The Master of Laws is a program for Law Graduates wishing to obtain training and certification required to practice as a member of the bar before the Spanish courts. The master is studied over three terms during which the students acquire the specialised knowledge in each of the different branches of law (public and private), as well as the specific competences and skills in professional advocacy.
The teaching content (theoretical and practical training) of the programme is divided into three large teaching modules that make up the different subjects of the curriculum:
The programme is completed with a professional placements (24 ECTS, 600 hours, equivalent to 4 months) which will take place in professional firms, corporate legal consultancies or institutions. A cycle of institutional visits (6 ECTS) during the first two terms. Final Degree Project (6 ECTS). The total study load for the University Master for Entry to the Legal Profession totals 90 ECTS.
Students satisfactorily completing and passing all the academic requirements of the programme (90 ECTS) will receive the qualification of University Master for Entry to the Legal Profession (official Master’s degree).
Depending on the course studied, they will also receive CUNEF’s own qualifications (not official) of Diploma in International Corporate Law and Diploma in Business and International Taxation.
Technical sheet
The Master of Laws (official qualification) is designed to allow students to acquire the following skills:
BS6 – Possess and understand the knowledge providing the basis or opportunity for the original development and/or application of ideas, often in a research context.
BS7 – Students must be able to apply the knowledge acquired and their problem-solving ability in new or unfamiliar environments within broad (or multidisciplinary) contexts connected with their area of study.
BS8 – Students must be able to integrate knowledge and deal with the complexity of formulating judgements based on information which, being incomplete or limited, includes reflections on social and ethical responsibilities tied to the application of their knowledge and judgements.
BS9 – Students must be capable of communicating their conclusions (and the knowledge and reasoning on which they are ultimately based) to specialist and non-specialist audiences in a clear, unambiguous manner.
BS10 – Students must possess the learning skills allowing them to continue studying in a manner which must to a great extent be self-directed or autonomous.
GS1 – Develop a detailed and reasoned understanding of theoretical and practical aspects of the most common legal areas in professional practice, and the working methodology within the organisational systems most often found in the sphere of advocacy.
GS2 – Apply the knowledge acquired and a capacity for problem-solving in new or unfamiliar contexts in the legal environment inherent to professional advocacy.
GS3 – Combine legal knowledge with social and ethical responsibilities tied to the practical application of the Law through professional advocacy.
GS4 – Communicate conclusions (and the knowledge and reasoning on which they are ultimately based) to specialist and non-specialist audiences in a clear, unambiguous manner.
Specific Skills:
SS1 – Possess, comprehend and develop abilities allowing the application of the specialist academic knowledge acquired during the degree course to the changing reality faced by lawyers in order to avoid situations of harm, risk or conflict in connection with the interests entrusted to them or their professional practice before courts or public authorities, and in an advisory capacity.
SS2 – Be familiar with techniques focused on ascertaining and establishing the facts in different types of proceedings, in particular the production of documents, witness questioning and expert witness evidence.
SS3 – Incorporate the protection of customer rights within the context of national and international jurisdictional protection systems.
SS4 – Be familiar with the various techniques to reconcile interests and be capable of finding solutions to problems through out-of-court alternatives.
SS5 – Be familiar with and able to apply professional ethical duties and rights in a lawyer’s relationship with a client, other parties, the courts or public authorities, and among lawyers themselves.
SS6 – Evaluate the different liabilities connected with professional practice, including the basic functions of the legal aid system and the promotion of social responsibility on the part of lawyers.
SS7 – Identify conflicts of interest and understand techniques for their resolution; establish the scope of professional secrecy and confidentiality, and maintain independent judgement.
SS8 – Uncover the decisive demands for performance and organisation in offering legal advice.
SS9 – Apply in practice the organisational, management and commercial context of the legal profession, in addition to the legal framework for partnerships, taxation, employment and personal data protection.
SS10 – Develop skills and abilities to make the right strategic decision in support of clients’ rights, taking into account the demands of the different spheres of professional practice.
