Esther Algarra Prats, professor of Civil Law and current secretary-director of the Social Council of the University of Alicante, has been elected president of the Association of Civil Law Professors (APPDC), the national entity that brings together professors of this discipline from all Spanish universities.
The election took place at the General Assembly, held last Saturday, October 24, 2026, within the framework of the XXIV Association Conference held in Seville. With a total of 116 out of 119 votes cast (3 abstentions), Professor Algarra secured the presidency thanks to the support of 97.48% of the members.
Algarra thus becomes the first woman to preside over this Association, founded in 1988 with the main objective of promoting the study, teaching, and research of Civil Law, as well as cooperation among its members. The APPDC is composed of doctors in Civil Law from all Spanish universities and is one of the most important scientific associations in the country, having undertaken tasks such as the development of a Proposal for a new Civil Code.
The candidacy is completed by three vocal members and the position of Secretary, which will be held by Professor Pedro J. Femenía López, also a Professor of Civil Law at the University of Alicante and current University Ombudsman.
In her acceptance speech, Esther Algarra thanked her colleagues for their support and the work of the outgoing Board of Directors, of which she has been a member as a Vocal since 2021. The new president emphasized her commitment to the Association's goals and set forth the continuity of the Conferences, internationalization, interaction with other legal disciplines, and cooperation with Professional Colleges and Law Institutions as fundamental objectives for the coming years.
Esther Algarra Prats, with five research periods (four in research and one in transfer), has focused her research on topics such as person and family law, tort law, and environmental law. She has participated in nine R&D projects funded by public bodies and has co-directed projects on the Right to Health and Biomedical Law, funded by the ICAR Foundation and the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.
With stays at European and American universities, Algarra served as a member of the Valencian Civil Codification Commission (2004-2007) and provided legal assistance for the drafting of the preliminary draft of the Law on Science and Research of the Valencian Community (2022). She has also held management positions such as Secretary General of the University of Alicante and member of the Executive Committee of CRUE General Secretariats.
Currently, she combines her roles as Secretary-Director of the Social Council of the University of Alicante with participation in specialized training courses in Environmental Law, Civil Liability, and Family Law.
