The first conference began at 9 with the official act of opening. On the stage set up in the hall of the Faculty appeared the Principal of the Universitat de València, Maria Vicenta Mestre; the Director General of Civil Service, Javier Lorente; and the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Francisco Javier Palao, who, after celebrating the high participation numbers, gave way to the speeches of the Director General and the Principal.

Javier Lorente encouraged the audience to choose the civil service as a career option for their professional future, highlighting the new public examination model of the Valencian Government, which is more practical, dynamic and competent, with grants and scholarships available to candidates for the preparation of the tests.

“The civil service is the job challenge that we propose and that can become your best choice, since it has something special that private companies do not have: public service and concern for the needs of citizens”, the general director explained.

As the main protagonists of this event and of the formative work of the Universitat de València, principal Maria Vicenta Mestre welcomed the academic and political authorities, the teaching staff, and, especially, the students to the Forum: "without students we would only be a research or transfer centre: you are always at the centre of the University, but today, with this Forum, more than ever".

Mestre dedicated a few words to the "prestigious" Faculty of Law, according to the most relevant rankings, "recognised as the best Faculty in Spain in this discipline", pointing out that "the Universitat is one of the best centres in the world for training in this subject. You make the Faculty a centre of reference that contributes to us being one of the best universities in Spain".

Moreover, the principal endorsed the words of the general director with respect to the growing and constantly expanding options for professional opportunities related to law, mentioning to the students the possibility of continuing their professional career at the Universitat "so that you can continue to increase the prestige of this Faculty".

The event was attended by the general secretary of the Universitat de València, María Elena Olmos; the ombudswoman of the UV, Belén Cardona; the vice-principal for Lifelong Learning, Educational Transformation and Employment, Ángeles Solanes; the dean's team of the Faculty of Law, the manager of the General Foundation of the Universitat de València, Cristóbal Suria; the delegate of the principal for Internships and Employment, Jesús Soret; and a large number of teaching staff, lecturers, and representatives of official organisations and colleges.

Among the 39 companies and entities installed in the hall of the building, including professional firms, public administrations, official schools, training academies, and research chairs were Fundació València Activa; LABORA-GVA; the law firms Andersen Tax & Legal Iberia, Broseta Abogados, Cuatrecasas, Garrigues, Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados, Pérez-Llorca, and Uría Menéndez Abogados; advisory, audit, and consultancy services such as RSM and PWC; the Bar Association of Valencia (ICAV); the academy for the preparation of State Forces and Security Forces examinations Jurispol Formación; the Professional Association of Tax Advisors of the Valencian Community (APAFCV), the General Attorney's Office of the Valencian Government; and the Valencian Department of Justice, Interior, and Public Administration to inform about the competitive examination systems offered by the Valencian Government.

Activities programme

The academic cross sectional programme of the Forum took place in the hall of the Faculty. It could also be watched via streaming from the 'Ascensión Chirivella’ Graduate Hall.

After the opening ceremony, the grants programme for the preparation of public examinations of the Valencian Government Administration was presented by the general sub-director of Professional Promotion of the Valencian Government, Antonio Peña. Afterwards, the panel discussion ‘Working for Human Rights’ took place.

The rest of the morning was dedicated to different spaces to inform and discuss professional opportunities in the international arena (EU, diplomacy, international litigation, and the United Nations); entrepreneurship; the university as an institution where to develop and apply the knowledge of law, entrepreneurship or job search in the 4.0 environment, by technical staff of UVjob guidance.

The afternoon was dedicated to fundamental information about public examinations and public employment. Specialists explored the transversality nature of these types of positions, as well as the specific tests for working in the legal field as judges, prosecutors, lawyers, notaries, registrars, lawyers, labour and tax inspectors, and even applicants for positions in the Ministry of Defence.

Fifteenth Series of Professional Opportunities

 On Thursday  15, the Faculty has resumed the activity to offer a new Series of Professional Opportunities. 

From 9 to 14, six panel discussions have been convened to present and advise on job opportunities in the legal sector, specifically in the fields of Political Sciences and Public Administration (two sessions); Criminology (two sessions); and Law, with two sessions including: legal representation, mediation, tax consultancy, and the practice of law. 

The Employment Forums of the Universitat de València are an initiative of the Office of the Vice-Principal for Lifelong Learning, Educational Transformation and Employment, through UVjob, in collaboration with the faculties and the centres. Its main objective is to promote the integration of the university community into the labour market, as well as to act as a mediator for new professional opportunities.