Marina FEDERICO

Marina Federico is a postdoctoral research fellow and adjunct professor at Ca' Foscari University of Venice. She achieved her doctorate in "Law, Market and Person" at the same University, with the evaluation of: "Excellent cum laude". Previously, Marina was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and was Resident Fellow at the Information Society Project Center, Yale Law School. She is the author of various publications, in Italian, English and French, on different topics, such as IT law, consumer law, fundamental rights and their protection. Her first monograph "Protezione dei dati personali e tutela collettiva. Itinerari di comparazione tra Europa e Stati Uniti" was published in 2024 by Giappichelli.

CURRENT APPOINTMENT

• 2023 - curr. Ca’ Foscari University of Venice

Postdoctoral Research Fellow. PRIN (Project of Relevant National Interest, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research): “Vulnerability in the digital market. Platforms, consumers, enterprises”? Supervisors: Professor Carmela Camardi, Full Professor of Private Law, a.y. 2023-24; Professor Claudia Irti, Full Professor of Private Law, a.y. 2024-25

• 2024 - curr. Ca' Foscari University of Venice

Adjunct Professor. Courses “Introduction to Law”, Venice School of Management; and “E-tourism, services law and data protection regulation”, Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics

ACADEMICS

2024 Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law (Hamburg, Germany)

Visiting scholar

2024 European Parliamentary Research Service, Digital Policies Unit (Brussels, Belgium)

Visiting researcher at the Digital Policies Unit of the EPRS, the in-house think-tank of the European Parliament. Co-authored a policy paper (“digital issue in focus”) on the intersections between the Artificial Intelligence Act and data protection law, assisted the Unit’s personnel with their tasks and in their research projects.

2020 - 2023 Ca’ Foscari University of Venice 

Ph.D. in “Law, Market and Person”, 3rd Cycle Doctoral Degree in Law? Grade: Excellent summa cum laude (with honours)

First ranked in the entrance examination, awarded a scholarship on: “Big data and fundamental rights”. Doctoral thesis title: “Data protection and collective actions”. Supervisor: Professor Carmela Camardi, Full Professor of Private Law

2023 Yale Law School - Information Society Project (New Haven, CT, United States)

Resident Fellow - Fulbright Grantee. Supervisor: Professor Jack M. Balkin, Knight Professor of Constitutional Law and the First Amendment

2025 The Digital Services Act Specialist Masterclass

Course on the Digital Services Act, by Professor M. Husovec, London School of Economics (LSE)

2021 University of Foggia-University of Siena 

Summer school on Civil Liability in the digital era. Law of new technologies, tort law and digital technologies, explainable AI, digital platforms, antitrust and consumer law

2021 European University Institute

Summer school on AI and Law. Machine learning and legal analytics, knowledge representation and rule-based systems, modelling legal argument

2014 - 2019 University of Trento

Juris Doctor, Single 2nd Cycle Master’s Degree in Law (Laurea Magistrale a ciclo unico in Giurisprudenza). Final grade: 110 summa cum laude (with honors)/110.

Master thesis: “Italian res judicata and American estoppel. Subjective and objective limits of preclusion”. Supervisor: Professor Marino Marinelli, Full Professor of Civil Procedure

2016 - 2017 University of Utrecht, Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance (Utrecht, The Netherlands)

Erasmus student for 10 months. Winner of Erasmus+ scholarship

TEACHING EXPERIENCE AND INVITED LECTURES

2025, University of Siena, Faculty of Law 

Presentation of the research: “Collective Actions and Digital Subjects. A Comparative Overview”, in English and Italian, for the courses of “Law of New Technologies” and “Diritto delle nuove tecnologie” of Professor Alessandro Palmieri, Full Professor of Private Comparative Law

2024, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice Venice, Italy

Seminar: “A ‘galactic guide’ to doctoral students. Introduction to the Ph.D. programme and to legal research", for the doctoral programme in "Law, Market and Person"

Seminar: "Public and Private Enforcement in the New European Data Economy", for the seminar series of the doctoral programme in “Law, Market and Person” within the project: "Progetto dottorale di alta formazione in scienze giuridiche"

2024, University of Rome “La Sapienza”

Opening lecture for the doctoral programme in law on: "Collective Data Protection. European and U.S. Perspectives"

Ca' Foscari University of Venice

2023, Lecture on “Introduction to the Common Law”, for the course “Introduction to Law”, Lecturer Dr. Giulia Travan

2021 - 2024, Teaching Assistant for the course “Internet Law and E-Commerce”, Professor Carmela Camardi. Organized and coordinated workshops and seminars on the topics of AI and law, freedom of expression, privacy and consumer law in the information age

