|
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.
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.
Professor Jorge L. Esquirol
Director
|
