Legality and merit

The Legality and Merit Project was born from Professor Paola Severino’s idea to engage Luiss students, as well as pupils from upper secondary schools, juvenile detention centres, social services offices for minors, ministerial communities, and initial reception centres, in a dialogue about legality and merit. The aim is to raise awareness of the importance of respecting the rules and combating corruption.

Now in its ninth edition, the Programme is supported by a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education and Merit, the Ministry of University and Research, the Supreme Council of the Judiciary, the National Anti-Mafia and Anti-Terrorism Directorate, the National Anti-Corruption Authority, the Carabinieri, the Severino Foundation, and Luiss.

Through sessions led by Luiss students, the Programme addresses topics such as active citizenship; combating mafias, organised crime, and terrorism; the fight against corruption; immigration and integration; the risks posed by the use of new technologies; the conservation and protection of the country’s artistic, cultural, and environmental heritage; inclusion; combating discrimination and the exploitation of individuals; a culture of respect to counter all forms of violence; and the protection of human rights in the current international context.

Luiss students, supported by a team of doctoral students and university tutors, become ambassadors for the values of legality and merit among their younger peers through training sessions and workshops.

To date, the project has engaged over 1,200 Luiss students and dozens of young people from schools, juvenile detention centres, social services for minors, ministerial communities, and multifunctional day centres, fostering a culture of legality and merit.

The project concludes each year with a ceremony where the best innovative proposals focusing on legality are awarded, and scholarships are offered for participation in Luiss Summer Schools and access to the University’s degree programmes.

The scholarship for students enrolled in the single-cycle master’s degree in Law for the 2026/2027 academic year is named the “Luigi Insabato Scholarship – offered by Cappelli Riolo Calderaro Crisostomo Del Din & Partners”, in memory of the lawyer Luigi Insabato, a young Luiss graduate who passed away prematurely and was previously a partner at the firm.

The scholarship for students enrolling in a three-year degree programme is funded by the Luiss Social Mobility Fund and a contribution from Professor Paola Severino, President of the Luiss School of Law.

This fosters the connection between legality and merit, providing tangible opportunities for young people.

Through the Legality and Merit Project, Luiss has also taken part in:

• the “Le Università per la Legalità” initiative promoted by the Falcone Foundation
• the production of the documentary film “Rebibbia lockdown”, directed by Fabio Cavalli and produced by Rai Cinema, which was made as part of the Project's activities and widely distributed across media, TV, cinemas, and institutional settings
• the 2022 Wharton-QS Reimagine Education Awards, the world’s leading competition for innovation in education, where it placed third in the Regional Award – Europe category. This recognition underscores the crucial importance of fostering the values of legality and merit, and promoting their dissemination among young people.