University of San Diego School of Law Summer Abroad Programs Span the Globe, and Careers

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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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