Which kinds of law could students study at medieval European universities?

At medieval European universities, students primarily studied two specific branches of law:

• Civil Law: This field was based on the Roman legal codes, specifically the Corpus juris civilis (“Body of Civil Law”) compiled under the emperor Justinian. The study of this "learned law" was pioneered at the University of Bologna and spread throughout Europe, focusing on systematic written codes rather than local customs.12
• Canon Law: Also known as church law, this discipline was based on the decisions of ecclesiastical authorities. It was studied using foundational texts such as Gratian’s Decretum, which compiled thousands of ecclesiastical texts and incorporated concepts of natural law.1

Notably, students at these universities generally did not study local or customary legal systems (such as the English common law), as these were considered parochial and unworthy of university-level treatment. Education in such national or customary laws was typically handled outside the university setting, such as through the Inns of Court in England.3