2021 - 2024, Teaching Assistant Senior and Tutor for the course “Private Law”, Professor Carmela Camardi. Led lectures on family law, contract law, constitutional law, organized workshops and seminars, and conducted group and one-to-one office hours

2021 - curr., Named “Subject expert” in Private Law (cultrice della materia)

2021, Organisation of a moot court on “Facial recognition and data protection. In the face of danger?” for the course “General Data Protection Regulation”, Professor Andrea Maria Garofalo

2020, Presentation on “The right to be forgotten and the eternal memory of the Internet” for the course “Internet Law and E-Commerce”, Professor Carmela Camardi

2020, Seminar for the activities of the Doctorate in “Law, Market and Person”. Topic: “The juridical status of the child born from posthumous medically assisted reproduction”

AWARDS AND AFFILIATIONS

2025-curr. Diritti in Movimento

Member of the Association "Diritti in Movimento"

2024-curr. Society of European Contract Law (SECOLA)

Member of the Society of European Contract Law

2024-curr. Associazione Italiana Diritto Comparato (AIDC)

Member of the Italian Association of Comparative Law Scholars

2023-curr. Unione Privatisti Italiani

Member of the Italian Association of Private Law Scholars

2023-curr. Yale Law School European Law Association

Member of the Board of the YLS European Law Association. Organized and coordinated events and conferences dedicated to the field of European and comparative law

2022 Fulbright Scholarship, Visiting Student Researcher – Funded by the U.S.-Italy Fulbright Commission

2021 University of Trento, merit award for the best graduates– Funded by the University of Trento. Score: 100/100

2020-2023 Full Ph.D. Scholarship - Full three years doctoral scholarship funded by Ca’ Foscari University of Venice

2019 MAECI-CRUI Scholarship - Funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign and International Affairs and by the Conference of Italian University Rectors

2016 Erasmus + Scholarship - Funded by the European Union Erasmus Programme, the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR) and the University of Trento

2012 Merit award for the best English language students, High School “Francesco Maurolico” Funded by the Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR), English language intensive course and all-paid stay at Harrow House, International College, Swanage, U.K.

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS IN NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES

2025 Université de la Bretagne Occidentale (UBO) - Brest, France

Discussant at the Ecole thématique Résaux sociaux te intégrité des processus démocratique, for the presentation of the selected works of doctoral students on social media, platforms and the law; moderation of a panel on "Protection internationale de la liberté d'expression et du pluralisme"

2024 BEUC - The European Consumer Organisation - Brussels, Belgium

Presentation of the research: “Collective Actions and Digital Rights” at the Knowledge Hour

2024 Link Campus University of Rome - Rome, Italy

Young Comparative Law Scholars Conference “Itineraries of legal comparison. New issues and perspectives”, jointly organised by the AIDC and DPCE associations. Presentation of the paper “Negotiating Cohabitation. European and Comparative Perspectives”

2024 Ca’ Foscari University of Venice - Venice, Italy

Presentation of the volume “Sul negozio giuridico: itinerari novecenteschi e della contemporaneità”, written by Stefano Pagliantini. Presentation on the transformation of the law of contracts and obligations in the data driven economy, with reference to personal data processing and online terms of service

2024 University of Siena - Siena, Italy

Presentation on: “Collective Data Protection. Itineraries of Legal Comparison”at the XXXIX Graduate Students in Private Law Conference

2024 Katolische Universiteit (KU) Leuven, Faculty of Law and Philosophy - Leuven, Belgium 

Presentation of the paper “On Lands and Dispossession. The Relevance and Potentials of Property Law for the Constitutional Recognition of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples” at the International Conference on Constitutional Communities

2023 Yale Law School - New Haven, CT, US

Freedom of Expression Scholars Conference (FESC) 11. Presentation of the paper “Have We Forgotten Freedom of Information? A Comparative Analysis of Europe, Italy and the United States”

2023 Yale Law School - New Haven, CT, United States

Presentation of the paper “Have We Forgotten Freedom of Information? A Comparative Analysis of Europe, Italy and the United States” at the ISP Resident Fellows Workshop 

2023 Ca’ Foscari University of Venice - Venice, Italy

Presentation of the volume “Driverless Cars. L’intelligenza artificiale e il futuro della mobilità”, written by Guido Calabresi and Enrico Al Mureden

2023 University of Bonn - Bonn, Germany

Presentation of the paper “European Collective Redress and Data Protection: Challenges and Opportunities” at the Jean Monnet Network for the Enforcement of EU Law, Young Researchers Platform Roundtable

2022 Ca’ Foscari University of Venice - Venice, Italy

Presentation of the volume “Il diritto civile fra moderno e posmoderno”, written by Paolo Grossi

2021 Ca’ Foscari University of Venice - Venice, Italy

Conference "The European Way Towards Artificial Intelligence". Presentation of the paper “Artificial Intelligence challenged: consumer rights and the CLAUDETTE system”

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Italian: Native speaker

English: C2, IELTS Certificate, Overall Score 8/9.

