FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 28, 2012
Hofstra Law Is the First American Law School to Seek ABA Accreditation for
Study Abroad in Cuba, Ecuador
Study Abroad in Cuba, Ecuador
Hempstead, N.Y. — In response to the U.S. government’s recent lifting of the ban on educational travel to Cuba, the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University has established a Cuba Field Study program to be conducted in Havana during the Law School’s spring break.
Approximately 30 students will participate in the Cuba Field Study: Export Laws and Export Controls, which will run from March 31-April 7. Participating students will stay at the Hotel Ambos Mundos, and classes will be held at the National Museum of Fine Arts of Havana, the former Supreme Court of Justice building, in Old Town Havana.
“Hofstra Law is excited to be one of the first law schools to take advantage of the government’s endorsement of educational exchange with Cuba, and we hope that our program will provide students with an academically and culturally enriching experience,” said Hofstra Law Dean Nora V. Demleitner. “This expansion of our study abroad offerings also responds to the complexities of the legal field which increasingly demands future lawyers to be prepared for an ever more interconnected world.”
According to the American Bar Association (ABA), Hofstra Law is the first American law school to seek accreditation from the ABA for a study abroad program in Cuba. An ABA inspector will be onsite during the field study to ensure that the program meets all standards set forth for foreign-program accreditation.
“Students have a limited amount of time to soak up as many educational experiences in law school as they can,” said Jeffrey Dodge, assistant dean for global initiatives & multicultural affairs. “Trade regulations between the United States and other countries can change quickly, and as a result there is an increased need for law school graduates to be able to navigate the complex waters of U.S. export laws and controls on behalf of international business clients.”
The Cuba Field Study will be taught by Assistant Professor Juli Campagna, who has studied, practiced and taught law in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Campagna will draw on her background in international business and transactional law to teach students about such U.S. laws as the Export Administration Act, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the amendments to IEEPA pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Enhancement Act. Students will also learn the key licensing provisions and procedures of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and examine the Trading With the Enemy Act.
“Hofstra Law’s Cuba Field Study is a unique opportunity for students to gain practical legal knowledge as well as to experience a culture that is vastly different from that of a more traditional study abroad program,” said Campagna. “Most of our students have never been to a Communist country before, and the cultural differences between the U.S. and Cuba certainly will add another dimension to their learning experience.”
Demleitner, Campagna and Dodge traveled to Cuba last year as part of a government-sponsored education mission to explore educational exchange opportunities there. This new program is a direct outgrowth of that visit, and as a result of her experience on the ground in Cuba, Campagna has organized a series of field trips and guest lecturers as part of the course.
Hofstra Law is also offering a new Ecuador Field Study: Special issues in International Environmental Law in Otavalo during the upcoming spring break. In this program, students will learn about special issues in international law, such as climate change policy responses, protection of forests and the role transnational corporations play in the creation and resolution of international environmental challenges. Students will also learn about topics specific to Ecuador, such as the high-profile litigation against Chevron for alleged environmental and social harms in Ecuador’s Amazon region, and the rights given to nature in the new Ecuadorian constitution. The course will be taught by Carol Casazza Herman ’84, the visiting practitioner-in-residence in environmental law.
Approximately 30 students will participate in the Cuba Field Study: Export Laws and Export Controls, which will run from March 31-April 7. Participating students will stay at the Hotel Ambos Mundos, and classes will be held at the National Museum of Fine Arts of Havana, the former Supreme Court of Justice building, in Old Town Havana.
“Hofstra Law is excited to be one of the first law schools to take advantage of the government’s endorsement of educational exchange with Cuba, and we hope that our program will provide students with an academically and culturally enriching experience,” said Hofstra Law Dean Nora V. Demleitner. “This expansion of our study abroad offerings also responds to the complexities of the legal field which increasingly demands future lawyers to be prepared for an ever more interconnected world.”
According to the American Bar Association (ABA), Hofstra Law is the first American law school to seek accreditation from the ABA for a study abroad program in Cuba. An ABA inspector will be onsite during the field study to ensure that the program meets all standards set forth for foreign-program accreditation.
“Students have a limited amount of time to soak up as many educational experiences in law school as they can,” said Jeffrey Dodge, assistant dean for global initiatives & multicultural affairs. “Trade regulations between the United States and other countries can change quickly, and as a result there is an increased need for law school graduates to be able to navigate the complex waters of U.S. export laws and controls on behalf of international business clients.”
The Cuba Field Study will be taught by Assistant Professor Juli Campagna, who has studied, practiced and taught law in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Campagna will draw on her background in international business and transactional law to teach students about such U.S. laws as the Export Administration Act, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the amendments to IEEPA pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Enhancement Act. Students will also learn the key licensing provisions and procedures of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and examine the Trading With the Enemy Act.
“Hofstra Law’s Cuba Field Study is a unique opportunity for students to gain practical legal knowledge as well as to experience a culture that is vastly different from that of a more traditional study abroad program,” said Campagna. “Most of our students have never been to a Communist country before, and the cultural differences between the U.S. and Cuba certainly will add another dimension to their learning experience.”
Demleitner, Campagna and Dodge traveled to Cuba last year as part of a government-sponsored education mission to explore educational exchange opportunities there. This new program is a direct outgrowth of that visit, and as a result of her experience on the ground in Cuba, Campagna has organized a series of field trips and guest lecturers as part of the course.
Hofstra Law is also offering a new Ecuador Field Study: Special issues in International Environmental Law in Otavalo during the upcoming spring break. In this program, students will learn about special issues in international law, such as climate change policy responses, protection of forests and the role transnational corporations play in the creation and resolution of international environmental challenges. Students will also learn about topics specific to Ecuador, such as the high-profile litigation against Chevron for alleged environmental and social harms in Ecuador’s Amazon region, and the rights given to nature in the new Ecuadorian constitution. The course will be taught by Carol Casazza Herman ’84, the visiting practitioner-in-residence in environmental law.
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The Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University prepares passionate students to make an impact in their communities and beyond. Accredited by the American Bar Association and ranked in the top 100 law schools nationwide, Hofstra Law is located on the campus of Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. Along with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree program, the Law School offers Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree programs in American Legal Studies (for foreign law graduates) and Family Law.
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