A three-week program totaling 5 (semester) hours of ABA-approved credit. The one-week modules include:
- Public Law of the European Union: Taught by Professor Stephan Hobe of the University of Cologne, this course introduces students to the history of the EU, its constitutional structure, its sources of law, and current controversies.
- European Data Protection Law: Taught by Professor Karl-Nikolaus Peifer of the University of Cologne. Students will be introduced to the concepts of data protection as intellectual property concerns, the 2018 European Data Protection Regulation, and the ramifications for that Regulation for US business and law and the comparatively strong protection of data in Germany compared to the USA.
- Social Aspects of European Law: Taught by Professor Sophie Robin-Olivier of the University of Sorbonne. Students will learn how the functioning of the EU is meant to promote employment, adequate social protection, education, health, and inclusion. This course will examine these social aspects of EU law and the coordination and consolidation of social policy among member states.
- European Public Law: Taught by Professor Dr. Kirk Junker of the University of Cologne.
- German Law and Language: Taught by Professor Dorothee Landgraf in the Spring semester at Duquesne Kline School of Law, prior to travelling. This course provides an introduction to the German legal system, language, and culture. Specifically, the course will cover sources of German law, legal procedure, and legal structure, as well as introductory information on German language and culture. By comparison and contrast of the German legal system to the U.S. system, students can also expect to gain new perspectives on U.S. legal concepts. This course is designed to prepare students for participation in Duquesne Kline Law’s Cologne-based study-abroad summer program but is also open to other students interested in gaining an understanding of Germany’s basic legal framework and related legal culture.
In Cologne, classes will meet at the Institute for American Law on the campus of the University of Cologne, which is within walking distance to the city center. The classroom offers wireless access with a projector and screen, and holds up to 25 students. Visitors with disabilities can be accommodated.
In 2018, following the traditional divide in European legal education between public law and private law, the program offered a course in the public law of the European Union, which explained the legal status of the Union, its various branch institutions and the sources of law that it uses. This course was complimented with lectures that explored the reception of European Law in French Legal Practice which complemented the students site visits to the European Parliament and European Court of Justice. Students also studied European intellectual property. As the Greater Data Protection Regulation became EU law in May 2017, students also attended a course in the European Law of Data Protection in Business discussing the international legal implications of this significant regulation.
Class Schedule
Classes meet from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesdays through Fridays and on Mondays from 12:30 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. to maximize the free time of the students. Following the traditional divide in European legal education between public law and private law, students will study the public law of the European Union, which will explain the legal status of the Union, its various branch institutions and the sources of law that it uses.
Examination
Students will take a comprehensive written examination on the last day of class.
Student evaluation and grading are entirely within the discretion of Duquesne Kline School of Law of Duquesne University. Acceptance of any credit or grade given for the program is at the discretion of the student's home school.
Site Visits
In addition to the classroom program and time spent in Luxembourg and Paris, a number of cultural excursions in Germany are included at no extra cost, such as: a Rhine River cruise through the World Heritage site of wine valleys and more than 40 hilltop castles, the birth house museum of Beethoven in Bonn, a guided tour of the Augustusburg Palace at Bruhl Augustusburg Palace at Bruhl and visits to the local courts and city hall.
Optional Externships (1 Credit Value)
Upon successful completion of the three week course of study, a student may choose
to do practical training under the tutelage of a practicing lawyer in an international
law office which uses the English language to practice international law or American
law, and to demonstrate to the student the possibilities for employment in international
and foreign legal settings. As native English speakers and students of the common
law, students provide valuable service in reviewing and drafting legal documents,
attending meetings with clients and developing transactional and litigation strategies.
Externships may include law firms, industry, government or judicial chambers.
Externships in Europe will be awarded based upon a successful application and interview.
The interview will take place with Professor Kirk Junker.
Please submit your completed application to Prof.%20Katherine%20Norton.