MAKING A
GLOBAL Students and faculty at Leipzig, Germany
Miami Law Around the World: Global Perspective. Global Connections. By Carlos Harrison and Vaishali Desai
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eyond its regional influence, the University of Miami School of Law has truly global reach and impact. It not only enjoys the inspiration of an international cadre of professors and students who bring their expertise, culture, and language to the Coral Gables campus, but it also leaves its continuing imprint upon the world through scores of transnational legal programs and a worldwide network of graduates and scholars. Its alumni work in law firms, corporations, governments, and universities in more than 90 countries, on every continent except Antarctica. They include ambassadors, a prime minister, deans of some of the most prestigious law schools, and counsel at leading legal enterprises, corporations, and the United Nations. Its professors participate in exchange programs and as experts and consultants in Europe, South America, and Asia; and have been called upon to advise leaders, settle international disputes, and negotiate tax and other treaties between the United States and 43 countries. Its students learn about differences in culture and differences in the law, in international exchange
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programs in Belgium, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Spain, and Switzerland—with more on the way. LawWithoutWalls (LWOW) connects Miami Law with colleges in 12 countries, on five continents, and across 19 time-zones. International externships, International Moot Court, and HOPE fellowships give students hands-on and, often, eye-opening experience in all corners of the globe. It is impossible in this short space to profile every one of the 87 alumni in Germany, the 48 in Thailand, the 27 in Brazil, the 12 in Libya, or the hundreds of others working and making a difference across the planet. It is just as hard to give an inclusive accounting of all of the law school’s international educational opportunities, or to list every one of the multinational endeavors its faculty takes part in. But join us as we take a globehopping overview of the University of Miami School of Law’s connections across the continents:
T
he first Europeans opened a trade route with Florida 500 years ago.
Today, the University of Miami School of Law continues the connection. “Miami changed me,” said Olga Rubel, LL.M. ’11 , who was born and raised in the Ukraine and came to Miami Law on a Fulbright Scholarship. “Miami is at the center between Latin America, Europe, and the Caribbean. The interaction with different cultures was a good idea for me.” Her fellow Ukrainian Kristina Klykova made the leap from student to Visiting Assistant Professor (VAP) after completing her Master of Laws degree. Klykova began teaching a new course on the European Union and NAFTA in the fall of 2013. “One of the reasons that I really wanted to come to Miami Law was the unique opportunity to teach,” she said. “I wanted to develop a course that really benefited the University by opening the door to educate lawyers who may specialize in this field, as well as help promote UM in a new area.” Previous VAP selectees include Germans Sandra Friedrich and Stefanie Kürpick, Cuban lawyer Joan Martinez Evora, and Colombian