DIGITAL STRATEGIES AND INSTITUTIONAL RELATIONS

The course aims to provide students in the Law and Innovation track with advanced knowledge of the role of institutional relations, digital communication strategies, and advocacy in regulatory processes concerning the law of new technologies, the platform economy and market, artificial intelligence, sustainability, and digital inclusion. The course seeks to broaden the professional outlook of lawyers specialising in the law of new technologies by illustrating how legal expertise may be applied not only to the interpretation and enforcement of rules, but also to participation in public decision-making processes, dialogue with institutions and independent authorities, interest representation, the development of the digital reputation of companies and institutions, and the design of advocacy initiatives in a sector characterised by increasingly dense and technical regulation. From this perspective, lawyers are trained to integrate legal knowledge, institutional awareness, strategic capacity, and communication skills in contexts where technological innovation, regulation, and public and private interests intersect. Lectures provide the theoretical, legal, and institutional framework for the main topics covered in the course. Practical activities, seminars with representatives of relevant institutions, industry professionals and scholars, case studies, simulations, and group work enable students to apply the knowledge acquired to the management of concrete cases in public affairs, digital strategy, and advocacy, while developing analytical, argumentative, project-design, communication, and collaborative skills consistent with the Law and Innovation profile of the single-cycle Master’s Degree Programme in Law.

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Knowledge and understanding: By the end of the course, students will have acquired knowledge and understanding of the legal, institutional and comparative foundations of institutional relations, interest representation and the regulation of lobbying. They will also be familiar with the main European policies and regulatory frameworks concerning digital technologies, data, platforms, artificial intelligence, sustainability and accessibility, as well as with the role of independent authorities and the dynamics of reputation, positioning, and institutional and corporate communication. Applying knowledge and understanding: By the end of the course, students will be able to apply their knowledge and understanding to the analysis and management of public affairs, digital strategy and advocacy cases, by identifying the relevant legal framework, stakeholders, interests involved, reputational risks and intervention strategies. They will also be able to design initiatives for institutional engagement, public consultation, digital communication and strategic positioning, and to prepare analytical materials, reports and presentations, including through group work. Making judgements: Through interactive lectures, case discussions, seminars, simulations, group work and presentations, students will develop the ability to make informed and critical judgements on the legal, institutional, economic, ethical and reputational implications of regulatory strategies in the digital sector. They will be able to distinguish between interest representation, advocacy, lobbying and strategic communication, identifying the opportunities, limits and risks associated with the use of digital technologies in decision-making and communication processes. Communication skills: By the end of the course, students will be able to communicate clearly, rigorously and persuasively on legal, institutional and strategic issues relating to the digital environment. They will be able to present and discuss public affairs, digital strategy and advocacy cases, justify the choices made, draft concise and well-structured materials, and adapt their communication register to different audiences, while using the specialist terminology of the field appropriately. Learning skills: By the end of the course, students will be able to navigate independently through legal sources, institutional documents, policy materials, applied case studies and specialist literature. They will be able to update their knowledge of developments in digital regulation, pursue individual lines of further enquiry, and integrate legal, institutional, communication and strategic competences in the analysis of complex phenomena. Transferable skills: The course develops civic, institutional and digital competences related to the understanding of public decision-making processes, transparency, democratic participation, online communication and the regulation of technologies. It also promotes project-design, collaborative, communication, ethical and problem-solving skills through practical cases, group work, presentations, seminar discussions and engagement with professionals.

I. General framework of the phenomenon and of interest representation in Italy and Europe II. Public affairs issues and case studies relating to the law and economics of the digital sector and platforms III. Strategies for the digital positioning and reputation of institutions and businesses IV. Advocacy for sustainability and inclusion in the digital environment

Teaching materials consist of the content of the lectures delivered by the course instructor and seminar speakers, together with the related handouts and other materials shared on MyLuiss. Recommended readings (compulsory for non-attending students!): P.L. Petrillo, Teorie e tecniche del lobbying. Regole, casi, procedure, il Mulino, Bologna 2019 or G. Di Giacomo, Relazioni istituzionali & lobbying. Strumenti di management per public affairs, FrancoAngeli, Milano 2022 or M.Carro, C. Di Mario, Digital lobbying. Gestire strategicamente le relazioni istituzionali attraverso smart data e strumenti digitali, Carocci, Roma 2021 A. Pritoni, Lobby d'Italia. Il sistema degli interessi tra Prima e Seconda Repubblica, Carocci, Roma 2021 or M. Mazzoni, Le relazioni pubbliche e il lobbying in Italia, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2010. S. Alber, A. Geiger, EU Lobbying Handbook, Alber & Geiger, Bruxelles 2024 or M.C. Pirzio Ammassari, G. Marchetti, Lobbying e rappresentanza di interessi nell'Unione Europea, FrancoAngeli, Milano 2018 or S. Sassi, I rappresentanti di interessi nel contesto europeo, Giuffrè, Milano 2012 R. Di Maria, «In nome del popolo sovrano». Pluralismo, interessi e lobbying nei sistemi democratici contemporanei, FrancoAngeli, Milano 2025 or A. Pritoni, Politica e interessi. Il lobbying nelle democrazie contemporanee, il Mulino, Bologna 2021 F. Bistoncini, Vent’anni da sporco lobbista, Guerini e Associati, Milano 2011 or A. Cattaneo, Il mestiere del potere. Dal taccuino di un lobbista, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2018 G. Giansante, La comunicazione politica online. Come usare il web per costruire consenso e stimolare la partecipazione, Carocci, Roma 2014 or G. Comin (a cura di), Comunicazione integrata e reputation management, Luiss University Press, Roma 2019 or G. Giansante, Variante Twitter: la voce delle autorità indipendenti nella pandemia, fuorilinea, Monterotondo 2022 A. Celotto, Oligocrazia. Il potere sono io, Bompiani, Milano 2026 or Anonymous, Io sono il potere. Confessioni di un capo di gabinetto, Feltrinelli, Milano 2023

Learning: lectures Practice: expert guests, case studies and simulations Discussion: seminars and in-class group discussions Collaboration: small-group work, discussion of others’ findings and development of shared outcomes Production: reports and presentations

Achievement of the intended learning outcomes set out in the course objectives will be assessed and verified as follows: 75% of the final grade will be based on participation in, and contribution to, group work, consisting of the management of a practical case study in public affairs, digital strategy and/or advocacy. The procedures for carrying out and presenting the group work will be explained and supervised during the course, with the contribution of industry professionals; 25% of the final grade** will be based on the discussion, during the oral examination, of an individual thematic in-depth study chosen by the student on one of the topics covered in class. Non-attending students will be examined orally on the teaching materials and the textbooks indicated.

Interest in the subject matter and individual appreciation of the Chairs.