LAW INSTITUTE ACADEMY
LAW INSTITUTE
ACADEMY
Sign up for the Law Institute Academy and become a lawyer who is not afraid to stand up for justice!
The Law Institute Academy is a year-long training program for current and future lawyers and paralegals under the age of 30.
The Academy offers values-based and practical training, mentoring and the opportunity to help the civic sector
Sign up for the Law Institute Academy and become a lawyer who is not afraid to stand up for justice!
The Law Institute Academy is a year-long training program for current and future lawyers and paralegals under the age of 30.
The Academy offers values-based and practical training, mentoring and the opportunity to help the civic sect
What do you get at the Academy?
- Practical legal skills.
- A broader overview of career opportunities in the legal professions.
- Personal meetings and discussions with inspiring lawyers.
- One-to-one mentoring from a legal practitioner.
- Experience of dealing with civil/public sector legal issues.
- Ability to handle challenging situations with greater resilience and confidence.
- New contacts and a supportive community of values-based lawyers in a safe and respectful environment.
- Practical legal skills.
- A broader overview of career opportunities in the legal professions.
- Personal meetings and discussions with inspiring lawyers.
- One-to-one mentoring from a legal practitioner.
- Experience of dealing with civil/public sector legal issues.
- Ability to handle challenging situations with greater resilience and confidence.
- New contacts and a supportive community of values-based lawyers in a safe and respectful environment.
September 2025 – June 2026
5 workshops 5 webinars mentoring practice
Banská Belá (near Zvolen)
May 5th 2025 at 5 p.m.
360 €
possible instalments and scholarships
Who is the Academy for?
- For 20 law students and graduates under 30 years of age.
- For those who want to promote justice and help others through the law or who want to get passionate about the law again.
- For people who speak English at least at B1 level.
- For those who care about their surroundings and have the willingness and time to work on themselves.
- For 20 law students and graduates under 30 years of age.
- For those who want to promote justice and help others through the law or who want to get passionate about the law again.
- For people who speak English at least at B1 level.
- For those who care about their surroundings and have the willingness and time to work on themselves.
What is waiting for you during the year at the Academy?
5 experiential workshops
Our Academy is based on five four-day long workshops in Banská Bela near Zvolen. These workshops run from Thursday evening (about 17:00) to Sunday noon. At each workshop, in addition to the lecturers, you will also meet interesting guests from the legal practice and have discussions with them, practice presentation skills and get to know each other better.
5 webinars and additional discussions
The workshops will be complemented by five mandatory webinars with Slovak and foreign experts, each lasting 1.5 – 2 hours. In addition, you will have the opportunity to participate in optional discussions open to the public.
Individual mentoring
After the first workshop, you will be assigned a mentor from a legal practice who will help you prepare for the next four workshops. Preparing for the workshop means reading an article/book/watching a video/film and writing a reflection/essay on it. The mentor/mentee will give you feedback on your work and argument and you will discuss the work together in a face-to-face meeting. The preparation for each workshop can take 5-10 hours.
Legal assistance to the civil/public sector
Over the course of the year, we’ll give you an insight into how the civic sector works. You will have the opportunity to work on legal assignments and tasks that will help various organisations and initiatives in the civil sector or public institutions. You will also get feedback from practicing lawyers/advocates. Working on the practical assignments can take you about 20-40 hours throughout the Academy.
Closing Ceremony and Alumni Community
The final meeting in June starts on Friday morning at 8:00 in Bratislava. We will review with you all your year-long work and personal growth. We will present a certificate to successful male and female graduates. At the weekend we will give you personal feedback, set up further meetings and the functioning of the alumni community.
How much will it cost you?
The total cost per participant is approximately 3000 euros. However, thanks to the support of donors and partners, your participation fee is only 360 €.
The fee includes lecturer fees, mentoring, educational materials, accommodation and meals at the workshops. You pay your own travel expenses to the workshops and to the final meeting in Bratislava.
Should the fee be the only obstacle to your participation, we offer the option of two instalments or a scholarship – just indicate this on the registration form.
The total cost per participant is approximately 3000 euros. However, thanks to the support of donors and partners, your participation fee is only 360 €.
The fee includes lecturer fees, mentoring, educational materials, accommodation and meals at the workshops. You pay your own travel expenses to the workshops and to the final meeting in Bratislava.
Should the fee be the only obstacle to your participation, we offer the option of two instalments or a scholarship – just indicate this on the registration form.
