Bob Hansman
runs nationially recognized City Faces program
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Bob Hansman runs nationially recognized City Faces program |
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Judicial observational program lets students get close-up experiences
By Jessica N. Roberts This summer, the School of Law offered its international master of law (LL.M.) students an opportunity to gain a close-up look at the U.S. judicial system. An observational program, now in its fourth year, pairs these students with a federal judge for four-to-six weeks in the summer after they graduate.
"The U.S. exports some of its worst culture -- its worst television programs and its worst movies -- and this is disseminated to millions of people. But the best of what our culture has to offer -- the rule of law and an independent judiciary -- can only be disseminated one by one. The international students with whom our local judiciary works one on one are the change agents for their countries." Among the students' activities are writing memorandums and orders for the judge, viewing pretrial motions and witnessing jury selection and sentencing. The goal of the observational program is to gain a deeper understanding of what was learned in the classroom and to develop practical skills that can be used when they return to practice law in their home countries. "These students are the young leaders who will be on the forefront fighting for the rule of law in their home countries and creating an independent judiciary where none currently exists," Shoresman said. "We know that U.S. security and well-being is very much tied to that of other countries and that making these concepts a reality are critical steps in that direction." This summer, 13 students participated in the program, working with U.S. District Court judges Terry I. Adelman, Gerald B. Cohn, Jean C. Hamilton and David D. Noce; U.S. Circuit Court judges Joan M. Burger, Patricia L. Cohen and Timothy J. Wilson; and U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge James Barta. Shoresman recently was appointed to the academic committee that will work with the U.S. Judicial Conference's Committee on International Judicial Relations Taskforce on Education to help develop and promote judicial observation programs for international students at other law schools around the country. The law school's international LL.M. program allows practicing attorneys or recent law school graduates from outside the United States to gain practical and theoretical knowledge of U.S. and international law, develop expertise in a specialized field of law, strengthen their ability to advocate for clients who have business dealings in the United States or with U.S. companies and firms, improve their representation of U.S. clients who want to conduct business in their countries, build an international network of professional contacts and refine their English skills and understanding of U.S. culture. |
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