On May 29, 2025, for the seventh consecutive year, the IUS ROMANUM project of the Faculty of Law at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" gathered a large audience in Auditorium 272 for the annual Academic Essay and Public Speech Competition on a very interesting, topical, and multifaceted topic – "THE CHOICE (ELECTIO)". The topics presented at the competition ranged from those related to the Roman legal tradition and Roman law to those that are completely and solely related to the Roman Empire.

The topics presented at the competition ranged from those related to the Roman legal tradition and Roman law to those that are entirely and solely in the context of current problems and controversial issues in contemporary society. They demonstrated high culture and intellect, but also an alert civic consciousness, a life position, and a desire to open discussion on certain topics. The first-year students – both participants and audience – also showed their desire to seek and discover non-traditional ways of deepening their knowledge alongside the learning process, to find opportunities to express and improve their abilities and desires. This issue contains the speeches and essays of the students who participated in the competition on the theme "THE CHOICE (ELECTIO)" held in 2025.