Personalities you will meet at the Academy
Schedule
WORKSHOP
🗓️ term: 18. – 21. 9. 2025
📍location: Banská Belá
LECTURING TEAM
Martin Krivák – Attorney at Law, Executive Director of the Legal Institute
Zuzana Zoláková – lawyer and coordinator of the Legal Institute Academy
Lucia Jakubcová – lecturer in experiential pedagogy
Richard Babitz – lecturer of experiential pedagogy
Experiential team building, where you will get to know the Academy better, interesting evening guests from legal practice and learn more about what a good lawyer should know. We will also introduce you to a number of opportunities wherever you can practice as a lawyer.
WEBINAR
🗓️ term: October 2025 (2 hours)
📍location: online
LECTURER
James E. Moliterno – American lawyer, international expert on legal ethics
Can a good lawyer be a good person? The legal profession is not only about applying and complying with the law, but also about being able to deal with the ethical dilemmas you may encounter in practice – from conflicts of interest to confidentiality to client or public pressure. We will also discuss how to build credibility that will help you not only in your career, but also in building long-term relationships with clients and colleagues.
WORKSHOP
🗓️ term: 27. – 30. 11. 2025
📍location: Banská Belá
LECTURING TEAM
Katarína Batková – Director of NGO Via Iuris
Eva Kasagrandová – Soft Skills Trainer at the Critical Thinking Academy
How can you articulate your ideas clearly and persuasively in legal practice? This interactive workshop will help you hone your argumentation skills, teach you how to listen actively and respond effectively in debate. You’ll gain practical tools for recognizing argumentative errors, identifying key points, and critically evaluating information. Through simulated debates, you’ll practice how to accurately articulate your positions and strengthen your ability to communicate persuasively in a legal setting.
WEBINAR
🗓️ term: December 2025 (2 hours)
📍location: online
LECTURER
Kateřina Švidrnochová – Czech consultant, lecturer and educator
You’ll learn how to work more effectively with language models and use a variety of AI tools to make working with text easier, process large amounts of data faster, and help you solve complex problems and perform research. You’ll also get an insight into the latest developments in AI.
WEBINAR
🗓️ term: January 2026 (2 hours)
📍location: online
LECTURER
Daniel Pospíšil – Czech lawyer, lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Palacký University
You will learn how to effectively use AI in the creation of legal documents and integration into legal information systems. You will learn about the challenges and opportunities of implementing AI in legal practice and where AI is already helping lawyers today. You’ll discover the legal and ethical issues surrounding the use of AI – from privacy to copyright to liability for AI decisions.
WOKRSHOP
🗓️ term: 29. 1. – 1. 2. 2026
📍location: Banská Belá
LECTURING TEAM
Soňa Turanová – facilitator, methodologist and activist
Two other trained experts from NGO YouthWatch.
You will experience first-hand what it is like to find yourself in a society where democratic principles are gradually disappearing. Over two intensive days, you will be immersed in a unique educational experience that will allow you to observe and experience the creeping onset of totalitarianism. It won’t just be a game – it will be an eye-opening experience that will make you think about the fragility of the values that underpin a free society. After a powerful experience, there will be time for reflection, analogy with historical events and contemporary stories of unfreedom. You will learn how the Democracy Index works and what it can tell us about the state of the world and our own country.
WEBINÁR
🗓️ term: February 2026 (2 hours)
📍location: online
LECTURER
Tomáš Langer – advocate
You will learn why freedom of expression is one of the fundamental pillars of democracy, but at the same time it is not absolute. You will discover where the right to express your opinion ends and where responsibility to others begins. Together we will explore how the rule of law protects freedom of expression, what its limits are and what the consequences of its abuse can be. We will also look at the issue of regulating speech on social media – who decides what can and cannot be said? And is censorship a real threat? This webinar will help you better understand the current challenges to free speech and open up new perspectives on how the law shapes public debate and the protection of democratic values.
WOKRSHOP
🗓️ termín: 26. – 29. 3. 2026
📍miesto: Banská Belá
LECTURING TEAM
Peter Wilfling – lawer
Ivan Novotný – lawyer and diplomat
How can you as a future lawyer effectively defend the rule of law? This interactive workshop will give you the opportunity to try your hand at mock litigation, teamwork and practical legal problem solving in the area of personality protection and freedom of expression. You will learn techniques of persuasive advocacy, learn how to work with legal tools to protect democratic principles and gain practical experience to use in your future practice.
WEBINAR
🗓️ terrm: April 2026 (2 hours)
📍location: online
GUEST:
Melvin Flowers – American lawyer, Accenture – Legal Access Program
You will learn why pro bono legal assistance is indispensable not only for people who cannot afford legal services, but also for you as a future lawyer. You will learn how you can gain valuable experience through pro bono work, develop your skills and build your professional integrity at the same time. You will better understand how to perceive client needs, why community involvement is key to the credibility and moral strength of the legal profession, and how you can contribute your time and knowledge to a more just society. The discussion will open up new perspectives on how you can start making the law more meaningful now – for yourself and the world around you.
