The Section's research areas are: Ius commune (12th-18th centuries), legal thought, European practice and case law from the Middle Ages to the contemporary era, historical dimension of autonomy and centralization, the role and function of the jurist in the exercise of the legal profession and in the history of civil, criminal and administrative law.

In a close connection with an european and extra-european contest, the Section organize seminars and conferences in association with italian and foreign scholars.

Section's professors and scholars usually participate in conferences and seminars in Italy and abroad. They are members of prestigious Italian and foreign associations of the discipline and were visiting scholars and  professors in the most prestigious european universities.