By Chris Paulos
Thomas Jefferson School of Law
Summer Vacation! After the first year of law school, the very thought of some time away from the library or outside of the classroom seems too good to be true. However, many students come to the realization that summers in law school aren’t the “vacation” they once were.
Summer now represents the time between school years that provides numerous opportunities for students to take part in internship and study-abroad programs that create potent fodder for your resume and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. With this realization comes the conundrum of choosing between continuing your education in the classroom or sampling the real-word environment of an internship. This was the dilemma I faced last spring when deciding what to do with my summer.
Fresh out of my first year, was I going to find an internship or head off into the wild unknown to study the law in an exotic locale? Fetch coffee for free, or get lost in a foreign city? My word choice alone should tip you off to my selection and ultimately the decision was an easy one. In deciding to study abroad, several factors influenced my decision.
First, although the number of abroad programs can be somewhat overwhelming, there is a program to fit the needs of any student. Name a foreign country and chances are a law school hosts a specialized program there. From labor law in Mexico to art law in France, the opportunities are endless. The study of a particular field of law in geographic region that may be effected by that law is quite profound. You read and discuss issues amongst your peers and then explore the culture that surrounds you, seeing first hand the policy implications of the concepts you have learned.
Second, my goal was to pursue some areas of law outside of the 1L gauntlet and expand my foray into the law into specific subjects that had tickled my interest during the prerequisite classes of first year students. I coupled that goal with my curiosities of foreign cultures and interest in current world events. I had never been to Asia and with the 2008 Olympic Games approaching, I decided to head to Hangzhou, China to study International Business Transactions and World Trade Organization Law. The length and timing of that program gave rise to other abroad opportunities, and since I would already be halfway there, I registered for a comparative Entertainment and Media Law program in London, England. Here’s the low down.
Hangzhou, China. May 18 – June 7, 2008
Hosted by Thomas Jefferson School of Law, the International Business Law Program was as intense as it was enlightening. Hangzhou, with just over three million residents, is considered a smaller town in China, but is widely known for its beautiful Westlake area and awe inspiring garden parks. The program is conducted at the highly prestigious Zhejiang University Guanghua College of Law. An amazing campus forested by old growth trees and historic buildings, the school environment exudes a feeling of reverence for ancient knowledge. But one conversation with any of the students, with their prefect English and solid grasp on world events, will quickly show that the school has its eye on the future. The possibilities for the future of the law in China are endless. As businesses and joint ventures bridge the geographic gap created by the Pacific Ocean and political and cultural divides are minimized by programs like this, China’s legal system is taking shape, developing at light-speed, and using the western-style legal system as a road map when charting areas such as real and intellectual property, bankruptcy and arbitration.
The most rewarding aspect of this program was the participation of Chinese law students, lawyers and judges in the classroom. We were honored with lectures from the Honorable Jiang Huiling of the Supreme Court of China and Dr. Chen Ke, Esq., a prominent Shanghai attorney. The classroom contributions of our Chinese peers lead to revealing debates and heated exchanges, but ultimately forged solid friendships and professional ties for all of those involved.
One debate in a particular completely changed the way I viewed a legal issue. After seeing the prolific bootlegging and pirated movie businesses that exist in the markets of China, many of the American students in the World Trade Organization class questioned the Chinese’ commitment to their obligations under the TRIPS agreement. We understood that the Chinese government lets only about 50 foreign films into the country per year and we assumed that the rampant piracy was created by this restricted market along with either the inability to afford tickets to the films in theaters, or perhaps even a culturally ingrained indifference to intellectual property.
We were all silenced when one Chinese student bravely spoke out. He enlightened us all as he explained that the Chinese do respect copyrights and trademarks, but in a culture where everything in the media is strictly controlled, manipulated and censored by the national government. The only place for those who are hungry for the themes, stories, and ideals contained in American and other foreign films, is the black market. The men on the street that brazenly sold the latest films for pennies are actually providing media that have not been touched by the government. Such versions of these films give the Chinese a window to the world that had not been modified to suit the political needs of the national government. We stood corrected. Such dialogue is necessary to tackle these tough issues, and it was an amazing experience to be a small part of it.
I highly recommend this program for students who dare to challenge their worldview and enjoy completely immersing themselves in a foreign culture. This trip should be required for any student interested in International Business or Trade Law.
London, England. June 22 – July 25, 2008.
Hosted by Southwestern Law School, under the auspices of the Donald E. Biederman Entertainment and Media Law Institute, this five-week program offers participants a truly comparative academic and cultural experience. Classes are held in the shadow of British Museum at the Brunei Gallery of the University of London and include International Entertainment Law, International Art Law, International Comparative Media Law and International Sports Law.
London is the entertainment and media capital of Europe, and the 4-day school week allows students to take advantage of the various West End stage-plays, premier league football matches, countless museums, or numerous free Hyde Park Concerts. The close proximity of other European countries allowed for weekend trips to Scotland, Ireland, France, Belgium, Holland and even Turkey.
Again, the lessons on legal issues ranging from international taxation upon athletes and actors to the difference in the right to privacy in England versus the United States were compounded by trips to Wimbledon or a visit the Royal Courts of Justice. The highly publicized Mosley Trial was conducted during our program and students were able to see a typical British tabloid scandal play out before their eyes. Sports Law students were engaged in lessons about contract negotiations while Soccer star Ronaldo battled to be released from Manchester United. Other students were lucky enough to attend the London premiers of films like Hancock and The Dark Knight.
Perhaps the highlight of the trip was a weekend excursion to Brussels. Our group was invited to visit the European Union Parliament Building and learned the intricate process of passing directives for the EU members to adopt. The sheer logistics of gathering the political representatives and staff of 27 separate countries in Belgium on a monthly basis is staggering. The linguistic concerns alone will boggle one’s mind, and yet it seems to be working out for our European friends. Our visit was punctuated by the public vote held by Ireland to ratify the Lisbon Treaty that resulted in defeat. Witnessing such an event and listening to EU parliament representatives discuss the implications gave us a unique glimpse into the inner-workings of the one of the world’s largest political and economic alliances.
Personally, my experience in London provided me an opportunity to learn from some of the most knowledgeable and interesting professors I have ever encountered. My theory is that professors on abroad programs seem to be more dedicated, interested and invested in the subject matters they teach. So much, that they are willing to waive a summer holiday, uproot their lives and live amongst students in order to teach their respective classes.
In all, my summer abroad experience would take me around the world in just over 80 days; include seven countries, culminating in 10 credit hours, and countless stories. I am confident the experiences, friendships, lessons, and memories I gathered along the way could not have been achieved through the typical summer internship. Admittedly, work experience and business connections are achieved through gopher work and water cooler conversations, but hey, I have next Summer for that! Besides, 60-hour workweeks and all the rest of life’s surprises will likely prevent me from ever having the opportunity to travel like this again! If you find yourself wondering what to do this next summer, consider getting out of the country!
