IOP Student Experiences

Traci Buchalski, 2L – London, England

           In the summer of 2007 I participated in a study abroad program in London England.  The program was provided through Notre Dame Law School at their London Law Center and lasted for seven weeks.  I took two classes, Public International Law and International Business Law, for a total of five credits.  Overall, I found the program to be an excellent experience and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in international law and living in London. 

            Notre Dame offers a well organized and educational program.  I found the professors to be one of the greatest assets.  They were from various countries and had practical experience in international law.  Their ability to describe and recount personal experiences in their respective areas of law was extremely insightful and often times humorous.  I found learning international law from professors practicing in the field extremely beneficial and it very enlightening to hear a more global opinion on some current US actions. 

            The program also provided some activities outside of the classroom including a traditional English strawberries and cream social, a wine and cheese party, a bus trip to Stone Henge and Bath, and a visit to each of the four Inns of Court.  The majority of time in London was unstructured which allowed us to explore the city tailored to our interests.  London has something for everyone – museums, parks, sightseeing, gardens, shopping and pubs.  It would be difficult not to enjoy London. 

            London also allows for easy access to “continental” Europe through air or train for weekend getaways.  I found the professors understanding of and actually encouraging weekend travel.  While the coursework was demanding during the week, we were rarely assigned homework over the weekend. 

           I could go on and on about my positive memories of studying in London, but I highly encourage you to partake in a law school study abroad program and create your own memories.

Zina Daimi, 2L – London, England

           The program which I attended was through Notre Dame Law School’s Summer London Law Program.  The program started on June 25, 2007 and ended July 30, 2007.  I took two courses there, International Business Law and Public International Law.  For International Business Law, the instructor was Professor Moens, who is from Belgium and is the Dean at Murdoch University in Australia.  Through his international experience, his lectures were based on a global perspective of international business.  He covered not only how the United States conducts its international business relations but also how European countries, Australia and other countries conduct international business trade and negotiations.  The class covered a variety of international business law principles including: Arbitration law, CISG, INCOTERMS 2000, Intellectual Property, and UCP 600.  The lectures were based on provisions of such documents and case law interpreting such documents.  The exam was in essay format which tied in CISG and UCP 600 and questions regarding the other subjects discussed.

            The second class I took at Notre Dame’s London Law Center was Public International Law, which had two professors conduct the class, Professor Katherine Reece-Thomas and Professor Doug Cassel.  Professor Reece-Thomas, who is a professor at City University in London, instructed the first half of the course, and Professor Cassel, a Notre Dame international law professor, took over for the second half of the course.  The first half of the course focused on the basic principles of international law, the subjects covered were:  sources of international law, relationship between municipal and international law, international personality, international jurisdiction, state immunity, and diplomatic immunity.  The lectures on these international law principles were based on United Nations Charter provisions, applicable international conventions, and applicable case law which set forth a customary rule for such principles.  The second half of the course dealt with:  law of treaties, law of sea, self-determination, right to use force, international criminal law, international human rights, international environmental law, and state responsibility.  These lectures were also based on the Charter, and certain conventions and case law.  However, for the lectures dealing with use of force and state responsibility, a mini-moot court was assigned.  For state responsibility, a hypothetical was set forth dealing with the situation at the time with the attempted car bombings in central London over the summer, and if civilians were killed would the UK be held responsible.  The use of force moot court example was whether NATO illegally used force against Yugoslavia regarding matters in Kosovo.  This was a great learning method because each student in his/her group had to do research and apply the law versus, for example, reading and memorizing the convention set forth for holding a state internationally responsible.  There was a final exam which was essay format and combined topics covered by both professors.

            All in all, the academic portion of the program helped me gain a different approach when looking at current issues regarding international law.  The classes I took were well organized and taught with an American perspective on international law as well as a European and World perspective on international law. In addition, for the amount of time they had to teach the courses, I felt like they introduced and effectively covered what was necessary to gain a good understanding of the subject without rushing through the material.

