The department of history of the state, law and political law teachings was established as a part of the faculty of law in 1784. In 1784-1887 it was called the department of German and Austrian law. It was headed by professor K. Liske, who lectured the history of Austrian law; docent (later professor) F. Zrodlovskyi lectured the history of Roman law; docent G. Roshkovskyi lectured the philosophy of law. It was in 1887 when the department of Polish law was set up at the law faculty by a joint decision of the Rector’s Council and the Senate of the Lviv university (Academic Council). It was the second department on the territory of the Austrian province of Galicia and Lodomeria (first created in 1877 at the Yahelonian university in Krakow).

The head of the department became professor Osvald Baltser, a professor of Polish law, later professor A. Halban, professor P. Domkovskyi, who were the scientists of the European level. After the collapse of Austria-Hungary in the autumn of 1918, the Austrian teachers of the department of history of the state and law left the law faculty. During the Polish-Ukrainian war of 1918-1919 the department as well as the university didn’t work. After the restoration of work at Lviv university in the summer of 1920, professor Pshemyslav Domkovskyi headed the department of ancient Polish private law. In 1926, after the death of professor A. Halban he also headed the department of Western European law, temporarily. In 1933, after the death of professor O. Baltser, the department of Polish law (headed by professor O. Baltser) and the department of ancient Polish private law were joined into one department – department of History of polish government and law. It was headed by professor P. Domkovskyi. During the years of soviet power professor P. Domkovskyi remained the head of the department of general history of the state and law.

The students of those times highly appreciated the lectures of docent O. Nadraha and lecturers P. Ilkiv and L. Pauli who lectured Roman law. Having occupied Lviv in 1941, the Nazis closed down the university. On November 1, 1944 the university renewed its educational activity. The department of theory and history of the state and law was set up. Under this name the department functioned until 2008. Over the years the department was headed by professor P. Domkovskyi (1944-1946), professor P. Nedbailo (1946-1954), docent V. Kalynovych (1954-1960), professor V. Sokurenko (1960-1990), professor O. Tyshchyk (1990-1908).

In accordance with the decision of the Academic Council of Ivana Franko national university of Lviv and the rector’s order of April 10, 2008 the department of theory and history of the state and law was divided into the department of history of the state, law and political law teachings and the department of theory and philosophy of law.

The department of history of the state, law and political law teachings has been headed by professor B. Tyshchyk since 2008 – renowned professor of Lviv national university, Honored Lawyer of Ukraine, who is one of the leading scientists in the area of history of the state and law, being a real “patriarch” of this science.

His name as a respected scholar and an experienced teacher is widely known in Ukraine and abroad. Today, professor I. Boiko, professor M. Kobyletskyi, docent L. Shevchyk deliver lectures on history of the state and law. Professor B. Tyshchyk, docent A. Kolbenko, docent O. Lypytchuk, docent O. Ryhina, Candidate of Law Kh. Moriak-Protopopova lecture history of the state and law of foreign countries. Docent T. Andrusiak, docent A. Koval, docent A. Fedushchak-Paslavska; Roman private law – H. Fedushchak-Paslavska, professor M. Kobyletskyi, docent O. Ryhina.

The main areas of research of the department are the current problems of history of the state and law, history of political and law teachings.

The history of the department is highlighted in two articles.

Professor B. Tyshchyk “The department of history of the state, law and political law teachings and its chairpersons (to 230 anniversary of the formation and activities of the department)”.

Professor I. Boiko, docent V. Kakhnych “The formation and development of the historical legal science and school at the law faculty of Lviv university”.

Subjects:

History of the state and law of Ukraine (1 year)

• I stream – Doctor of law Kobyletskyi M.M.
• II stream – professor, Doctor of Law Boiko I.Y.
• III stream – docent Shevchuk L.E.
• History of the state and law of foreign countries (1 year)
• I stream – professor Tyshchyk B.Y.
• II stream – docent Kolbenko A.V.
• III stream – docent Lypytchuk O.V.

Roman private law (1 year)

– I and II streams – docent Fedushchak–Paslavska H.M.

– III stream – Candidate of Law Ryhina O.M.

Special courses

• History of legal thought of Ukraine – docent Andrusiak T.H.
• History of urban law in Ukraine – Doctor of Law Kobyletskyi M.M.
• History of the development of agrarian legislation in Ukraine – professor Boiko I.Y.
• The development of constitutionalism in Ukraine – professor Boiko I.Y.
• Formation and development of notaries in Ukraine