Olomouc – The Faculty of Law of Palacký University symbolically launched the new academic year on Sunday with the fourth edition of the PORTOS Open Air festival. An event, which is organized for students every year by the law firm PORTOS in cooperation with the Faculty of Law of UP, was attended this year by around 500 young lawyers and their teachers. The event took place on Sunday, September 20, on the faculty premises.
The packed program was opened by musician, artist, and producer Mat213. A graduate of the painting studio at Prague's AVU, his work combines rap, pop, hyperpop, and indie folk. The singer and two-time Anděl award holder (2023 and 2024) Pam Rabbit, who is among the most distinctive voices of Generation Z in the Czech Republic, then prepared an unforgettable show for the students.
The main idea of the festival is to showcase the boundless possibilities of artistic creativity and connect it with the world of law. In addition to a rich musical program, students could look forward to competitions for prizes, a comfortable chill-out zone, and the opportunity to ask questions about a career in law to representatives of the law firm PORTOS.
The festival has long aimed to open up new possibilities of linking culture with the world of law. Over four years, a welcome event for students has become a sought-after occasion which annually opens the winter semester.
"We have already successfully organized the welcome event for our students, which we hold in cooperation with the renowned law firm PORTOS, three times. Its course and students’ feedback have confirmed for us that it is meaningful to continue this tradition. Therefore, I am very pleased it also took place this year. For our students it represents not only a pleasant addition at the start of the academic year, but above all a unique opportunity to get to know our important partner better. I greatly value the cooperation between our faculty and the law firm PORTOS, and I look forward to more joint activities that await us during the new academic year," says Václav Stehlík, Dean of the Faculty of Law of UP in Olomouc.
"As the law firm PORTOS, we are glad to return to Olomouce every year. This is mainly thanks to the great relations we have with the Faculty of Law at UP. We organize PORTOS Open Air because it is important to us to talk with the incoming generation of lawyers. Our law firm has long focused on supporting young talent and gives them space to grow – which is why it is quite possible that among the students stood representatives of the future leadership of our firm today," said Jaromír Císař, founding partner (in a law firm) of the law firm PORTOS.
According to Císař, internships are the most important thing for students. "Thanks to professional practice / internship, you gain experience, contacts, and confidence in the field. Here in Portosu we know this, and that's why we place great emphasis on professional practice / internship," he added. Along with him, the managing director (of law firm) Filip Drnec and attorneys / legal counsel and lawyers from PORTOS across all positions – from legal assistants to lead attorneys – also personally attended the festival.
PORTOS Open Air was held for the first time in 2023 under the subtitle "Don't be afraid of music and law." In previous years, the festival featured numerous artists from the Czech popular and alternative scenes. Among them Annet X, the band BRIXTN, singer Marina Laduda with rapper Sia Sai, and many others. The program also involved the Moravian Theatre Olomouc and creatives from the Czech National Symphony Orchestra.
