Academic Programs
Madrid, Spain
June 24 – July 16, 2013
DePaul University College of Law invites you to participate in an exciting summer law program in Madrid, Spain. Over the past 20 years, Spain has become one of the most prosperous and advanced member states of the European Union. Its capital city of Madrid is one of Europe’s most vibrant and stylish cities combining the cultural and historical grandeur of Spain’s medieval and imperial past with some of the most exciting modern architecture, museums and nightlife in the European Union. Spain’s beautiful cities, including Barcelona, Seville, Toledo and Segovia; the sunny beaches of the Mediterranean seashore; the stunning rugged cliffs of Galicia; and the elegant resort area of San Sebastian can be quickly reached by high-speed rail.
Educational Program
DePaul’s host institution, Universidad Pontificia Comillas, is Spain's highest-ranked private law school. The university is conveniently located in the Chamberi District in the heart of Madrid, within easy walking distance of public transportation.
Curriculum: The program offers three courses on the theory and practice of European law:
- European Business & Commercial Law
(2 credit hours) - European Labor & Employment Law
(1 credit hour) - European Human Rights Law
(2 credit hours)
This course will provide a solid overview of the fundamental institutions and legal norms regulating business transactions, including trade and investment, within the world’s second most powerful economic market, the European Union. Close attention will be paid to the legal issues that foreign companies, including American ones, must address when doing business in, or with, entities in the European Union. The course will examine the political and economic aspects of European history and culture that shape EU business and commercial law, and will challenge students to think critically about the complex legal dimensions of international business transactions in Europe.
Text: Ralph H. Folsom, PRINCIPLES OF EUROPEAN UNION LAW, 2d ed. (2010)
This course serves as an introduction to several key labor and employment law issues within the European Union. Its principal focus will be on anti-discrimination law, positive action, equality, and the free movement of persons across national borders. Comparisons of norms and institutions with existing United States law on these questions will be drawn where appropriate as a means of enhancing analysis and understanding.
Text: Catherine Barnard, EC EMPLOYMENT LAW, 3d ed. (2006)
This course will provide a comprehensive understanding of the world’s most advanced transnational human rights legal system: the European Union’s complex network of legal norms, institutions, and practices for the protection of human rights. Specifically, the course will focus on the European Covenant on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the European Court on Human Rights (often known as "the Strasbourg Court"), and the highly sophisticated jurisprudence on human rights that these institutions have developed over the past three decades, placing Europe squarely at the forefront of new developments in human rights law throughout the world. The course readings will span a number of decisions by the European Court of Human Rights on key human rights protections, and every class will feature at least one thorough discussion of a particularly salient human rights issue addressed by the Court.
Text: Mark Janis, Richard Kay, Anthony Bradley, EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS LAW, 3d ed. (2008)
Classes are conducted in English and meet in modern classrooms on campus.
ABA-Approved Credits: The program is accredited by the American Bar Association and participants earn five (5) credit hours upon successful completion of all required coursework. Acceptance of credit or grade for any course taken in the program is subject to determination by each student’s home school.
Tours: The program includes a number of tours of Spanish legal, business and political institutions, including the Constitutional Court, parliament, the stock exchange, several global law firms and one of the top 10 global banks headquartered in Madrid.
Students: To facilitate interaction between U.S. and European law students, a number of Universidad Pontifica Comillas students who are fluent in English participate in classes and extracurricular activities.
Photo by Marina Quinones marina.mentalsys@gmail.com
