Study Abroad Program in Curaçao Continues to Experience Record Enrollment

Hofstra Law School, Hempstead, N.Y. — Boasting the highest enrollment in its nine year history, the Comparative and International Law program in Curaçao included 88 law students from across the world - an increase of 20 students from last year.  Curaçao, part of The Netherlands Kingdom, is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea.

"International education is the cutting edge of law studies," said Hofstra Law Dean Nora V. Demleitner. "Students from around the world are taking notice of Hofstra Law's success in this field, thereby driving attention to, and enrollment in, the Curaçao program."

Hofstra Law School, the University of Baltimore School of Law and Erasmus University Rotterdam sponsor the Curaçao program, which is hosted by The University of the Netherlands Antilles.  The program features law faculty from each of the sponsor schools and ran this academic year from December 17, 2010 through January 8, 2011.  This year's faculty taught courses titled "Transnational Crimes and Comparative Extradition," "Regulation of International Markets," and "Introduction to the Economic Law of the European Union for Non EU-Lawyers."

"The Curaçao program is growing in popularity," said Hofstra Law School Assistant Dean for Global Initiatives & Multicultural Affairs Jeffrey A. Dodge, who traveled to Curaçao to administer the program.  "For the second year in a row, we had to turn people away - even after increasing the space capacity. In the coming years, I expect even more law students from across the world to be attracted to the study abroad program." 

The roster included students from Hofstra Law School, University of Baltimore School of Law, Southwestern Law School, University of North Carolina School of Law, University of Montana School of Law, and the University of Georgia School of Law, to name a few.  One student from the University of Netherlands Antilles also participated.

Curaçao is an interesting and legally relevant location to host a legal study abroad program.  The Dutch settlers in Curaçao were the founders of New York City as we know it today - a thriving trade and business city.  Curaçao gained self-government on January 1, 1954 as an island territory of the Netherlands Antilles. Despite this, the islanders did not fully participate in the political process until after the social movements of the late 1960s. Recently, the political status of the island changed in regards to the relationship with the Netherlands and between the islands of the Antilles.

Additionally, Hofstra University was established as a result of a large bequest by the estate of Kate Mason. Ms. Mason was the second wife of lumber magnate William S. Hofstra, a Dutch American.

The three-week intensive program is approved by the American Bar Association.  In addition to the Curaçao program, Hofstra Law School offers study abroad programs in Germany and Italy.  The school is also a founding member of the European-American Consortium for Legal Education (EACLE).  Under the EACLE program, Hofstra Law students take advantage of exchange programs at Finland's Helsinki University, The Netherlands' Erasmus University Rotterdam, Italy's University of Parma and Belgium's Ghent University.  Visit law.hofstra.edu/International.

Hofstra Law was recognized on preLaw magazine's annual "Where to Study International Law" list.