Why has law changed and developed to become what it is, and could the development have been different? What are the similarities and differences between different legal systems, and what are the historical explanations for these similarities and differences? These are questions that are analysed within legal history, and there is a strong connection between legal history and comparative law.

One of the most important tasks for legal history is to use history as an explanatory model for understanding our current legal system. Because of this, legal historians cooperate closely with the other subjects in the legal education and with other parts of the university. This is also reflected in the research, where several research projects are linked to current legal issues and contribute with historical and comparative contexts.