French: C1, DELF B2 Certificate.

Spanish: B1

OTHER ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES

2024-curr. European Journal of Legal Studies

Junior editor

2024-curr. Accademia dei Civilisti – Rivista dell’Associazione Civilisti Italiani

Contributor for the editorial column “Dalle Corti” (“From the courtrooms”)

2024-curr. Recent Developments in European Consumer Law

Contributor for the blog, under the direction of Professor Joasia Luzak, Full Professor of Private Law at the University of Exeter

2025 Organisation of the seminar: "Tourism, Digital Technologies and Dispute Resolution: A Practical Guide", held by Professor Stefaan Voet, Professor of Civil Procedure at KU Leuven, Ca' Foscari University of Venice

2024 Organisation of the conference for the presentation of the Italian translation by Professors Maria Rosaria Marella and Giovanni Marini of the book “Sexy Dressing, Etc.”, written by Duncan Kennedy, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice

2024-curr. De Iustitia

Member of the editorial board of the Law Journal, listed as scientific review by the Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes (ANVUR)

2023 European Journal of Comparative Law and Governance

External referee for the Review, listed as “Class A” Journal by the Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes (ANVUR)

2021-curr. Jus Civile

Member of the editorial board, responsible of the observatory on Comparative Law (French law) and member of the bibliographic observatory. Law Journal, listed as “Class A” Journal by the Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes (ANVUR)

2022 Ca’ Foscari University of Venice

Member of the research groups of the PRIN projects “Digital vulnerability. An Intergenerational Path Between Market Relations and Personal Rights” (PI: Professor C. Camardi) and “PADS4Health” (PI: Professor A. Bernes), both funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research

2021 Il Sole 24ore - Consulenza Buffetti

Collaborated with the column “SMART 24” of the Italian newspaper Il Sole 24ore, and with the website “Consulenza Buffetti”, writing articles on property law matters for the general audience

2021 Organisation of the conference, within the Doctoral programme in “Law, Market and Person”, "The European Way Towards Artificial Intelligence", Ca’ Foscari University of Venice

2020 European Union Fundamental Rights Agency

Participant of the online “Rights dialogue”

2017-2020 Trento Student Law Review

Associate editor, managing editor, referee

PUBLICATIONS: 

Academic publications: 

See the dedicated section: https://www.unive.it/data/persone/24127326/pubblicazioni 

Policy papers

Algorithmic discrimination under the AI Act and the GDPR, with S. De Luca, At a Glance – Digital Issue in Focus, European Parliamentary Research Service, 2025, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2025/769509/EPRS_ATA(2025)769509_EN.pdf

Blog articles

Case CJEU, C-510/23: national procedural time limits, public enforcement and consumer law effectiveness, 2025, https://recent-ecl.blogspot.com/2025/03/case-cjeu-c-51023-on-national.html

Les actions de groupe en matière de protection des données à caractère personnelles dans l’Union Européenne. Arrêts marquants, in Observatoire des Actions de Groupe et Autres Actions Collectives, 2025, https://observatoireactionsdegroupe.com/2025/01/collective-actions-and-data-protection-striking-judgments-in-eu-jurisdictions/

Online safety and “vulnerable” consumers: the new OFCOM’s draft codes of practice, in Recent developments in European Consumer Law, https://www.openlegalblogarchive.org/2024/06/26/online-safety-and-vulnerable-consumers-the-new-ofcoms-draft-codes-of-practice/

WORK EXPERIENCE

2022-curr.

Admitted to the Italian Bar - Court of Appeal of Messina (Abilitazione all’esercizio della professione forense). Consultancy in litigation (especially complex litigation) and private international law matters 

2020-2022

Legal clerk at the Italian Supreme Court (Corte Suprema di Cassazione) Rome, Italy. Selected on a merit-based national competition. Main field of work: private law. Collaboration with the International Affairs Office of the Supreme Court (URI)

2020 

Trainee lawyer, Studio legale Barbera, Messine, Italy

2019

Intern at the Italian Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark. Awarded a scholarship on a merit-based national competition by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Main field of work: international and European law, international relations.

2018

Legal Intern (People and Reward Department), Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, Milan, Italy