SS11 – Work more efficiently and promote the overall functioning of their team or institution through access to sources of information, knowledge of languages, knowledge management and mastery of applied tools and techniques.
SS12 – Understand, successfully organise and plan the available individual and collective resources in pursuing the various organisational formats employed in the legal profession.
SS13 – Present verbal and written factual accounts and draw legal consequences by argument depending on the context and the intended audience, and where applicable, in accordance with the inherent formats of each procedural sphere.
SS14 – Undertake professional tasks in specific and multidisciplinary teams.
SS15 – Develop interpersonal abilities and skills to facilitate legal practice in relations with the general public, with other professionals and with institutions.
The Master of Laws is taught over two academic years (three four-month terms) according to the following content schema:
The CUNEF Master of Laws also includes:
| 1st TERM (September-February) Year 1 | ECTS | Teaching guide | 2nd TERM (February-June) Year 1 | ECTS | Teaching guide |
| Legal and professional regime for lawyers | 10 | Companies, enterprises and other forms of professional association | 5 | ||
| Advice in Administrative Law and governmental litigation proceedings | 5.5 | Taxation of acts, dealings and contracts | 4.5 | ||
| Criminal advice and criminal proceedings | 7 | Asset Law | 6.5 | ||
| Practical application of fundamental rights and proceedings to uphold rights | 3 | International legal advice | 3 | ||
| Institutional visits | 4 | Civil and commercial procedural practice | 5 | ||
| Employment and Social Security advice | 4.5 | ||||
| Institutional visits | 2 | ||||
| Total | 29.5 | Total | 30.5 |
| 3rd TERM (September-February) Year 2 | ECTS | Teaching guide |
| External practical placements (practising the profession) (**) | 24 | |
| Final Degree Project (FDP) | 6 | |
| TOTAL | 30 |
(*) The official curriculum is supplemented by a series of subjects, seminars and other activities which take on mandatory status in order to obtain the Diploma of Specialisation – qualification issued by CUNEF itself.
(**) The professional practical placements (at least 600 hours) are carried out at companies or institutions that have signed the corresponding educational co-operation agreement wherever possible. CUNEF has a wide range of educational cooperation agreements in place for this purpose with institutions, legal practices, organisations and businesses in a range of industrial sectors. In any event, where the placement is performed depends on the agreements in place at any given time, and the offers announced by the partner companies and institutions. In addition to the criteria established in selection processes by each legal practice, company or institution at any given time. CUNEF does not decide who or where; these decisions are instead taken by the legal practices, companies or institutions. It is therefore their responsibility to find a company or institution where students can complete their placement. CUNEF does, of course, offer active advice and support. The students can potentially apply for the recognition of the practical placement subject if they can demonstrate prior professional experience or placements.
The Master of Laws has been designed so that the participants reinforce the knowledge, competences and skills necessary to successfully perform their future professional activity. This is therefore a highly interactive programme combining academic rigour with the necessary approach applied to legal practice. The various methodologies employed during the master’s are designed to ensure that this theoretical/practical focus is a constant reality in the learning model for all subjects.
During the course of the programme, the participants will successively work in the following learning methodologies:
The grading system for the different modules is based on the continued assessment carried out throughout the subject, which takes into account the active participation in class, the practical tasks, practical cases, suppositions, etc. The lecturers grade the participant according to the different learning tasks and the final test of each module. Attendance is mandatory for all subjects, and unjustified absence from more than 10% of sessions in any given subject could lead to a student being failed. All participants must successfully complete 100% of the subjects, as well as the final degree project. The participants must be familiar with the use of information technologies.
The objective of the Master of Laws is to provide the participants with the applied legal training to be able to successfully practice law. During the training period at CUNEF, a solid theoretical and practical base in the applied legal system will be acquired, as well as the analytical tools and aptitudes necessary to facilitate, develop and familiarise the participants with the legal procedural practice in the different areas of public and private law.
The goal of the postgraduate programmes in law at CUNEF (master’s and executive programmes) is to help the participants, and their employer organisations, to strengthen their executive and professional performance. During the year of training at CUNEF, a solid theoretical and practical base in the legal environment will be acquired, as well as the analytical tools and aptitudes necessary to facilitate, develop and familiarise the participants to successfully practice law.
