Private Law studies the rules, policies, and legal codes that govern the relations and interactions between individuals, institutions, or between individuals and private entities. In other words, Private Law governs all interactions that do not directly concern the state.
Civil Law is a branch of Private Law, which studies the legal codes that govern the interactions and disputes between the individuals of a community. It doesn’t include criminal, military, or religious affairs. Civil Law deals with accidents, contracts, wills, properties, personal injury, and other similar legal issues.
In addition to Civil Law, there are other Private Law branches: Family Law, Contract Law, Mercantile Law, Tort Law, Law of Property, Compensation Law, and others.
A typical Civil Law curriculum includes classes in Property and Trusts, Commercial Negotiation and Mediation, Comparative Contract Law, Comparative Equality Law, Human Rights, Conflict of Laws, Constitutional Principles of the EU, Finance Law, Insolvency Law, Intellectual Property Law, etc.
A Civil and Private Law graduate can work as a solicitor who is hired to guard the interests of his or her clients. This field is financially rewarding, but it involves good research as well as interview skills.
