Research

RESEARCH STRUCTURES

In public law, the collective work ofthe IDEDH (Institute of European Human Rights Law) currently focuses on the societal role of human rights in Europe, the renewal of relations between humans and animals, and European guarantees of fundamental rights in the face of digital development. The work of the CERCOP (Center for Comparative Constitutional and Political Studies) focuses on many facets of constitutional law (comparative law, constitutional litigation) as well as legal theory, particularly the relationship between law and science. Those of CREAM (Montpellier Center for Administrative Research and Studies) focus on the diverse facets of administrative law and public business law.

In private law, the collective work of the LDP (Laboratory of Private Law) favors an international (particularly within the framework of an Associated International Laboratory) and cross-disciplinary approach to legal issues, institutions, and instruments.The EDSM (Montpellier School of Social Law) conducts research in labor law on collective bargaining and occupational health. The CDE (Center for Business Law) focuses its research on contracts, intellectual property, and corporate assets.

At the crossroads of several legal disciplines, the LICeM (Laboratory for Innovation, Communication, and Markets) brings together lawyers specializing in economic law, digital law, and intellectual property law, whose work focuses on innovation in relation to the law. The Montpellier Criminal Law and Forensic Sciences team (EDPFM) brings together researchers from several disciplines (including law and medicine) for a cross-disciplinary approach to criminal law and forensic sciences, combining the approaches of law, criminology, sociology, criminalistics, and forensic medicine. The School of Health Law favors interdisciplinary approaches within the legal field and multidisciplinary approaches to issues affecting humans. Finally, the Institute of Customs studies unwritten law and is conducting a project entitled "Customs of Occitania Today."

In legal history, in addition to the historical aspects of the work carried out by other teams, it is worth highlighting in particular the collective work of the Edmond Meynial Institute of Legal History (IHD) on a wide variety of topics, which consistently demonstrate the usefulness of examining the past in order to better understand the present and the future, particularly in the field of law.

In political science, CEPEL (Center for Political and Social Studies – Environment, Health, Territories) stands out for its work in political science and its multidisciplinary approach, combining political science with legal sociology and law, sociology, ethnology, philosophy, and epidemiology. In addition to the traditional subjects of political science, approached through the prism of territorial issues, the research programs currently underway at CEPEL are linked to the themes of "Feed, Care, Protect," including issues of environmental and food policy, as well as several projects focusing on new forms of citizen participation and engagement with these issues.

It is not uncommon for several research teams to participate together in cross-disciplinary research programs, for example within the Labex "Entreprendre" at the University of Montpellier or in other contexts, to analyze the transformations linked to the imperative of sustainable development or to understand the legal changes brought about by digital technology. All of these initiatives promote Montpellier's academic research by joining national and international research networks.

DOCTORAL TRAINING

According to its statutes, the mission of the Faculty of Law and Political Science of Montpellier is to contribute to the preparation of doctorates in Law and Political Science, in collaboration with the Doctoral School of Law and Political Science.

Each year, two series of conferences are organized for doctoral students at the University and, in some cases, for students from all universities. Their growing and consistent success is a testament to the strong interest these events generate among young researchers.

The series of methodological lectures aims to provide students with general guidelines for progressing with their thesis and the unique experience of doctoral study, without ever replacing their research supervisors: training in university teaching; research methodology and ethics; writing advice; teaching the commentary on judgments of the Council of State and the Court of Cassation; understanding the first months of thesis work; preparation for the end of the thesis and the defense; etc. This series includes the professional integration of Montpellier PhD graduates through the organization of conferences to present applications for lectureships or the contribution of a PhD to the role of magistrate. It also provides support for lecturer and administrative magistrate competitive examinations by organizing mock interviews and oral exams. In this context, the local agrégation conference allows our candidates to conduct numerous mock lessons.

The series of thematic conferences is based directly on proposals from doctoral students, who are invited each year to submit topics that require further study for their work.