The contribution is an obituary for Professor Emeritus Ivan Kristan, PhD, of the University of Ljubljana. His extensive knowledge and experience nur- tured several generations of Slovenian lawyers, guiding both their personal and professional growth. His profound and dedicated professional, scientific, and public activities markedly advanced Slovenian legal science and society at large. Amongst his many roles, he served as the Dean of the Faculty of Law in 1981–1985, and the 34th Rector of the Edvard Kardelj University in Ljubljana between 1985 and 1987. His distinguished career led him to the Constitution- al Court of the SFR Yugoslavia in Belgrade in 1987–1991. In these turbulent years, particularly 1990 and 1991, he opposed some constitutionally contro- versial proposals and decisions in decision-making and with his separate opin- ions. Notably, Professor Kristan objected to a proposal designed to prevent the adoption of the Slovenian constitutional amendments, which substanti- ated the elements of Slovenian sovereignty. At that time, the Yugoslav Consti- tutional Court, with Professor Kristan’s insistence, remained the sole federal state body that did not condemn these amendments in advance. He demanded compliance with the regulations stipulating the Constitutional Court’s lack of competence for preliminary constitutional review. Between 1992 and 1997 he was also the first president of the State Council of the Republic of Slovenia.

Key words: Ivan Kristan, in memoriam, constitutional law, Constitutional Court, Faculty of Law of the University of Ljubljana, State Council of the Re- public of Slovenia, Yugoslavia.

The introduction of a unified five-year master’s degree programme in law at the University of Ljubljana Faculty of Law will provide law students with a high-quality legal education that will meet the growing demands of legal prac- tice, even in times of new social challenges. The Faculty of Law also encourages the study of legal practice and the learning of legal skills during their stud- ies, however, with the aim of gaining additional practical experience, some students choose to work occasionally in law firms and in other areas of law. Although such work may be useful to some extent, it should not cause the student to neglect his or her studies. The time of study must be the time of study, and its predominantly theoretical orientation is a necessary and funda- mental prerequisite for the later successful professional activity of the lawyer. A deeper insight into the nature of legal theory and practice shows us that they are two poles (two condensations) of the same phenomenon, which, although separated in rational legal reflection, are nevertheless perceived as two neces- sarily interconnected sides of a lawyer’s knowledge and competence. There- fore, a part of quality theoretical teaching and study of law is also knowledge and critical evaluation of legal practice, just as a part of legal practice is an appropriate theoretical reflection that connects social reality with general and abstract legal principles and rules.

Key words: legal theory, legal practice, student, study of law, extracurricular activities, unified five-year master’s programme in law, University of Ljubljana Faculty of Law.