National Jurist - March 2009 - (Page 18) Globalizing law Casebooks by the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law are garnering attention for their innovative approach to international studies ven if American attorneys never step outside of the United States, they may need to have a global viewpoint. What about an attorney with a client who was injured using machinery made in Taiwan? Who’s responsible By Rebecca Larsen and who can the client sue? Or what about public defenders who have immigrants as clients? How would clients’ rights differ from those of Americans? Those are the types of cases that today’s law students may eventually face, according “Of course, you can’t touch on all to a professor who recently helped launched a new the issues and all the laws. But approach to international students need to be aware of these studies at The University of the Pacific, McGeorge situations ” — Franklin Gevurtz, director School of Law in of the McGeorge Center for Global Business Sacramento. The program and Development is now attracting the interest of other schools using global casebooks developed by McGeorge. “Law schools have always had international programs,” said Franklin Law School, have a one-week intersession Gevurtz, professor and director of the course in global issues between the first McGeorge Center for Global Business and second semesters of first-year law. and Development. “They have traditional “We decided to introduce global issues overseas programs or electives, but most pervasively throughout the curriculum,” students are not exposed to internation- Gevurtz said. “We don’t want to separate al comparative law. Of course, you can’t it out.” touch on all the issues and all the laws. After getting advice from experts in the But students need to be generally aware of field, McGeorge began developing global these situations so that when they research curriculum materials and training mancase law, they know where to get started.” uals for instructors that could integrate Until now, law schools have used international studies into as many classes two general approaches to global stud- as possible. A series of casebooks, pubies, said John McIntyre, assistant dean for lished by Thomson West, was launched in marketing at McGeorge. Some, like the 2006. The books are used as simultaneous University of Michigan Law School, supplements in classes on principles of offer a one-semester concentrated course U.S. law. They can also be used as texts in examining all aspects of international standalone classes. law. Others, like Georgetown University There are 15 global casebooks so far 18 THE NATIONAL JURIST March 2009 being used by dozens of schools around the nation, besides McGeorge. Topics include employment law, civil procedure, constitutional law, family law, labor law, property issues and employment discrimination. Schools using the books include: Brooklyn Law School, Drake University School of Law, Fordham University School of Law, Lewis & Clark Law School, University of Alabama School of Law, and many more. Christina Miller, a first-year student at McGeorge, holds dual citizenship in the United States and England. “Global studies were very helpful in property law and torts,” she said. “It was useful to me to find out that a lot of our law concerning patents and copyrights comes from English law.”
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