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International & Comparative Law Program
Designed to educate future lawyers for practice in a global community, the FIU law school academic program emphasizes international and comparative law in three ways. First, the required curriculum includes a three-hour course entitled, Introduction to International and Comparative Law. This course will introduce students during the early stages of law school to public international law as well as comparative law. Exposure to the law of nations in the public international law component of the course will pose the critical jurisprudential question, “What is law?” Need “rules” or decisions resolving disputes be enforceable in order to be law? The comparative law component will compare and contrast the common law system that prevails in the United States with the civil law system employed in the great majority of the world’s nations. Second, all courses not otherwise of an international focus will devote several hours of instruction to a topic in a comparative law context. This pervasive approach to comparative law will encourage students to analyze legal systemic, political, economic, social and other cultural differences which may contribute to different legal treatment of comparable problems in different countries; and help students to develop a broad appreciation of the consequences involving choice of law for clients whose interests cross national boundaries. Third, the College of Law will offer a rich array of upper level electives in the International and Comparative Law areas. Introduction to International and Comparative Law At FIU, the standard curriculum has been modified to reflect the fact of globalization. Law schools are generally conservative in the first year with domestic judicial opinions constituting the core legal training since the late 19th century. This first year is the only part of legal education common to all U.S.-trained lawyers. Second and third years consist essentially of elective courses. Requiring Introduction to International and Comparative Law in the first year demonstrates FIU’s commitment to international legal studies. This new course introduces students, during the early stages of law school, to public international law as well as to comparative law. Exposure to the law of nations in the international component of the course poses critical jurisprudential questions on the nature of law, the role of enforceability, and the prospects for constructing an international society. The comparative component compares and contrasts the common law system that prevails in the United States to civil law systems, especially as they have evolved in Latin America. Together the course provides the foundation for later advanced study in these and other topics as part of the upper level curriculum. Upper-Level International and Comparative Curriculum FIU law students have the benefit of a wide selection of upper-level international and comparative law courses. Discussion of international issues is present throughout the entire curriculum. Specialized offerings, however, focus on advanced topics of international and comparative law. They may address specific questions of international governance, transnational dimensions of particular legal issues, or they may cover national and supra-national regulation in other parts of the world. Below is a sample list of these courses, some of which may be offered in any one year:
International Student Exchanges
ICLP makes available several exchange opportunities, specifically for law students, at some of these institutions. Students may apply for one semester abroad in either their second or third year of law study. Students must be in good academic standing at the law school and must be fluent in the language of the host country. An examination of foreign language proficiency is required Students will be awarded a maximum of 15 credit hours toward their J.D. degree for academic work successfully completed at an approved foreign institution. A minimum final grade of C or its equivalent is required for transfer credit. Information on specific program requirements is available at the ICLP office, RDB 2061. Visiting Researcher Program The College of Law welcomes a number of visiting researchers each year, in conjunction with FIU’s Center for the Administration of Justice. Individuals with a specific research project are invited to benefit from the College of Law’s library and faculty resources. Visiting researchers are typically doctoral students from other disciplines or other countries, U.S. or foreign law professors in the early part of their careers, and practitioners working on international or comparative law-related research projects. Candidates to the visiting researcher program must obtain the support of a permanent law faculty member working in their academic field. Applicants must submit a detailed research proposal of no longer than five pages to the Director of ICLP. A letter from the faculty member, agreeing to act as advisor, and the candidate’s curriculum vitae must accompany the proposal. Applications will be considered throughout the academic year. Please mail to ICLP, FIU College of Law, RDB 2061, Miami, Florida 33199 or fax to (305) 348-2282. Latin American Visiting Professorship The College of Law plans to extend invitations to one distinguished law professor from Latin America each year. The Latin American Visiting Professor will teach one course each semester in his or her area of expertise. Appointments will be made with a view to enriching the teaching of Latin American and inter-American law at FIU. Visiting Professors will be expected to present their research and ideas to the law faculty and to the extended University community at least once during their stay. They will be provided access to all College of Law and University facilities for research and scholarship. Office space will be provided within the College of Law. Appointments will be made from a list of nominations submitted by members of the law faculty to the ICLP Selection Committee. Deans from other academic departments at the University may also submit nominations. Only well established academics with a prominent record of teaching and publication will be considered. Individuals interested in being considered should direct their inquiries to the Director of ICLP, RDB 2062, (305) 348-8343. Summer Study Abroad The College of Law makes available a number of summer study abroad opportunities to its students. Students are awarded a maximum of six (6) credit hours for study in an approved summer study abroad program. In most cases, English is the language of instruction in these programs. Programs offered in a language other than English require host country language proficiency. An examination of foreign language proficiency is required. A minimum final grade of C or its equivalent is required for transfer credit At this time, FIU conducts one summer study program in Seville, Spain. Additionally, several well-established summer programs at other law schools are recommended for FIU law students. A current list is available at the ICLP office, RDB 2062. Joint Degree Programs Two joint degree programs with an international focus are offered by the College of Law: the joint Masters of Latin American and Caribbean Studies (J.D./MALACS) program and the joint Masters of International Business (J.D./MIB) program. The J.D./MALACS program combines an advanced degree in Latin American studies together with law training. Students in this program satisfy their M.A. concentration in the College of Law’s International and Comparative Law curriculum. Reciprocally, nine (9) transfer credits are accepted from the department of Latin American and Caribbean Studies toward the J.D. degree. It is expected that students complete both degrees, on a full-time basis, over the course of four years. The J.D./MIB program combines a graduate-level, international business specialization with a degree to practice law. Students in this program satisfy their Business Law requirement and six other credits in the MIB program from the law school’s International and Comparative Law curriculum. Reciprocally, nine (9) transfer credits are accepted from the M.I.B. curriculum toward the J.D. degree. It is expected that students complete both degrees, on a full-time basis, over the course of four years. For more information on either of these programs, please contact the Associate Dean of the College of Law or the respective program director for either the Latin American and Caribbean Studies or the Masters in International Business. Advisory Board The International and Comparative Law Programs Advisory Board consists of some of the most prominent attorneys practicing international law in the Miami area as well as internationally-focused faculty from across the University. The Board is selected by the College of Law to serve a two-year term. Its members advise on international course offerings and the law school’s international programs. Their input allows the law school to design cutting-edge courses and programs providing our students the skills they will need upon graduation. The members of the International Advisory Board for the 2006-2007 year are as follows:
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As a university, FIU has long been committed to globalism and has achieved particular distinction in the social sciences and its international programs, centers and institutes. The FIU College of Law curriculum builds on this foundation of expertise by recognizing that the practice of law is becoming increasingly globalized. The law school has formulated a curriculum for the twenty-first century that emphasizes international and comparative law while at the same time maintaining a core academic program that will prepare students for traditional law practice.
FIU has developed a number of partnerships with universities throughout the world: Universidad de Belgrano, Argentina;Victoria University of Technology, Australia; Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil; Universidad Diego Portales, Chile; Universidad Javeriana, Colombia; Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador; Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), France; Universität Gesamthochschule Kassel, Germany; Kansai Gaidai University, Japan; Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico.