The Internationalisation of Legal Education

This volume provides an overview of the state of internationalisation of legal education (IOLE) in many civil law and common law countries. It provides a picture of the status of the debate about the shape and degree of internationalisation in the curriculum in the different countries, and the debates surrounding the adoption of a more international approach to legal education in the contemporary world. 

It is a compilation of the National Reports submitted for the August 2014 Congress of the IACL held at Vienna, and contains an introductory general report. Together, the reports examine such questions as: Why is the topic of internationalization of legal education on the agenda now? Why is it a relevant subject for examination today? Does the topic generate the same level of interest everywhere in the world? Is enthusiasm for IOLE mainly driven by the academic sector, by government, by multinational corporations? Is the interest closely linked with the globalization of the practice of law? Or is globalisation of law itself something of a myth, or a reality reserved for only a very small percentage of practising lawyers around the world? 

The general and national reports make clear that there is indeed widespread interest in IOLE, and numerous disparate initiatives around the world. Nonetheless, some National Reporters state that the topic is simply not on the agenda at all. All in all, the volume shows that the approaches to internationalisation are many and varied, but every jurisdiction recognises the importance of introducing aspiring lawyers to a more integrated global environment. 

Part I General Report.- General Report; William van Caenegem and Christophe Jamin.- Part II National Reports.- Internationalisation, Globalisation and the Effect on Legal Education in Argentina; Monica Pinto.- Internationalising Legal Education in Belgium: Why Are We Doing It?; Anne-Lise Sibony.- The Natural Trend Towards Internationalisation in Cameroon; Maurice Kamga and Mekongo.- The Global Challenge in Common and Civil Law Contexts: A Canadian Perspective; Helge Dedek, H. Patrick Glenn and Aline Grenon.- Keeping Up with the Changing Legal Environment – A Report on Internationalisation of Legal Education in Finland; Tuomas Tiittala.- How International Should the German Einheitsjurist Be?; Michael Sturner.- Legal Education at a Turning Point - A Case Study of Hong Kong; Lin Feng.- Small Goes Global: The Internationalisation of Legal Education in Ireland; Marie-Luce Paris and Sandeep Gopolan.- The History and Importance of Comparative Law in Italy; Rodolfo Sacco and Alberto Gianola.- The Effects of Globalisation on Legal Education in Japan: The Reforms of 2004; Naoke Kanayama.- Towards a New Model of Legal Education: the Special Case of Luxembourg; Pascal Ancel.- The Internationalisation of Dutch Legal Education: Seeking a Balance Between Local Requirements, European Exigencies and International Perspectives; Aalt Willem Heringa.- Global Lawyers for a Global City: Legal Education in Singapore; Gary Bell.- Moving Towards an International Legal Education in Spain; Soledad Atienza.- Sweden – At the Cusp of Legal Internationalization; Henrik Forschamn and Laura Carlson.- The Globalization of Legal Education in Switzerland – Possibilities and Challenges; Alexander Morawa and Julia Wetzel.- On the Evolving and Dynamic Nature of UK Legal Education; David Marrani and Antonios Platsas.- Taking the Middle Road to IOLE in Uruguay; Nicolas Etcheverry.- IOLE in the UnitedStates: The Relationship between a Country’s Legal System and Its Legal Education; Frank Upham.- About the Authors.