WOKRSHOP
🗓️ term: 28. – 31. 5. 2026
📍location: Banská Belá
LECTURER
Sylvia Ondrisová – psychotherapist
You’ll learn how to better manage stress and stay in touch with your intentions even in challenging situations. You’ll gain tools to build psychological strength so you can more effectively resolve conflict and make decisions under pressure. You’ll learn practical strategies for persevering through difficult interactions, overcoming obstacles, and managing uncertainty. You will strengthen your personal integrity – your ability to be authentic, truthful and courageously show your vulnerability or boundaries. The workshop will help you develop self-knowledge so you know what you can build on, where your limits are and how to develop in alignment with your values.
PERSONAL MEETING
🗓️ term: 12. – 14. 6. 2026
📍location: Bratislava
SUPPORTING TEAM
Martin Krivák – Attorney-at-law, Executive Director of the Law Institute
Zuzana Zoláková – lawyer and coordinator of the Law Institute Academy
mentors, mentees, guests and donors
At the final meeting you will recap everything you have experienced during the Academy, what it has brought you and how it has moved you forward. It will be a space to reflect on your experiences, the skills you have learnt and the new insights you have gained. If you successfully complete the Academy, you will receive an official certificate and you will also receive personal feedback during the weekend to help you better understand your own progress. Together we will celebrate the end of the programme and set up the alumni community so that you can stay in touch with inspiring people and continue to develop.
How to apply?
You can sign up until 5 May 2025 at 17:00. We need from you:
- CV
- Short task: Choose one of the following questions: Can a good lawyer/lawyer be a good person? or If you could be any particular lawyer for a week, who would you be? And develop an answer to it – either as text (max 1400 characters) or as a max 2-minute video. Your reasoning is essential to us.
- Completed application form (with link to CV and role – e.g. Google Drive, WeTransfer).
You will find out if you’re invited to a personal interview by 12 May 2025. This will take place in Bratislava and Košice on 19.5., 20.5., 21.5., 22.5., 27.5., 28.5. and 3.6.2025.
You can sign up until 5 May 2025 at 17:00. We need from you:
- CV
- Short task: Choose one of the following questions: Can a good lawyer/lawyer be a good person? or If you could be any particular lawyer for a week, who would you be? And develop an answer to it – either as text (max 1400 characters) or as a max 2-minute video. Your reasoning is essential to us.
- Completed application form (with link to CV and role – e.g. Google Drive, WeTransfer).
You will find out if you’re invited to a personal interview by 12 May 2025. This will take place in Bratislava and Košice on 19.5., 20.5., 21.5., 22.5., 27.5., 28.5. and 3.6.2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the Academy is open to students and graduates up to and including 30 years of age.
The Academy accepts people up to and including 30 years of age. If you are older, you can still send us an application – it will depend on your experience and motivation. We give preference to male and female candidates under 30 who are entering the profession and finding their place in it.
No, the Academy is intended exclusively for full-time or part-time students and graduates of law faculties.
The selection is based on the assessment of the CV, the developed task and the interview.
You will be informed of the next steps by 12 May 2025 at the latest. If you are invited for an interview, you should know the result by 10 June.
Participants are expected to attend all activities, but it is possible to miss one workshop. If a participant misses another workshop, he/she will have to pay a cancellation fee of 60 Euros. However, you must attend at least 3 workshops to successfully complete the Academy.
Yes, the minimum level required is B1, as some of the preparation material may be in English. At the same time, some of the discussions with foreign guests will also be in English.
We offer a two-payment option and scholarships for participants in difficult financial situations. Just indicate this on the application form. We will inform you of the scholarship award along with sending you the acceptance information.
No, the participation fee does not include covering travel expences.
In central Slovakia, specifically in Banská Bela. The final meeting will take place in Bratislava and in an accommodation facility near Bratislava. We choose all venues to be accessible by public transport.
It is necessary to count with participation in the five workshops, which start on Thursday at 5 pm and end on Sunday with lunch, and in the final workshop, which starts on Friday morning and ends on Sunday with breakfast. It will take you approximately 5×2 hours to attend the webinars.
At the same time, you will also prepare with a mentor/mentee for 4 workshops (approx. 5-10 hours/workshop) and work on civic/public sector outreach assignments (approx. 20-40 hours total for the entire academic year).
No, your ongoing preparation for the workshops, the quality of the outputs for the civic/public sector, your activity during the workshops, your help to your classmates and the evaluation from your mentor will determine your success. We will sum it all up at the Final Meeting in June, where you will also receive personal feedback.
Who do we work with at the Academy?
