Dean's European Visit Expands Partnerships with Dublin, Cologne Law Schools

Dean Kevin R. Johnson and International Law Programs Director Beth Greenwood traveled to  Ireland and Germany June 20-26 to expand King Hall's highly successful partnerships with the University College Dublin School of Law and the University of Cologne School of Law.  The pair met with European LL.M. alumni, visited with students and faculty at the annual Summer International Commercial Law Seminar in Cologne, and discussed a set of exciting new initiatives with the Law School's European partners.

In Dublin, Dean Johnson and Director Greenwood met with University College Dublin School of Law Dean John Jackson and Professors Oonagh Breen and Marie Luce-Paris-Dobozy to discuss expansion of the partnership initiated after Professor Edward Imwinkelried's visit to Dublin in 2003.  Proposals emerged from the meeting to initiate a one-year LL.M. in European Union Law for King Hall students, expand the faculty exchange program, and explore the possibility of a cooperative Distance Education Lecture and Research Program. 

Traveling on to Cologne, Dean Johnson and Director Greenwood met with University of Cologne School of Law Dean Thomas Weigend and Professor Dr. Norbert Horn to discuss the potential for building on the already successful partnership between the two schools with new student and faculty exchange programs.  Dean Johnson and Director Greenwood also visited the  the 13th Summer International Commercial Law Seminar in Cologne, where Dr. Horn and Professor Andrea Bjorklund were teaching legal professionals from the United States, Finland, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, and several other countries.  Director Greenwood will explore the possibility of King Hall students participating in future seminars.

The visit to Cologne also included a dinner for LL.M. alumni from Germany and Switzerland.  Among the 22 attendees were LL.M students, and faculty including Professor Bjorklund, Hannah Buxbaum from Indiana University, Professor Horn, and Instructor Stefan Kroell.  Dean Johnson provided updates about King Hall and UC Davis and discussed plans to create a new scholarship fund for international law students. 

Dean Johnson and Director Beth Greenwood also met with Dieter Korten, a senior partner lawyer from an international law firm in Cologne and an International Commercial Law graduate, and Paolo Fabris, an International Commercial Law graduate from Torino, Italy, to discuss a possible conference at UC Davis on recent changes in European Union food laws related to wine and olive oil.  The working group is seeking support from private companies along with co-sponsorship from the United Nations, as well as involvement from the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science. 

Dieter Korten introduced Dean Johnson and Director Greenwood to Professor Dr. Winfried Pinger, a former 25-year member of the German Bundestag.  Dean Johnson and Dr. Pinger discussed their mutually shared vision for social justice tied to economic development, as well as King Hall's long-term dedication to public service.  As a result, Dr. Pinger has invited the Law School to submit a proposal to the Konrad Adenauer Foundation for a potential set of new activities related to social justice and economic development.        

Dean Johnson, who characterized the European journey as "an extremely busy and productive trip," has contributed an entry on his impressions  to the Dean's Blog on the King Hall website.

Dean's Blog entry

International Legal Studies at King Hall

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