Spanish Network of University Quality Agencies Guidelines for drafting verification reports for master's degrees linked to entering the professions

Transcription

1 Spanish Network of University Quality Agencies Guidelines for drafting verification reports for master's degrees linked to entering the professions of lawyer and attorney Version /01/2012

2 Goal The present document seeks to provide basic guidelines for drafting proposals for official university master's degrees linked to entry into the professions of lawyer and attorney, based on the stipulations set forth in Royal Decree 775/2011, dated 3 June, which approves the rules for application of Law 34/2006, governing entry to the professions of lawyer and attorney in accordance with Royal Decree 1393/2007, dated 29 October, which lays down the organization of official university education, amended by Royal Decrees 861/2010, dated 2 July and 99/2011, dated 28 January (henceforth Royal Decree 1393/2007). Guidelines 1. Royal Decree 775/2011 stipulates that, in the case of public and private universities, the training courses required for entering the professions of lawyer and attorney should be based on teaching which leads to the granting of an official university master's degree. 2. University master's degrees, which (together with the other requirements set out in said Royal Decree) entitle holders to practise the officially controlled professions of lawyer and attorney, are subject to the verification procedure described in article 25 of Royal Decree 1393/ Reports relating to curricula which lead to official university master's degrees aimed at a subsequent professional qualification as a lawyer and attorney must be independent and distinct proposals. Only thus may the requirements concerning teaching staff as well as other requirements, set out under article 13 of Royal Decree 775/2011 be guaranteed. 1 Version /01/2012

3 4. The overall planning of the master's degree, and not any possible specialisation within said degree, must provide the proper training to ensure acquisition of the professional skills required as a lawyer and attorney, respectively, as described under articles 10 and 11 of the aforementioned Royal Decree 775/2011. Therefore, degree proposals aimed at entry into said professions through a specialised course within the master's degree may not be verified. 5. Curricula for this master's degree must comprise 90 ECTS credits. Degree proposals must include the training required to acquire the skills described in the above-mentioned articles 10 and 11 of Royal Decree 775/2011. Said proposals must set out: the curriculum for the actual training course itself (60 ECTS credits), together with external placement described under article 2.1 of Royal Decree 775/2011 and will account for 30 ECTS credits. The course must include the writing and public defence of a final master's assignment project covering between 6 and 30 credits. Said assignment must seek to ensure and evidence that the skills set out in the degree proposal have been acquired. Public defence of the assignment should be planned for the latter part of the master's degree, preferably at the end of the third four-month period. Since external placements play a key role in the training of lawyers and attorneys and should form a major part in acquiring the skills set out in articles 10 and 11 of Royal Decree 775/2011, curricula proposals are recommended to take good account of said training and to coordinate and reconcile it carefully with the academic training provided by universities. External placements are not recommended prior to the second four-month period and a further recommendation is that they should primarily be on-site (Royal Decree 1125/2003, dated 5 September, stipulates that each ECTS credit allocated for practical training should involve a student spending at least 25 hours at the place where the external training is being given). 2 Version /01/2012

4 6. Royal Decree 1125/2003 stipulates the total number of credits established in the curriculum for each academic year to be 60. As a result, it should be borne in mind that the 90 ECTS credits for each master's degree may not only be taught over two four-month periods. 7. The evaluation report for the verification of these degrees will include an assessment of the appropriateness of the training provided, as described in Royal Decrees 1393/2007 and 775/2011, with particular focus on external placements and teaching staff. In this regard, the following should be taken into account: - External placements should be defined applying the stipulations set out under articles 14, 15 and 16 of Royal Decree 775/2011. In order to ensure compliance with the requirements laid down under said articles, universities should enter into at least one agreement with a lawyer s college or attorney s college, respectively. - As regards teaching staff, each of the groups involved (lawyers, attorneys or university lecturers) must represent at least 40% within the master's degree. Lawyers and attorneys must have belonged to the corresponding official college and have been practising in their field for at least three years, and any university teaching staff involved must have a fixed contractual relationship with a university (as a contracted lecturer or permanent lecturer). 8. ANECA (National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation) or the corresponding assessment bodies in each of the autonomous communities, shall include in the evaluation report required for verification of the curriculum, accreditation of compliance with the requirements set out under chapters II and III of Royal Decree 775/2011 with regard to specialised training and external placements. 3 Version /01/2012

5 Once said report has been issued, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Education will award, through a joint resolution, accreditation for the training. Accreditation must be renewed each four years. The master's degrees which the present document refers to must perforce seek accreditation prior to their commencement, as stipulated in article 4.2 of Royal Decree 775/ As a prior requirement for admission onto the specific training courses to be awarded the professional qualifications of lawyer and attorney, applicants must hold a university degree in law (verified prior to publication of Royal Decree 775/2011) or another equivalent bachelor's degree which accredits that the legal skills set out under article 3 of Royal Decree 775/2011 have been acquired. In proposals for new degrees, application for verification of which is requested subsequent to the coming into force of Royal Decree 775/2011, assessment of whether the curriculum meets the requirements for admission to the master's degree for the profession of lawyer and attorney shall be conducted as part of the degree verification, and shall be reflected in the corresponding evaluation report. Degrees in law which had already been verified when Royal Decree 775/2011 came into force will not need to apply for fresh verification. Those holding a qualification in said degree courses as well as those holding a degree in law will be understood to comply with the requirements for admission to the master's degrees as a result of their having acquired the necessary skills set out under article 3 of the abovementioned Royal Decree. 10. In order to help universities plan their master's degrees, the Ministry of Justice webpage contains various examples of the accreditation test 4 Version /01/2012

6 for professional practical training referred to in article 17 of Royal Decree 775/2011 (information is available at the following link) /Detalle.html). 11. The evaluation procedures accrediting that full use has been made of the training delivered, referred to in article 12.2 of Royal Decree 775/2011 for these master's degrees, will be included by ANECA or the corresponding regional assessment bodies in the degree follow-up processes prior to renewal of accreditation referred to in articles 27 and 27 bis of Royal Decree 1393/ Version /01/2012