible to individuals as well as to public officials, business managers and officials in other areas of society. In today’s ever changing society, the Faculty of Law tries to remain one step ahead in the area of research and education and publish the latest results of legal research as quickly and efficiently as possible. In regards to key common areas of law, we want to ensure that students educated today - and who will eventually encounter questions of tomorrow - do not respond with answers from yesterday.

To maintain our obligation to the public, the Faculty of Law is committed to a priority of research which solely combines research and education in order to guarantee high academic standards.

The Faculty of Law is aware and responsive to the fact that as a modern manifestation of a pluralistic society, it is important for law to be a forerunner of internationalism and interculturalism. The Faculty willingly accepts a great amount responsibility in regards to developing fitting solutions for multicultural conflicts that occur nationally as well as internationally.

The Faculty of Law understands and values the importance of mutual international cooperation. In collaboration with the global scientific community, the faculty embraces efforts to find approaches to problems that, in these times of globalization, can no longer be solved on a national level alone. Together with institutions of higher learning located in and outside of Europe, the Faculty of Law strongly supports an active exchange program of faculty and students in order to competently cultivate ways to find solutions to international legal matters.

The Faculty of Law supports and encourages faculty and students to spend longer periods of exchange at national and international institutions of research and education. We strongly believe that academic exchange is not only beneficial for expanding one’s own professional horizons, but also for personal growth and development. Insight and understanding are acquired by means of life experiences and encounters within cultures sporting lifestyles and attitudes that are different from one’s own country. Those who have international experience create cultural communities that allow for progressive European integration and the growth of peaceful, international communities of free and prosperous peoples.

Likewise the Faculty of Law encourages and supports academic exchange programs abroad. Academic exchange programs not only provide students with important life experiences and additional qualifications, but also allow students to compare and contrast educational systems as well as improve career opportunities.

The Faculty of Law is very influential in regards to the societal and economic development of Upper Austria. The faculty conducts and publishes important research studies as well as educates future regional leaders who go on to work in local business and government.

Moreover, individual institutes at the Faculty of Law are supported by institutions on a national and international level and are not only involved in successful relationship and cooperation networks, but also in competition.

In the interest of supporting high quality and advanced education and research, the Faculty of Law makes a conscious effort to encourage the exchange of experiences and create important strategic alliances.

The law serves as the legal parameters which define not only the life of an individual, but within a society as well. The country and the community of states, as well as public and intergovernmental laws focus towards one goal: our common welfare – safety, freedom and social services for all. The complexity of our world is comparable to a complex microstructure of institutions in which the republic of Austria is a part of larger organizational structures, such as the universal UNO and the regional European Union as well as being a federal entity that is simultaneously structured within the local authorities – provinces and municipals – spanning corporate entities all the way to the professionally focused chambers of Commerce and Labor.

The complexities of these institutions are equivalent to the complexities of law. Should the law provide individuals with a fitting instrument in order to solve one’s problems – which in turn, introduces an additional scope of applications ranging from the family, to (autonomous and dependent) occupations, to leisure time, from culture to politics – which is why the law must be clearly defined and competently applied. Those familiar with only the wording of the law, but possessing little or no comprehension of how courts and administrative agencies apply and interpret the law, do not truly comprehend the law in all of its functional reality.

The distinct and, to a large extent, one dimensional management structure defined in the University Organizational Law 1993 was designed to allow the depiction of decision and responsibility guidelines by implicitly defined competency guidelines. The Faculty of Law strives to go beyond these legal parameters to create a flat organization with a purposeful span of control.

Small but highly efficient service providers fulfil their tasks in full awareness of their supporting functions opposite science.