The origins of legal studies at the Catholic University of Lublin are strictly associated with the history and the emergence of the University, which opened in 1918. The University founding fathers, who in the interwar period conceived a universal research and educational program, envisaged a program in law and created two juridical faculties: Faculty of Canon Law and Moral Sciences and the Faculty of Law and Socio-Economic Sciences with the Legal Section being of first concern. 

Faculty of Canon Law and Moral Sciences

In the interwar period, the Faculty of Canon Law was the only autonomous faculty of this discipline in Poland. At other academic centers in Poland (Krakow, Lviv, Warsaw, Vilnius), canon law was taught within theological departments. After the end of World War II, the Faculty of Canon Law resumed its activity and operated continuously until 1984, when it was incorporated in the newly established Faculty of Canon Law and Legal Studies.

The Faculty Of Law And Socio-Economic Sciences

In the period from the University's inception to 1952, law at the Catholic University of Lublin was taught within the Faculty of Law and Socio-Economic Sciences. The Lublin-based Faculty of Law was one of six others that operated in the Second Polish Republic.

The first instructors employed by the faculty arrived from various universities, primarily from Jan Kazimierz University in Lviv. The staff permanently associated with the faculty included: Roman Longchamps de Berier, an outstanding civil law expert, and Zbigniew Pazdro, a professor of administrative law. Other researchers and teachers of long standing permanently associated with the University were: Ignacy Czuma, Wit Klonowiecki, Henryk Dembiński, Zdzisław Papierkowski, Antoni Pastuszka; affiliated with the Catholic University, not only formally but also ideologically, they continued their work after World War II.

The years after World War II saw a rapid development of the Legal Section at the Faculty of Law and Socio-Economic Sciences. In 1944, the Catholic University of Lublin was the first institution of higher education on Polish territory that reopened during the ongoing warfare. However, the development of the faculty, including its Legal Section, was arrested following the decision of the Minister of Education worded in the letter dated 23 June 1949 and addressed, "To the Citizen Rector of the Catholic University of Lublin." By invoking the relevant decree, the minister ordered "a gradual dissolution of the Legal Section of the Faculty of Law and Socio-Economic Sciences at the Catholic University of Lublin." The Legal Section ultimately ceased to operate in 1952.

The dissolution of the Faculty of Law and Socio-Economic Sciences marked the first stage of a deliberate policy implemented by the Communist authorities that aimed to hinder the impact of the Catholic University of Lublin on the training and education of academic youth. The Communists' utmost objective was to ideologise and exploit law for the regime's purposes.

Faculty of Canon Law and Legal Sciences

The initiative of restoring the Legal Section was promoted by the Rev. Prof. Józef Krukowski, the then dean of Faculty of Canon Law, at the turn of the 1970s. The section reopened in 1981 at the Faculty of Canon Law. In 1984 the faculty was renamed the Faculty of Canon Law and Legal Sciences.

From the very beginning, among the section's personnel there were: Rev. Józef Krukowski, Rev. Henryk Karbownik, Rev. Henryk Misztal, and professors who, despite their achievements and expertise, were not able to find employment at state universities because of their political views or activities: Adam Strzembosz, Wiesław Chrzanowski and Władysław Rostocki. The Legal Section continued to grow and new researchers were employed: Wojciech Łączkowski, Jan Widacki, Jerzy Wratny, Hanna Suchocka. In addition, the section admitted lecturers from other academic centers. From Maria Curie-Skłodowska University: Jan Ziembiński, Henryk Reniger, Andrzej Wąsek, Wanda Wójtowicz, Marek Kuryłowicz, Mirosław Granat; from the Jagiellonian University: Edward Drozd; from Warsaw University: Tadeusz Ereciński and Marek Safjan.

Faculty of Canon and Civil Law

In 1989 the name of the faculty was again modified to the Faculty of Canon and Civil Law. Rev. Prof. Marian Stasiak was appointed to the post of the faculty dean and remained on his post until 1999. In the 1990’s, the following professors were employed at the Section of Law: Jan Świtka, Andrzej Szajkowski, Henryk Cioch, Józef Skoczylas, Stanisław Wrzosek and Kazimierz Kruczalak. Since the time of the Section revival, the number of young scholars has gradually increased; they are mostly the graduates of the Faculty of Law.

Faculty of Law, Canon Law and Administration

After establishing a new major of administration in 1999, the name of the faculty changed into the Faculty of Law, Canon Law and Administration. Today, the faculty is structured into four institutes: the Institute of Law, the Institute of Canon Law, the Institute of Administration and the Institute of European Studies (created in 2009).

The faculty offers programs in five majors: law, business law, canon law, administration and European studies. The courses are full-time and part-time. Currently, faculty personnel totals 133 employees; there are 4,640 students, including 1,796 law students, 242 canon law students, 1,682 administration students and 266 undergraduates pursuing European studies. 222 graduates attend PhD programs. In addition the faculty offers a number of postgraduate courses.

An important element of the faculty’s involvement in the social and political reality is the cooperation with governmental and non-governmental organizations and contribution to the work of parliamentary committees. Their research activity is discernible through the organization and participation in international and national conferences and seminars that gather theorists and practitioners of law. Their outcome is promoted through scientific publications on political and social reforms, European law, economic law, constitutional law, state finance, law of State - Church relations, concordat law or matrimonial law.

The faculty works in close collaboration with the legal academia in Europe and the U.S., for example: Pázmány Péter Catholic University in Budapest, Catholic University of Leuven, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, Charles University in Prague, Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, Ivan Franko University in Lviv, Vilnius University, Aldo Moro University of Bari, Kiev National University and the universities in Alba Iulia, Sassari, Olomouc and Passau. Further, it cooperates with: Chicago-Kent College of Law, University of Notre Dame, the Canonical Institute in Podsdam (Kanonistischen Institut), the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the Society for Legal Policy in Trier (Stiftung Gesellschaft für Rechtspolitik) and the Association for Religion and Religious Liberty in the European Union, based in Bischofsgrün (Gesellschaft für Religion und Religionsfreiheit in der Europäischen Union e.V.), the Slovakian Canonist Association and the Polish Canonist Association.