The Lady Justice Statue as a Law School Graduation Gift
Every civil-law graduate started in the same place: first-year Roman law, the maxims, Justinian's Corpus Iuris Civilis — the sixth-century compilation that still underpins the whole tradition. That is why a Roman piece is not a knick-knack for someone finishing law school: it is the symbol of the road they have just walked. This guide helps you choose it — the Lady Justice statue in three versions, three alternatives beyond the goddess of justice, and the classic group gift for the whole cohort, solved.
Why Lady Justice is the law graduation gift
Iustitia is the Roman personification of justice: the scales weigh the arguments, the sword enforces the law, the blindfold guarantees impartiality. Heir to the Greek Themis, her image still presides over courtrooms around the world. A new graduate has spent years studying the system this figure embodies, beginning with the Roman law that shaped it. That is why a Lady Justice reproduction works on graduation day: it does not decorate the moment, it names it. On the first desk, it says exactly what those years were for.
Three versions of Justice — two priced online, one boutique-only
Imperium Art carries the goddess of justice in three forms — one for each kind of giver.
- Lady Justice Iustitia — €125. A handcrafted bronze-effect resin reproduction, made in Italy: the classic gift from a single friend or relative, significant enough for the day itself.
- Lady Justice, 75 cm — €650. Bronze and resin, three quarters of a metre of blindfold, scales and raised sword. Too much for one friend, exactly right for a family or a group of classmates — more on that below.
- Themis, hand-cast pewter. The goddess of law before Lady Justice: scales, sceptre, a serpent at her feet, THEMIS engraved. She is not sold online — you can see and buy her only in our Rome boutique, which makes her the piece for a gift chosen in person.
The group gift: one cohort, one statue
Sooner or later every law cohort proposes a group gift, and the 75 cm Lady Justice was practically designed for it. At €650, ten classmates spend €65 each — dinner-out money — and the graduate receives something no single giver could sensibly buy: a statement reproduction that will move with them from first job to their own firm. Collect the shares, order it online or pick it up in Rome, and add a card signed by everyone who survived Roman law together.
Not only Justice: three alternatives for the new graduate
Not every graduate wants the icon of the profession on day one. Three handcrafted reproductions from the same world, each with its own message:
- Athena, goddess of wisdom — €139. Born in myth from the head of Zeus, owl in hand; the Romans worshipped her as Minerva. For the graduate who loved the study itself — the thesis writer, the future academic.
- Nike of Samothrace — €149. The winged Victory sculpted to celebrate a naval battle won against the odds; the original stands in the Louvre. For the one who earned this degree the hard way.
- Julius Caesar bust — €109. Veni, vidi, vici. For the future courtroom orator who has never feared an audience.
Where to buy it: in Rome or online
The Imperium Art boutique is at Via Cavour 280, Rome — 50 metres from the Colosseum, open every day from 10:00 to 20:00. It is the only place to see the pewter Themis, and the best way to compare the two Lady Justice reproductions side by side before the big day. Every other piece in this guide ships from the online shop. And if the person you are celebrating is already practising — a won case, a new firm, a promotion — read our guide to Roman gifts for lawyers, written for the milestones that come after the degree.
Common questions
How much should I spend on a law school graduation gift?
It depends on who you are to the graduate. Giving alone, the €109–€149 range covers the Caesar bust, the €125 Lady Justice, Athena and Nike. A family or a group of classmates can move up to the 75 cm Lady Justice at €650 — split ten ways, it costs each person less than the smaller statues.
What does the Lady Justice statue symbolise?
Iustitia is the Roman personification of justice: the scales weigh the arguments, the sword enforces the law, the blindfold guarantees impartiality. Heir to the Greek Themis, her image still presides over courtrooms worldwide — which is exactly why she suits a law graduation.
Can we organise the group gift online?
Yes. The €125 Lady Justice and the 75 cm version are both available in the online shop, along with Athena, Nike and the Caesar bust. Only the pewter Themis is boutique-only: you can see her at Via Cavour 280 in Rome, every day from 10:00 to 20:00.
Is this guide also right for a practising lawyer?
This guide is written for the graduation moment: budgets for a single giver and for the classmates' group gift. For an established lawyer — a won case, a new office — see our separate guide to Roman gifts for lawyers, organised around the profession rather than the degree.
Every piece in this guide lives in the boutique at Via Cavour 280, 50 m from the Colosseum — visit us, or order online.