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SKILL SHARPENER
William & Mary School of Law’s Study Abroad Program [by Erica Winter] The faculty and the number of course offerings are what distinguish William & Mary School of Law’s study abroad program in Madrid, Spain, from other international legal education programs, says Assistant Program Director Anne Beckley.
consult past rulings but they are not bound
William & Mary’s Marshall-Wythe School of Law is the oldest law school in the country
There are eight Spanish faculty members all
by precedents set in those rulings, says
and was the first to establish a study abroad
together, and one professor from William
Koch.
program for law students. The school’s
& Mary School of Law travels to Spain each
program in Exeter, England, started in 1967
summer to teach. Classes are taught in
The goal of the Madrid program, says Koch,
and ran until 1998, says Beckley. Its Madrid
English every morning for five days a week
is to “broaden [students’] perspectives of
program started in 1988.
over one month. The program offers a choice
the law,” by showing them how Europeans
of nine classes, and each student takes three
would deal with given legal issues. Also, even
Now, many law schools have overseas pro-
classes while on the program. This is a wider
domestic legal practice in the United States
grams; few, however, have faculty members
variety of course offerings than most law
is developing “a trans-Atlantic legal culture,”
who advise their nation’s parliaments or who
school programs abroad, says Beckley.
especially in business law and environmental law.
are helping to shape the new Constitution for the European Union.
On average, 100 students go on the program each summer, says Beckley. Of these, 27
While some William & Mary law students,
The Academic Co-Director of William &
are from William & Mary, and the others
such as Stephanie Spirer, see their legal
Mary’s Madrid program, Professor José M.
come from 43 different law schools across
educations and careers molded by their ex-
de Areilza, advised the Spanish government
the country. Last summer, five participants
periences on the Madrid program, others see
during its negotiations of the new European
did externships, says Beckley. The students
summer study abroad programs as a way to
Constitution and has advised Spain’s Prime
worked for one week in a Spanish law firm
manage their academic schedule while also
Minister on North American and European
before classes started in Madrid, giving them
getting the chance to return overseas.
affairs. Professor de Areilza is Professor of
a chance for international legal immersion.
European Union Law, Instituto de Empresa.
Those who do this must be completely fluent
Third-year William & Mary law student Philip
in Spanish.
Chapman took the opportunity to study in
Fellow Co-Director Professor Javier Guillén
Madrid so he could travel abroad again and
Caramés has been a consultant to the Span-
Students in the program not only benefit
also earn course credits so that his third year
ish Parliament on Constitutional and Public
from living in another culture, but also from
would not be so hectic, he says. Chapman
Administration issues, and he is the Ramon
learning about another legal culture, says
is fluent in Spanish and was one of three
y Cajal Professor of Administrative Law,
Koch. Spanish law is “a whole different kind
student assistants who helped coordinate
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos.
of system, [with] a whole different legal
activities while on the program.
culture.” A 1988 graduate of the University of Michi-
The program’s use of Spanish faculty was noted by the American Bar Association in its
The United States has laws based on the
gan, Chapman was in the Navy for 23 years
accreditation of the program, says Profes-
English, common law system, whereas con-
before attending law school. He studied
sor Charles Koch, the Woodbridge Professor
tinental European law is based on a civil law
Spanish at the Defense Language Institute,
of Law at William & Mary and Director of
system, Koch explains. In the U.S. system,
Monterey, CA, worked in South America for
the Madrid program. While in Virginia, Koch
judges are required to base their rulings on
six years, and had been to Spain while with
teaches administrative law. In Spain, he
precedents set by previous cases.
the Navy.
This is not so in Europe, where judges may
“I like travel,” says Chapman, and the pro-
teaches comparative constitutional law and European Union law.
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