Law

The Law School at Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) prepares professionals with a wide vision of the legal profession, a solid technical formation, and an appreciation of the fundametal values of Law: justice, freedom, and security.

Graduates of the Law School at USFQ have the capacity to work in either the public or private sector, within the full scope of the legal profession to take on current issues, analyze legal problems, and present innovative solutions with a multidisciplinary perspective.

Graduates from the Law School at USFQ are characterized by their ability to facilitate legal processes through a set of skills in written and oral legal argumentation, their willingness to work in teams in a changing environment and within an intercultural perspective, their motivation to pursue graduate study, and their capacity for future work in academia as teachers and researchers.

Graduate profile

Graduates of the Law School have a solid humanist formation with ample knowledge of the fundamental values of the law: justice, freedom, and legal security.

In addition, they will acquire a vocation to serve the community with entrepreneurial spirit and leadership. They will develop reflexive and analytic thinking skills to solve legal matters with efficiency and effectiveness. They will also acquire solid knowledge of the current national and international legal framework which will allow them to develop their capacity for cutting-edge research.

Graduates will possess a global and multidisciplinary perspective, face contemporary challenges in a creative and innovative way, develop a mediating-conciliatory vocation, and use written and oral argumentation skills to interpret and uphold the law.

With this preparation, students who graduate from the Law School will be able to work as lawyers in any area of the field, as public servants, or as teachers.

In addition, due to the multidisciplinary education through the Liberal Arts offered by USFQ, graduates will have a solid foundation to continue their studies at the graduate level in the country or abroad. It is important to mention that this education is mainly focused on promoting:

• Comprehension of the fundamental values of the Law, understanding the ethical components of the profession, and the theoretical and philosophical aspects of different disciplines through the development of critical inquiry and problem-solving skills.
• Instruction on the technical elements that are necessary for the analysis of legal issues, written and oral argumentation, interpretation, case analysis, mediation, and research techniques to resolve conflicts.
• Solid knowledge of the sources of the Ecuadorian legal system, international law, and comparative law in the context of a legal system which acknowledges the existence of legal pluralism.
• Spirit of entrepreneurship and social leadership in the service of the community and the defense of freedom.

Students who graduate from the major in Law at USFQ will be able to work as a consultant for entities in the public and private sector. They will also be able to work independently in the country or abroad.

"USFQ has given me the opportunity to achieve my professional and academic goals. In addition to the high level formation it offers to its students which turns us into competitive candidates when looking for future opportunitie,  USFQ promotes spaces for students to network with professors, who as mentors provide constant support. The education I obtained through the Law School as well as the permanent guidance for the professors have allowed me to prepare for my graduate studies abroad. I obtained a Fulbright scholarship and admission offers from all the universities I applied to: Yale, Harvard, Columbia, NYU, Chicago, and Georgetown. I also had the privilege of obtaining a Hauser Global scholarship from NYU and academic merit scholarship from several universities. I feel really fortunate to be USFQ alumni and thankful to the Law School and its professors."

- María Gracia Naranjo Ponce -

"To study the major in Law at USFQ was fundamental for the following stages of my professional life. The rigor of the classes and the demands from the professors helped me develop excellence for my future professional work. In addition to attending classes, the major allows you to participate in important academic activities: international competitions, the USFQ Law Review, work as an assistant for some professors, as well as work in the legal clinic and free legal office. These activities are really important when applying to Master's programs at international universities, since they show that, besides being a good student, one can be involved in other activities related to the legal profession. 4 years ago, I finished my Master's studies in the Law School at Harvard .I passed the bar exam in New York, and started working in the British-Australian firm Herbert Smith Freehills New York LLP as an associate in the international arbitration group, with a focus on Latin America. My job consists of the representation of States and private companies in international arbitration procedures in English and Spanish. I have good memories of my time as a student at USFQ and I am thankful for my professional education."

- Daniela Páez -

"In 2008 I took the NY Bar, an exam that allows us to work in the state of New York. It was 3 months of intensive studying in which I had to learn the Law, in all the areas of the 50 States the Columbia District, and especially the State of New York. After 3 months waiting, I have received the results, I passed the NY Bar Exam! I feel incredibly happy, and for this reason I wanted to thank my beloved Universidad San Francisco de Quito."

- Sophia Espinosa Coloma -

"I finished my Law studies at USFQ ten years ago, and I have plenty of reasons to be grateful. The strong foundations acquired have allowed to excel in my performance as a professional as well as a graduate student. The faculty stands out, not only for their rigor and academic level, but also for their genuine interest in the integral development of the students. As an alumni from the Law School, I have had the opportunity to accomplish my goal of studying in a master's program in one of the best universities in the world, as I was admitted to Oxford. I feel privileged to have been part of this program. I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone interested in studying the exciting world of Law."

- Oswaldo Santos Dávalos -

"The solid foundations acquired in the Law School at USFQ have helped me develop an international career in an entrepreneurial setting that is very competitive. The quality of the Law School and the experience of most of its professors, for me, have turned the law into a tool for reasoning and analysis, and not just an end on its own. This practical and flexible approach has allowed me to, among other things, successfully work in different positions at regional level and in different areas such as business law and and even trademarking and taxes."

- Mauricio Sáenz -

"Share knowledge in the Law School at USFQ constitute a very enriching experience because of the human quality from coleagues as well as the freedom from the authorities and the students' huge desire to learn. It is exciting to notice how the University has become a real center for doctrinal debates, criticism and socio-leagl analysis as well as a legal lab to understand, spread, and improve the Science of Law".

- Jaime Vintimilla -

" I can ensure that the Law School shapes responsible students who are dedicated, critical, and competitive. Students are committed to the study of the Law and to the society they belong. The academic curriculum and the professors in the Law School ensure a solid and integral academic formation of the students which has place the Law School as one of the best centers in the formation of lawyers, not only in Ecuador, but in Latin America".

- Rodrigo Jijón -

"Students in the Law School have studied to be professionals who are intellectually critical, ambitious, and competitive. A great achievement of the Law School has been to consolidate, in such a short time, an academic curriculum which is solid, global, and state of the art. The appropriate academic framework, in addition to permanent institutional support, allows students to be part of a new intellectual elite inside the Ecuadorian and regional legal community."

- Xavier Andrade Cadena -