The William H. Bowen School of Law, in collaboration with two other U.S. law schools and the University of Silesia in Poland, has created a School of U.S. Law for Polish judges, lawyers, post-graduate and advanced law students.
Hosted at the University of Silesia, this program teaches U.S. domestic law through a collaboration among Bowen, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, and the University of Toledo College of Law.
“The University of Silesia is very pleased with the program. It is our hope that it will continue and that we will see additional forms of collaboration,” said Sarah Jenkins, Charles Baum Distinguished Professor of Law at Bowen and the law school’s liaison with the University of Silesia.
Bowen led in the design of the curriculum for the first school year, which started in October 2015 and ended this July, and in negotiating and drafting of the terms of the collaboration. The 2015-16 curriculum included doctrinal and skills courses in preparation for a NITA styled Trial Advocacy course. These first classes focused on specific areas of U.S. law such as Evidence, Comparative Civil Procedure, Contracts, and Criminal Law. In addition to trial skills, the Polish participants studied U.S. Legal Analysis and Legal Writing, and specialized legal research in U.S. Criminal Law.
“The first group of students comprised of wide range of ages, personal and professional backgrounds, and previous international experiences,” said Associate Professor Jeff Woodmansee who taught Criminal Law Research in the program in the spring. “The students were interested in the substance of the class, but were equally curious about the U.S. legal education system and legal processes.” In addition to Professor Woodmansee, Bowen Professor Lyn Entrikin and Professor Emeritus Ken Gould taught in the program.
The program is comprised of 10 sessions, which take place once a month over a weekend. Each session is led by a professor from one of the three U.S. law schools who is an experienced teacher in a particular area of U.S. law. All classes are conducted in English and are held in Katowice, Poland, the home of the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Silesia.
“This opportunity extends Bowen’s brand far beyond the borders of Arkansas and the United States,” said Jenkins.
Professors from the three law schools fly to Poland to conduct their courses. They do not receive any payments for their work, but they do receive travel, room, and board expenses. “Silesia’s hosts made it a fantastic experience, and I was made to feel incredibly welcome from the moment I was met at the airport,” said Woodmansee.
Priority enrollment is given to upper-level University of Silesia law students, law practitioners, and post-graduate students. Participants in the program receive a certificate signed by the Deans of the four law schools acknowledging their completion of the program, if they attend 9 out of the 10 sessions. Recruitment is now underway for the 2016-2017 School Year.
