wmitchell.eduImmigration and Human Rights • Issues in International Patent Law • Global Issues in Contract Law • Cross Cultural Negotiations and Dispute Resolution
Jennifer.Miller @wmitchell.edu
651-290-6314
This summer, immerse yourself in issues of critical global importance in one of the world’s leading centers of business, trade, government, and research.
Taking its cues from William Mitchell College of Law’s practical brand of legal education, Mitchell in London offers students the opportunity to study legal theory and hone their lawyering skills.
Exceptional Courses
June 18–27, 2013
Choose one of these two courses.
Session I—Immigration and Human Rights
This practical, hands-on course will teach students how to handle immigration cases that involve various human rights/victims’ rights/civil rights issues, administratively before USCIS, the Immigration Court, and in US Federal Court. Specific types of relief covered will include: affirmative and defense Asylum/Withholding/Convention Against Torture (CAT), T-visas for victims of human trafficking, U-visas for victims of crime, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) applications, and Bivens actions filed against government officials for human rights and constitutional violations. Students will study relevant current law and procedures and will learn the nuts and bolts of assembling persuasive applications with appropriate exhibits, writing an administrative brief in support of relief or petition, and developing oral advocacy skills in conjunction with asylum interviews and arguments before the immigration and federal district courts. Taught by Professor Naomi Jiyoung Bang, South Texas College of Law. 2 credits.
Session I—The Quest for a Global Patent: Issues in International Patent Law
International patent law has been a subject of considerable importance–and controversy–ever since the start of the Industrial Revolution. The objective of this course will be to explore the development of the current international patent law framework and to examine a few of the issues, including patent law harmonization, the expanding scope of patentable technology, and the impact of patents on economic development that have fueled the controversy around the world. Given that few of the students in the class will possess any knowledge of patent law, the briefings and team discussion will begin with a brief overview of patent law basics. The briefings will then look at the most important multilateral patent law treaties from a primarily historical and policy-focused perspective and will provide a basic understanding of some of the issues plaguing international patent law today. The class teams will critique the treaties, negotiate new provisions where the old ones seem inadequate, and debate questions such as: should genes be patented; should there be a universal patent; and should developing countries have the right to bend the patent rules. By the end of the session, the students should have acquired not only a rudimentary knowledge of international patent law, but also an understanding of some of the historical and policy implications that make the resolution of the current issues so complex. Taught by Professor Jay Erstling, William Mitchell College of Law. 2 credits.
July 1–12, 2013
Choose one of these two courses.
Session II—Global Issues in Contract Law
This course will introduce students to principles needed to represent clients who do business in a global environment–an increasingly common phenomenon in modern practice. The course takes a comparative approach to contract law, comparing U.S. contract law with that of certain European countries and the Principles of International Commercial Contracts (UNIDROIT Principles). Much of the course will focus on comparing the Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) and the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). Because some students may not have had in-depth UCC coverage in their introductory contracts course, the course will provide sufficient UCC background to make useful comparisons between the approaches. This course is an important one for the students, given the increasing globalization of commerce, as their future business clients will very likely be involved in international transactions. Taught by Professor Jean Fleming Powers, South Texas College of Law. 2 credits.
Session II—Cross Cultural Negotiations and Dispute Resolution
This highly interactive course examines negotiation and conflict resolution theory and practice in a cross-cultural context. A variety of readings, exercises and role-plays will be employed to encourage rigorous analysis of alternative dispute resolution concepts as applied across cultures and critical assessment of the application of these concepts in practice. Topics to be covered include conflict and negotiation theory, theories of culture, power imbalances, and variation in the lawyer’s role at all stages of negotiation and dispute resolution, especially in foreign cultures. Students will participate in exercises and simulations focusing on various elements of these complex processes. Students are required to actively participate in all sessions of the course and will be assessed on their ability to strategize and evaluate their efforts at applying the course concepts and materials. Taught by Professor Eileen Scallen, William Mitchell College of Law. 2 credits.
See calendar below for course times.
Course Format
The London courses are comprised of a combination of class discussion and extensive small group break-out sessions that require hands-on practical application of topics under discussion.
The Papers
Students will be awarded a letter grade on an A-F scale based on criteria announced by each faculty member. In lieu of a final examination, students will prepare a final written long paper (up to sixteen double spaced pages) for each course. Papers for both courses are due Friday, August 9, 2013. Acceptance of any credit or grade for any course taken in the program is subject to determination by the participant’s home school. It is unlikely that participation in a foreign summer program may be used to accelerate graduation. Students interested in acceleration should consult their home schools to review this issue in light of ABA Standard 304, Interpretation 304-4.
Course Calendar
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Session I—Immigration and Human Rights OR International Patent Law | ||||||
| 16 | 17 | 18 10 am–2 pm class* 4-5 pm Pub Reception |
19 10 am–2 pm class |
20 10 am–2 pm class |
21 10 am–2 pm class |
22 |
| 23 | 24 10 am–2 pm class |
25 10 am–2 pm class 2:30-4:30 London Walks legal visit |
26 10 am–2 pm class |
27 10 am–2 pm class |
28 | 29 |
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Session II - Global Issues in Contract Law OR Cross Cultural Negotiation and Dispute Resolution | ||||||
| 30 | 1 10 am–2 pm class |
2 10 am–noon class 12:30–2 pm–Lunch at Inns of Court 2:30–4:30 class |
3 10 am–2:00pm class |
4 10 am–2 pm class |
5 | 6 |
| 7 | 8 | 9 10 am–2 pm class |
10 10 am–2 pm class |
11 10 am–2 pm class |
12 10 am–2 pm class 4-5 pm Pub Reception |
13 |
| * There will be a 30–45 minute lunch break each day of the program. | ||||||