            London is a big city with a lot going on, whether it is sports, entertainment, or political events.  The location of the Notre Dame London Law Center is in central London, next to the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery, and a short walking distance from Buckingham Palace and legal London.  The location is very effective in that it is close to almost anything the city has to offer including the Royal Courts of Justice, the Central Criminal Court, the Inns of Court, and the Houses of Parliament.  The London transportation system is very easy to get accustomed to in the city.  In addition, the school arranges a trip to see Bath and Stonehenge, which was very interesting.  The school also arranges to have an employee of the United States Embassy in London come and speak to students. The speaker they brought discussed how he got into the international law field and what he does at the U.S. Embassy, and what issues the Embassy deals with being in London.  Moreover, a legal walk is scheduled for students and through this we were taken to the Inns of Court to see where barristers work, and given a history along with the walk about the differences between a barrister and a solicitor.  The legal walk was a very effective and interesting learning experience. 

            In conclusion, Notre Dame Law School’s Summer London Law Program is a great opportunity for students to attend a law program overseas and gain a well rounded understanding of international law.  The academic portion of the program is organized and instructed in a very effective and interesting manner.  In addition, the city of London itself has a lot to offer which includes historical aspects and political events that parallel the international law subjects being studied.

Molly Harris, 2L - Utrecht, Netherlands

            The International Court of Justice, pretending to argue a case before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and spending a day at the European Parliament—these were only a few of the highlights from my study abroad program to Utrecht, Netherlands, during the summer of 2007.  My program, offered jointly by Washington University School of Law and Case School of Law, was a wonderful opportunity to study international and comparative law outside of the United States.

            I studied three subjects while in Utrecht: International Humanitarian Law, International Criminal Law and Procedure, and Comparative Constitutional and Administrative Law.  In International Humanitarian Law, I studied under Judge Richard Goldstone, a judge sitting on South Africa’s Constitutional Court and the first Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY).  Judge Goldstone brought in several practitioners from the Hague to speak about working at the ICTY and in other areas related to international law, as well as discussing his own experiences in working at the ICTY.  International Criminal Law and Procedure examined many aspects of criminal law and procedure in an international context.  The course culminated in an ICTY moot court experience, in which a classmate and I argued in the role of defense attorneys addressing the legality of a defendant’s luring from Serbia to stand trial on the charges brought against him.  Comparative Constitutional and Administrative Law made me reconsider the American mindset with which I had grown up in regards to government; being introduced to concepts such as Parliamentary sovereignty encouraged me to think beyond the familiar confines of my own country’s political system.

(Molly is standing in the first row in the blue suit)

            The class work was supplemented by several field trips to learn more about key international institutions firsthand.  We traveled to Brussels for a lecture and tour of the European Parliament, followed by a half-day of exploring the city (and savoring a real Belgian waffle).  We spent an afternoon at the ICTY watching several trials in progress.  Lastly, we traveled to the Hague to tour the breathtakingly beautiful Peace Palace, home to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and Permanent Court of Arbitration, and attend a lecture given by Judge Thomas Buergenthal, who is currently sitting on the ICJ.

            My time in Utrecht permitted me some time to explore the Netherlands as well.  Utrecht is one of the Netherlands’ major cities, yet still has a historical feel with the cobblestone streets and canals winding their way through much of the city.  Utrecht’s central location also served as an excellent start point to travel to other Dutch cities.  While there, I traveled to Leiden, a city near the North Sea known for its role in being a haven for English Pilgrims prior to coming to America; Delft, best known for the famous blue and white pattern; and Amsterdam.  I took advantage of a three-day weekend to travel to Paris with a classmate as well.

           My program provided me with an amazing experience, both in learning more about international and comparative law, and considering the viewpoints with which I grew up.  I strongly consider anyone who is considering studying overseas to consider this program.