The Master for Entry to the Legal Profession is for Law graduates wishing to develop their professional career as lawyers. The student profile for the 2018-2019 academic year is as follows:
Class size: 52 students.
The Master for Access to the Legal Profession curriculum includes the subjects forming part of the Complementary diplomas as optional subjects. The students will choose whether they want to study a Specialisation Diploma (CUNEF own qualification) when they enrol at CUNEF, which will mean enrolling on all credits for the chosen Diploma (24 ECTS). Students cannot take more than one specialisation. The specific specialisation subjects are supplemented by seminars and other activities.
The Diplomas awarded with the Master for Access to the Legal Profession (MUAPA) are:
| Diploma in International Corporate Law (24 ECTS) | |||||
| Subject | Term | ECTS | Subject | Term | ECTS |
| Derecho de la competencia | 1º | 3 | Legal aspects of M&A | 2º | 3 |
| Derecho de los Negocios Internacionales | 1º | 3 | Accounting and analysis of financial statements | 2º | 3 |
| Principios contables para abogados | 1º | 3 | Legal and business English (II) | 2º | 3 |
| Legal and business English (I) | 1º | 3 | Seminar-workshop on leadership | 2º | 1 |
| Seminario-taller de documentación y búsqueda de información para el ejercicio profesional | 1º | 1 | |||
| Seminario-taller de Redacción y Elaboración de Informes Jurídicos | 1º | 1 | |||
| Total | 14 | Total | 10 | ||
| Diploma in Business and International Taxation (24 ECTS) | |||||||
| Subject | Term | ECTS | Subject | Term | ECTS | ||
| International taxation | 1 | 3 | Taxation of financial operations | 2 | 3 | ||
| Tax procedures | 1 | 3 | Accounting and analysis of financial statements | 2 | 3 | ||
| Accounting principles for lawyers | 1 | 3 | Legal and business English (II) | 2 | 3 | ||
| Legal and business English (I) | 1 | 3 | Seminar-workshop on leadership | 2 | 1 | ||
| Seminar-workshop on documentation and searching for information for professional practice | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Legal Report Preparation and Authoring seminar-workshop | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 14 | Total | 10 | ||||
The lecturers on the Master of Laws are expert investigators and professionals of from the legal world. During the year of the master’s programme they will make an active contribution to ensure that your performance, learning and conceptual ideation are clearly strengthened by your time studying with us. The lecturers combine their teaching, research and educational vocation with professional duties as lawyers or directors in their respective areas.
Faculty for the Master of Laws (2018-2019)
| LECTURER | SUBJECT |
| Prof. Marta Amusátegui Vergara | Legal and professional regime for lawyers (Communication, rhetoric and presentation techniques for lawyers). |
| Prof. Dr. Mercedes Alberruche | Asset Law |
| Prof. Dr. María Teresa Alcolado | International Legal Advice |
| Prof. Dr. Alicia Bernardo San José | Civil and commercial procedural practice |
| Prof. Dr. Daniel Berzosa López | Practical application of fundamental rights and proceedings to uphold rights |
| Prof. Dr. José Javier Galán | Taxation of acts, dealings and contracts |
| Prof. Patricia Enríquez Nistal | Legal and professional regime for lawyers (negotiation and mediation) |
| Prof. Rafael Fernández de Paiz | Criminal Advice and Criminal Proceedings |
| Prof. David García-Ochoa Mayor | Companies, enterprises and other forms of business associations |
| Prof. Dr. Tomás Gómez | Employment and Social Security advice |
| Prof. Sonia Gumpert Melgosa | Legal and professional regime for lawyers (Professional ethics and deontology) |
| Prof. Dr. Israel Hernando Aguayo | Criminal Advice and Criminal Proceedings |
| Prof. David López Velázquez | Legal and professional regime for lawyers (Practising advocacy and managing a law firm). |
| Prof. Dr. Blanca Lozano Cutanda | Advice in Administrative Law and Governmental Litigation Proceedings. |
| Prof. Jorge Morán Santor | Legal and professional regime for lawyers (Business management techniques for lawyers). |
| María Orio González | Employment and Social Security advice |
| Prof. Dr. José David Ortega Rueda | Institutional visits |
| Prof. Dr. Marta Ortiz | Final Degree Project |
| Prof. Antonio Pedrajas Quiles | Employment and Social Security advice |
| Prof. Ramón Pelayo Oraá Gil | Legal and professional regime for lawyers (Practising advocacy and managing a law firm). |
