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SKILL SHARPENER
University of San Diego School of Law Summer Abroad Programs Span the Globe, and Careers [by Erica Winter] To spend part or all of the summer studying abroad, law students can choose from programs in Barcelona, Dublin, Florence, London, Oxford, Paris, Moscow-St. Petersburg, or Mexico City - and those are just the programs run by the University of San Diego (USD) School of Law.
Overall, there are 94 law schools that run
who they would not otherwise see at home.”
astonishes me is that so few people apply”
summer study abroad programs, according
USD Law’s programs bring in distinguished
for the internships, says Lazerow. It is pos-
an American Bar Association list. Most of
faculty, says Lazerow, and also “make a point
sible that law students are concerned about
those law schools run programs in more than
of bringing in diverse students” to the pro-
foreign language proficiency and so do not
one country, like USD Law, as well as Santa
grams, says Lazerow. The USD Law programs
even apply.
Clara University Law, Tulane Law, Whittier
not only bring in students from a wide variety
Law, and Penn State Law.
of law schools around the country, but also
To clarify, while there are Spanish-language
include ten to fifteen percent international
requirements for the USD Law program
The vast majority of these programs are
students, mostly Europeans, participating in
internships in Barcelona and Mexico City, and
still to be found in Europe, with programs
programs outside their own countries as well.
Russian is required for working at a Rus-
in Spain, England and France leading that
sian firm in Moscow, there are no foreign
list. There are, however, several programs in
Dave Hall, a participant in this summer’s
language requirements to intern in Paris or
Africa and Asia, including the Howard Univer-
USD program in Mexico City, had a three-part
London. Even some United States firms in
sity Law program in South Africa, Santa Clara
learning experience there. He studied NAFTA
Moscow bring students in to intern, and so
Law’s programs in Japan and South Korea,
and immigration law in the classroom, and
there are no Russian language requirements
Widener University Law’s program in Kenya,
then he took that knowledge and talked about
there.
and Seton Hall University Law’s program in
it with the Mexicans he met. These internships could be the most valu-
Egypt. Also, Hall got to know the international LLM
able pieces of the study abroad program for
There are many similarities among the 90
students on the program with him - one
law students down the line. Career services
total ABA-approved summer study abroad
from India, and one from France. The French
professionals say, and law students hear time
programs, says Professor Herbert Lazerow,
student was in the same NAFTA course as
and time again - being in the top ten percent
Director of USD Law’s Institute on Interna-
Hall, and she gave insightful input compar-
of your class and being on law review help to
tional and Comparative Law. Still, the USD
ing NAFTA with EU trade agreements, says
get you in the door of the top jobs.
Law programs stand out in some ways.
Hall. The groups also discussed the Indian LLM student’s upcoming arranged marriage,
But then there are the ninety percent of law
Many law school summer study abroad
and how she was not feeling the pressure to
students left over. To distinguish yourself
programs are offering their domestic law
rebel against it from Western culture - even
from the pack, activities and work experi-
courses in another setting, says Lazerow.
as NAFTA might be imposing U.S. culture on
ence make the difference. An international
In the USD Law programs, all the courses
Mexico.
internship gives work experience to put on a
taught, no matter what the country, are international or comparative law courses. Most of the other 190 programs, are in-house
résumé, and it also is “good to show that you “We accept law students form all over the
can live and work in a foreign culture,” says
world,” says USD program coordinator Cindy
Lazerow. For law students who want to go on
King.
to do international law, and possibly live and work abroad, this kind of experience is very
programs, says Lazerow, in which faculty from that law school and the host institution
Another aspect of the USD Law programs
abroad are those that teach the courses. This
that set them apart is that half of them of-
valuable.
type of program, says Lazerow, does “not
fer in-country internships after the course
For law students who are planning a domes-
enrich people by exposing them to others
or tutorial programs are completed. “What
tic legal career, studying and/or working
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SKILL SHARPENER
overseas while in law school can also have great benefits. In these programs, Lazerow says he hopes that each student leaves with a “sense that cultural differences are real,” and have developed some skill in bridging them. Lawyers “are engaged in a profession where we do not make anything,” says Lazerow; “our job is persuasion, and cultural differences can impede persuasion.” Even on a domestic level. If a law student goes on to have a local criminal defense practice, there will be vast cultural differences between her and her clients. It is the lawyer’s job to understand her client, and the culture he’s coming from, not the other way around. “It is the lawyer who will be successful,” says Lazerow, “because she can bridge that cultural difference.”
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