Lynda Taylor, 2L – Rome, Italy

            UDM offers several ABA approved study abroad programs and the one I chose was though Temple University and the destination was Rome, Italy.  This trip was one in which I will never forget.

            Upon arrival to Rome, the program acclimated us to our surroundings by giving us a walking tour of campus, which just so happened to be overlooking the Tiber River.  The program structure was set up so that we went to class Monday-Thursday with Friday being reserved for educational field trips.  Each class was taught by a Temple University Law School professor accompanied with a lecture once a week by an Italian professor.  I felt that the Italian professors gave us a realistic view of what it is like to practice law within the European Union.

            The reading assignments given were proportionate to the credit hours taken.  This took into consideration that we were in Rome, and did allow for exploration time without the pressures of such a demanding schedule.  Once class was finished for the day we were close enough to the Piazza de Popolo (plaza of the people, the gates to the entrance of ancient Rome) where we could explore, as a matter of fact our teachers encouraged this exploration.  In addition to Roman exploration of places such as the Coliseum and Vatican City, we had a few guided field trips: to Pompeii, Florence, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations headquartered in Rome, Italy.   Each field trip was well thought out and gave us good exposure to the cultures of Pompeii and Florence and provided information on how to gain international internship and post graduate opportunities.

            All in all I can say that it was a very rewarding way to spend the summer.  There were 5 UDM students in the program and we fostered a friendship that will remain for many years to come.  This was a very good learning experience not only for educational purposes but it taught me about another culture and put into perspective how global the world really is.  If given the opportunity to do it over again I would in a heartbeat.  So, if you are trying to decide on how to spend your summer after the first year of law school, why not think of studying abroad, I know it had an effect on my life

Joel Wisniewski, 2L – Belfast and Dublin, Ireland

           I was lucky enough to attend the Fordham University summer program in Ireland. The program consisted of three and a half weeks split between Belfast and Dublin. Over the course of the three week program, students were given the opportunity to select two courses from the following list: Alternative Dispute Resolution, International Property Law, International Human Rights and International Criminal Procedure.

            I chose to take International Human Rights and International Property Law. As far as academics go, I thought the Fordham program did well to make sure we left the program either with a better understanding of subject matter we were familiar with or an understanding of new subject matter which we had not been exposed to prior to the trip. The professors were very open to holding relaxed classroom meetings which made such meetings more productive. Keeping the meetings relaxed made it more appealing for the students to be involved in the classroom discussions.

            We spent the first two weeks in Belfast and were given the opportunity to learn a great deal about the history of Northern Ireland and the struggles that the entire island was confronted with in the 1970’s and 1980’s. We were taken to Derry to learn about the origin of the struggles and were given time to explore various aspects of Northern Ireland on our own. We were taken to the courts in Belfast and got to sit in on a small claims trial involving a radio station not coming through on a promise to provide a contest winner with the means to record an album. It was interesting learning how the legal system works in Northern Ireland and comparing to how it works in the United States.

            After being in Belfast for two weeks, we were taken to Dublin for the final week. Dublin is considered one of the most expensive cities in the world but was also one of the most exciting cities I’ve seen. The city reminded me of an international Chicago or New York. Dublin was very busy and offered many opportunities to take in the local culture but there was also a touch of home. The food and beverages in Dublin were more expensive than in Belfast but were well worth the extra money. The Guinness factory is located in Dublin and was definitely a highlight for many! The Guinness in Dublin tastes much better than the Guinness in the states.

            All in all, the Fordham program was a great learning experience and presented an opportunity to learn about a culture that closely mirrors ours but has just enough differences to be unique. The Guinness factory was a highlight but the historical aspects of the trip definitely made a lasting impression on all of us. We learned about a situation in which the country was torn in two for a long time and it made us all realize the impact of such a situation on the people of the country. The trip gave us, as Americans, an opportunity to better appreciate the struggles of another country.