| Prof. Ramón Pallares Querol | Legal and professional regime for lawyers (Practising advocacy and managing a law firm). |
| Prof. Augusto Adrian Piñel Rubio | Companies, enterprises and other forms of business associations Legal and professional regime for lawyers (Practising advocacy and managing a law firm). |
| Prof. Dr. Blanca Lozano Cutanda | Advice in Administrative Law and Governmental Litigation Proceedings. |
| Prof. Dr. Leyre Saénz de Pipaón del Rosal | Criminal Advice and Criminal Proceedings |
| Prof. Joaquín Salvo Puebla | Legal and professional regime for lawyers (Practising advocacy and managing a law firm). |
| Prof. Juan Pedro Quintana Carretero | Advice in Administrative Law and Governmental Litigation Proceedings. |
| Prof. Dr. Guillermo Velasco Fabra | Companies, enterprises and other forms of business associations Legal and professional regime for lawyers (Practising advocacy and managing a law firm). Institutional visits. Final Degree Project |
| Prof. Luis Zarraluqui Sánchez-Eznarriaga | Asset Law |
| Prof. Dr. Jesus Zarzalejos | Civil and commercial procedural practice |
The list of academic staff presented here is complemented by external collaborating lecturers, speakers at seminars, workshops or professional certifications, guest speakers at conferences and lecturers from other national and international institutions. These include:
| Prof. Dr. Carlos Cuadrado | Asset Law |
| Prof. Dr. Julio Banacloche | Civil and commercial procedural practice |
CUNEF has a close and active relationship with the business and professional world. The Careers Service actively manages the company professional placementhttps://ces.cunef.edu/en/study/master-of-laws/#_ftn1″, job offers, as well as the organisation of complementary seminars and activities, the main aim of which is to provide CUNEF students with all the necessary tools and skills, and also the best possible opportunities, to facilitate their incorporation into their first job and improve their professional development.
CUNEF students have the chance to take part in professional guidance activities including the following options:
[1] The professional practical placement (at least 600 hours) are carried out at companies or institutions that have signed the corresponding educational co-operation agreement wherever possible. CUNEF has a wide range of educational cooperation agreements in place for this purpose with institutions, legal practices, organisations and businesses in a range of industrial sectors. In any event, where the placement is performed depends on the agreements in place at any given time, and the offers announced by the partner companies and institutions. In addition to the criteria established in selection processes by each legal practice, company or institution at any given time. CUNEF does not decide who or where; these decisions are instead taken by the legal practices, companies or institutions. It is therefore their responsibility to find a company or institution where students can complete their placement. CUNEF does, of course, offer active advice and support. The students can potentially apply for the recognition of the practical placement subject if they can demonstrate prior professional experience or placements.
Day-to-day teaching activities are supplemented over the year of the master’s programme by an additional range of activities allowing participants to extend their knowledge, underpin their professional focus, gain on-the-ground experience of professional practice, or try out for themselves initiatives and proposals developed by the leading experts in professional financial practice. The Master in Financial Institutions and Markets includes the following complementary activities:
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The aim of the IQAS is to ascertain in detail the development of official qualifications in accordance with the terms set out in the qualifications verification memorandum. Each year actions are taken to underpin the strengths of the qualification and the institution, to identify and minimise areas for improvement and to ensure proper development of the terms set out in the qualifications verification memorandum. Due interaction with all stakeholders involved in the development of the qualification is likewise ensured so as to enhance quality standards and satisfaction with the qualification.
Year of implementation: 2014
Information on the official status of the qualification (‘RUCT’).
