News Release
UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT MERCY SCHOOL OF LAW JOINS FORCES WITH EL TECNOLÓGICO DE MONTERREY IN MEXICO TO LAUNCH UNPRECEDENTED JOINT LAW DEGREE PROGRAM
Groundbreaking “NAFTA Lawyer Program” Eliminates Borders, Offers Unique Opportunity for Bilingual Students to Practice Law in U.S. and Mexico
Program Features Mexican Law Courses Taught in Detroit in Spanish
Detroit, January 7, 2008 – The University of Detroit Mercy School of Law (UDM Law) and the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM), Mexico’s leading private law school, announced today the creation of The North American Lawyer Multiple Degree Program, more commonly known as The NAFTA Lawyer Program, the only known joint-degree program that provides students with the educational background necessary to qualify to practice law in both the United States and Mexico (the J.D. (Juris Doctor) degree in the United States and the L.E.D. (Licenciado en Derecho) degree in Mexico).
“The launch of this groundbreaking program offers students who are bilingual in Spanish and English a unique opportunity,” said Mark C. Gordon, Dean of UDM Law, and the Program’s co-founder. “By aligning UDM Law with one of most prestigious Spanish-language law schools in Latin America, The NAFTA Lawyer Program prepares our students to represent clients in both the United States and Mexico and enables them to compete in a more global economy. For those students who choose not to continue their studies in Mexico, they will have the unique opportunity to study Mexican law in Detroit and to take nearly one-third of the credits required for their U.S. law degree in Spanish.”
Instead of the roughly 7 ½ years it would take students to complete these degrees separately, Program participants can do so in 5 years. For students who begin at UDM Law, this means spending 3 years at UDM Law and 2 years at ITESM. (For students who begin at ITESM, the opposite is true—3 years at ITESM and 2 at UDM Law).
Another unique aspect of the program is that UDM Law will offer 14 Mexican law courses that will be taught at UDM Law in Spanish by professors from ITESM. Those students who may not want to participate in the full program can choose these courses as electives, which can count toward approximately one-third of the credits required for their U.S. J.D. degree. UDM Law may be the only U.S. mainland law school to provide Spanish-speaking students with this opportunity.
“We are very pleased to enter this pioneering agreement with the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, an institution demonstrating very progressive thinking,” said Dr. Salvador Trevino, Dean of ITESM’s Monterrey Campus School of Business (of which Law is one division).
While there are several joint-degree programs between Mexican and American law schools, they are traditionally focused on providing American and Mexican LL.M. (Masters in Law) degrees or other kinds of certificates, which do not necessarily give students the educational credentials necessary to practice law in either country. Some states in the United States permit students to take the bar exam with an LL.M. degree while others do not.
This is not UDM Law’s first foray into creating unprecedented joint-degree law programs. The school earlier joined forces with the University of Windsor Faculty of Law (in Ontario, Canada), and the two institutions offer students the only three-year J.D./LL.B program in the world. Now UDM Law has taken a bold step to include Mexico’s esteemed Tecnológico de Monterrey.
While some students may choose to participate only in the American/Mexican aspect of The NAFTA Lawyer Program, others may apply to participate in the joint Canadian degree program as well. It would take students more than 10 years to obtain this trifecta by studying separately at each institution. However, as Program participants, students can do so in 6 years, receiving a U.S. J.D., a Canadian LL.B, and a Mexican L.E.D.
“As cross-border issues have become increasingly prevalent in today’s global business environment, more and more law firms are looking to expand their practices, especially throughout Latin America,” said former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Hon. Henry Cisneros. “The NAFTA Lawyer Program provides a remarkable opportunity for Mexican Americans and all bilingual students to turn their language skills and aspirations into a significant employment advantage.
“The University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and ITESM in Mexico are putting themselves at the forefront of training the types of students that firms with international practices will be looking to hire. It is also noteworthy that UDM Law is now the leader in the US in providing bilingual students with the opportunity to take many courses in Spanish.”
The Director of ITESM’s Monterrey Campus Law School, Lic. Marlon Omar López Zapata, LL.M., agrees. “It is one thing to talk about being a NAFTA lawyer, it is quite another to have the training in two – or even three – NAFTA legal systems. This unique program will give students throughout the hemisphere a distinct advantage in practicing law in the 21st century.”
About University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
Founded in 1912, UDM is a Catholic law school sponsored by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. The School is approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. UDM recently received the prestigious 2006 Judy M. Weightman Award, from the ABA’s Student Lawyer Division, in recognition of the School’s outstanding public interest programs and contribution to the community. In addition, UDM Law was recently one of five law schools in the nation honored by the National Jurist in its January 2007 issue with a listing on the National Jurist Clinical Honor Roll. Located in the heart of downtown Detroit, the School is within walking distance of federal and state courts, law firms, and the city's municipal centers. The University of Detroit Mercy School of Law is committed to the principles of equal educational opportunity.
Contacts:
UDM Law Contact: Mark C. Gordon, Dean 313-596-0210
Press Contact: C. Zawadi Morris, Latinvox 646-367-3414
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