DDER - Doctorate in Law

The seminar examines three ways to understand the relation between law and power in the different legal branches, within the historical framework of the 16th to 19th century. In the first model, law appears as a tool to restrict or control power, either because it represents a reasoning opposed to irrationality of violence, or because it reflects agreements that must be complied with. In the second model, law is seen as an administration tool through which a group seeks to modify the current conditions. The third model becomes a reflection of the power relations that emerge within or outside the legal realm. The discussion takes place in the context of a European continent that has become a center of production of knowledge, which  is globalized through different colonial projects, while witnessing the configuration of national states. In theory, this tension is most strongly unraveled in the national consolidation processes that followed the independence of American states.  

This seminar critically analyzes the main theoretical outlooks that describe, explain or justify the consolidation of the modern State in the global environment. Additionally, it provides an in-depth study on Law  consolidation as an autonomous science and on Law theories questioning the possibility of a radical split between Law and other disciplines. This course also analyzes how these theories of  State and Law have contributed to the emergence, consolidation and justification of Law and the Latin-American States, in general, and the Colombian State, specifically. Lastly, students are expected to develop skills to read and interpret  political philosophy texts and wording of essays related to these topics.

This Seminar provides students with an introduction of the various forms of Law empirical research. Through a critical reading of weekly works in this category, challenges and possibilities of this nature will be introduced. Nearly half of the presentation studies will address Colombian and Latin American problems, including the diversity of legal regimes, the dynamics of transplants, the impact of the State weakness in relation with norms materialization, and the importance of cultural and political processes that have arisen under the Constitution in past decades. Furthermore, works from other countries on similar topics will be read. In each reading, there will be questioning as to the way in which the text participates in an academic dialogue relative to social problems, and particularly, the way in which empirical research enriches discussion possibilities. Thus, a bridge will be extended between internal reflection in Law and the more specific education that can be followed in other Schools as to methods that are relevant to each discipline. Lastly, the students will be trained to work closely with their tutors in the proposal of a research that can include elements of this nature.

Law offers multiple documentation sources for academic works, including publications and debates by doctrine makers, court proceedings, rulings and records of specific reforms. This course will provide students with a thorough approach to the various ways of working with such materials. The first half of the course is intended to review primary sources and texts focused on the history of Law in Colombia, Latin America and other parts of the world with the aim of analyzing different methods to work with such sources. During the second half of the seminar, regular classes will be coupled with talks delivered by doctorate’s professors aimed at discussing project methodological approaches. Thus, the students will be prepared to work with primary sources of law by working with their tutor or to participate in specialized seminars on specific topics of Law and other seminars within the scope of human studies, philosophy and history.

The applicant and his/her director shall gather at least during 4 hours a month over the course of each semester. These primary discussions are geared to design and define the theoretical framework of the research project.

During this semester, the applicant and his/her director shall gather at least 4 hours a month. In the first year, meetings will be aimed at designing and defining the theoretical framework of the research project.

During each semester, candidates and their tutors must meet at least four hours a month. In this stage of the program, meetings are focused on formalization of the scheme, structure, methodology and introduction to the thesis.