Annual monitoring report of the master
Spanish Universities Act 6/2001, of 21 December 2001, and the reform applied to this by Act 4/2007, of 12 April 2007, Article 31 of which addresses Quality Assurance , lays down the need to establish quality assurance criteria to facilitate evaluation, certification and accreditation, viewing quality assurance as an essential purpose of university policy. Royal Decree 1393/2007, of 29 October 2007, amended by Royal Decree 861/2010, of 2 July 2010, establishing the regulations governing official university education, clearly indicates that “Quality Assurance Systems, which form a part of the new course curricula, likewise provide the basis for the new educational structure to function efficiently and to generate the trust on which the process of qualification accreditation relies“. The establishment of a Quality Assurance System is thus included in the new official university education regulations as a condition of the process of qualification verification and accreditation.
CUNEF has defined the structure of its Internal Quality Assurance System, known as the ‘Sistema Interno de Garantía de Calidad’ or ‘SIGC’, and the procedures governing this function, in accordance with the demands of Royal Decree 1393/2007, amended by Royal Decree 861/2010.
The SIGC allows CUNEF to ascertain the development of its official qualifications, in support of transparency, the inclusion of continuous improvement strategies and the systematic organisation of actions effectively contributing to qualifications quality assurance and efficiency in processes to appraise verification, monitoring and renewal of mandatory official qualifications accreditation.
The CUNEF SIGC has the following structure: Degree Quality Committee, Master’s Program Quality Committee and Doctorate Quality Committee, Technical Quality Unit, Academic and Management Unit.
The Quality Committees are responsible for monitoring the implementation of the degree, master’s and doctorate programmes taught at CUNEF. These Committees analyse and appraise the development of the qualifications, making proposals for review and improvement that will be submitted to the Academic Committee and CUNEF Management to be taken into account where applicable.
These committees have the following responsibilities:
The Academic Committee (see composition in Table 1) is responsible for coordinating improvement proposals connected with qualifications and for decision-making in this regard. The Director of CUNEF is ultimately responsible for validating the decisions reached by the Academic Committee. Each Quality Committee comprises:
The Master’s Quality Committee is currently in operation (see composition in Table 2). It oversees the proper development of official CUNEF qualifications, and can be sent any comments connected with the quality of qualifications via the suggestions box.
The Quality Committees meet at least twice per year and are governed by the Quality Committee Functional Regulation approved on 24 November 2014.
Master’s Program Quality Committee
| Full name | Category |
| Luis Díaz Marcos | Postgraduate Programme Director and President of the Committee |
| Alfredo Jiménez Fernández | Academic Staff Representative (UMFMI) |
| Guillermo Velasco | Academic Staff Representative (UMBL-UMALP) |
| Ricardo Queralt | Academic Staff Representative (MDS) |
| Juan Domínguez Jiménez | Academic Staff Representative (UMFMI) |
| Javier Sánchez Hernández | Admin Staff Representative. Committee Secretary |
| Faustino Miranda | Admin Staff Representative |
| Antonio Labarra Calleja | Alumni Representative (UMFMI) |
| Patricia Ciruelos Lara | Alumni Representative (UMALP) |
| René Castro de la Fuente | Alumni Representative (UMBL) |
| Elisa Valiente Rodríguez | Alumni Representative (MDSF) |
| Marcos Fernández | Alumni Representative (UMFMI) |
| Beatriz del Barrio Pérez | Alumni Representative (UMALP) |
| Álvaro Minaya Ibarra | Alumni Representative (UMBL) |
| Patricia Castán Agustín | Alumni Representative (MDSF) |
| 14/15 | 15/16 | 16/17 | 17/18 | 18/19 | ||
| Pre-registered | 182 | 271 | 230 | 229 | 193 | |
| Admitted | 30 | 42 | 46 | 70 | 80 | |
| Demand rate (pre-registered/places) | 606,67% | 903,33% | 766,67% | 763,33% | 321,67% | |
| ICM-1 – New enrolment places offered (authorised by the UCM) | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 60 | |
| ICM-2 – New enrolment | 9 | 32 | 33 | 43 | 49 | |
| ICM-3 – Percentage cover | 30,0% | 106,7% | 110,0% | 143,3% | 81,7% | |
| ICM-4 – Qualification performance rate | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100,00% | 100% | |
