Academic Programs

Madrid, Spain

June 20 - July 14, 2010

DePaul University College of Law invites you to participate in an exciting summer law program in Madrid, Spain. The program will focus on European human rights law, European business and commercial law, and European labor and employment law. Our host institution, the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, is one of the leading law schools in Spain. The university is conveniently located in the Chamberi District in the heart of Madrid, within easy walking distance of public transportation.

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 the high-speed rail system.

Educational Program

Curriculum: Students will receive credit for completing the following courses:

• European Human Rights Law
  (2 credit hours)

  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: Janis, Kay, Bradley, EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS LAW (3d ed. 2008).

• European Business & Commercial 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: Folsom, PRINCIPLES OF ERUROPEAN UNION LAW, supplemented by cases, statutes and other materials.

• European Labor & Employment Law
  (1 credit hour)

  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: Barnard, EC EMPLOYMENT LAW (3d ed. 2006).

Several distinguished members of the law faculty at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas also will lecture on specialized topics in European law during the program.

Classes are conducted in English and meet in modern classrooms on campus.

ABA-Approved Credits: The program is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and participants will earn five (5) credit hours upon successful completion of all 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, a major law firm, and one of the top 10 global banks headquartered in Madrid.

Students: Due to enrollment limits, students are encouraged to apply early. To facilitate interaction between U.S. and European law students, a number of Spanish law students, who are fluent in English, participate in classes and extracurricular activities.

Admission: Admission to the program is open to students who have completed at least one year of full-time or part-time study in good standing at an accredited law school. Each student must provide a letter of good standing from their home school.