Young Academics and American Law Studies

Contribute to this program
CILS Benefactors Inc. provides travel grants to young 
scholars from throughout Eastern Europe and the former
republics of the Soviet Union to enable them to join the
annual seminar for American lawyers in Salzburg, Austria.

Paulina Wójcik, Catholic University of Lublin

I work in the Center for American Law at the Catholic University of John Paul II in Lublin, Poland. The Center has agreement with CILS , thanks to which we can host/entertain Visiting Professor from the United States. In March 2009 I took part in Senior Lawyer Orientation Program in Salzburg. I belonged to the group of young scholars who had opportunity to present their own universities and local communities. This was a really great experience for me. Mainly because I was able to met with successful lawyers who are interested to come to Poland and want to teach American Law. It is good idea to invite such scholars because they can give visiting professors information about place they want to go straight from the horse's mouth. We’ve been forced to loads of questions during the day – from early breakfast till late meetings which took place informally in gorgeous cafes in Salzburg or in hotel library. They asked about every detail of teaching style, country culture and people. And I really enjoyed this, beside the fact that after one day there I had my thoughts in English! 

But I think that this is one of many advantages of stay in Seminar. Hope all questions given to participants were helpful and satisfactory. Not to praise too much, I could say that many times they expressed their gratitude for our job. As far as organization issues are concerned, I can say that everything was perfect. Accommodation , food and hotel equipment were very good. I’ve received helpful information from conference organizers as well as from hotel service. Sessions has been planned very well – duration of lectures, presentations and coffee breaks were suitable. One thing I would like to hint are travel expenses. Personally, I am of the opinion that it could be very nice to supply young academics with travel grants.  

Although Salzburg is situated almost in the heart of Europe, however scholars come from different parts so travel might cost too much for them, especially when they do not earn such amount of money that could spend easily on this. The participation is for them like an award – so why not make promotion of their universities easier for them. I am really grateful that I was able to participate in Salzburg Orientation Program organized by the CILS. Hope this event will last for long time as it brings many benefits for European Universities as well as gives new experience to American Lawyers.

Daria Kolesnikova, Herzen State Pedagogical University 

The general sessions bearing the theme of 'Legal Systems of Eastern Europe and the CIS ' and Regional Briefings have been most helpful and educative for me. So I had a possibility to communicate directly with law experts, to listen very interesting orators, to discuss actual questions concerning mutual relations between the United States, Russia and Europe. Besides that, I have got acquainted with young colleagues from east Europe with which we intensively communicated and discussed the further joint projects.

Of course it only remains for me to submit my humble gratitude for the Center for International Legal Studies sponsorship of my participation and my sincere congratulations to the organizers who have made tremendous efforts to ensure the success of their endeavor, including looking at all the details; and the wonderful place Schloss Leopoldskron, piano concert's and the glorious food that was served. I am sure this “labour of love” put in by even the many sub-committee members has not escaped the notice of all the conferees as they enjoyed their hectic week.

Sander Kärson, University of Tartu 

My visit to Salzburg in order to participate in the program “Visiting Professorship for Senior Lawyers” took place in the beginning of February in 2008. I was invited as a young scholar and my task was during the stay to introduce my country and university and give a small speech about studying in the University of Tartu, my home university. I find that my stay and participation in the program in Salzburg was highly beneficial to the senior lawyers from the US and Australia as all those hundreds of questions which they had about their visits to some of the law schools in the Eastern Europe got their answer. I believe and hope that the image of Eastern-Europe as a “dark place” where you have to ship all the food and other things necessary for living was changed. Instead the participants got even more excited about their visit.  

The visit was a great opportunity also for me to learn about practicing lawyers from the common law legal system. I was amazed by their skills of giving speeches and having disputes. These are the skills which are at least in my home country not trained during the studies in the law schools. My stay in Salzburg showed that it must be changed. I still find at least several of the participants to be a fine example of an excellent professional who can be a great source of inspiration for young lawyers as I am. My visit also taught to me how important is to share experience and knowledge also with other young lawyers – it is interesting and helpful in our professional life at the same time. Especially if we live in globalized world. I left Salzburg full of ideas and inspiration to proceed with my studies and work.

Tamás Fézer, University of Debrecen 

In January 2006, the Center For International Legal Studies (CILS) invited me to join the first orientation program of their new program called the Senior Lawyers Program. As the coordinator of this program at the University of Debrecen Faculty of Law it was most important for me to get first hand information about the project. I attended all seminars and lectures given for the future American visiting professors.  

The one week long orientation was not only an excellent professional occasion to see what CILS emphasizes the most for American lecturers in Central and Eastern Europe but a great opportunity of networking and having conversation with professors assigned to teach in Hungary. In between the lectures and seminars we formed a “Hungarian group” with these professors and spent hours with talking. In my opinion these informal meetings and conversations between representatives (scholars) of the host universities and visiting professors are truly relevant additional factors of these orientation programs in Salzburg. 

American professors highly appreciated these occasions. On the other hand my presence in Salzburg helped me and my university a lot in preparing for the program. I got a certain idea on how to treat the course the American visitors would give for our students and what to expect. Although CILS always puts us in contact far before the American visiting professors arrive in Hungary, this personal experience in Salzburg made the purpose of the program and the needs and expectations of the professors very clear for me. I am sure Senior Lawyers Program would not be as successful and highly evaluated both for the American professors and my university without my visit to Salzburg. CILS covered the cost of lodging and meals for me in Salzburg and my university gave me support for traveling to Salzburg.