| ICM-5 – Degree dropout rate | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| ICM-6 – Teaching Evaluation Program participation rate | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | |
| ICM-7 – Alumni Efficiency rate | Not applicable | Not applicable | 100% | 100% | 100,00% | |
| ICM-8 – Graduation rate | Not applicable | Not applicable | 100,00% | 100,00% | 100,00% | |
| IUCM-1 – Success rate | Not applicable | Not applicable | 100,00% | 100,00% | 100,00% | |
| IUCM-13 – Student satisfaction with the qualification | Not applicable | 6,8 | Not applicable | Not applicable | 6,04 | |
| IUCM-14 – Lecturer satisfaction with the qualification | Not applicable | 9 | 9,43 | 9,64 | 9,18 | |
| IUCM-15 – Centre Admin and Support Staff satisfaction | Not applicable | 8,84 | 7,1 | 7,09 | 7,76 | |
| IUCM-16 – Qualification Appraisal Rate | 100,00% | 100,00% | 100,00% | |||
*ICM- Indicadores de la Comunidad de Madrid
*IUCM- Indicadores de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid
CUNEF is a highly specialised university education institution focused on the world of business management, finance and financial markets and instruments, and law. Our Degree and Postgraduate programmes set the standard in their respective fields.
To maintain this prestigious standing, CUNEF is committed to the continuous improvement of the teaching, research and services it provides as part of its quality commitment.
In accordance with its equality policy, CUNEF aims to fulfil the reasonable needs and expectations of its students, lecturers, admin and support staff, governing bodies and society at large. To this end the Centre defines the following quality objectives:
Ana Isabel Fernández Álvarez
Director of CUNEF
The Master Quality Committee meets periodically over the course of the academic year, and at least twice per year. These meetings analyse information regarding the implementation of degree studies and the data revealed by the functioning of the quality assurance system. This review and study of information serves to identify areas for improvement that the Quality Committee conveys to CUNEF Management for approval and execution together with the tasks to be undertaken to eliminate any shortcomings.
The Master Quality Committee maintains a register of quality improvements and strengths which it reviews and updates at least once per term, in accordance with the tasks being performed and the assessment of their impact.
Numerous improvement actions have been conducted since 2013 covering a wide range of aspects, resulting in managerial improvements and enhanced satisfaction among students and other stakeholders, alongside the public information made available about CUNEF itself and its academic offering, etc. Particular mention should be made by way of example of efforts to increase teaching coordination, to incorporate diploma supplements within the degree courses, to review and enhance the website and the information published there, etc.
For more specific and detailed information about how the Master Quality Committee functions and the improvement proposals made, you may contact the email address sgic@cunef.edu.
The employability of CUNEF alumni represents a variable which is analysed by the Quality Committees, serving to assess professional interest in the qualification while likewise ascertaining whether alumni have acquired the skills initially defined for the course.This analysis will allow proposals to be made to improve the qualification, or to eliminate it if the figures are below 20% for 5 consecutive years. To this end CUNEF conducts yearly surveys of alumni, asking them directly, as set out in the SIGC, whether the training they received has or has not proved useful in the pursuit of their profession, and their professional position before (if any) and after completing the qualification.CUNEF uses this information to conduct a study of whether the study curricula are appropriate or not, as well as the employability or professional prospects of alumni.
If you would like to contribute to improving everything we do here at CUNEF, you can use this channel to contact us and tell us about your suggestions and complaints and also to tell us what we are doing well. This channel is open to the whole educational community (students, lecturers, administration and services personnel, past students, future students, employers and society in general).
You can send us your comments anonymously or in person. This communication channel (Improve CUNEF) falls under the CUNEF Internal Quality Assurance System. All opinions (anonymous or personalised) are considered and contribute to CUNEF’s continual improvement processes.
