Don’t go to London.
Not unless you want to delight in a city that is a cool concoction of awe-inspiring architectural structures ~ like the 11th century Tower of London that steadfastly holds its rightful place while in a bird’s eye view of the 21st century spire-like habitable sculpture that seems to burst from the Thames River like a shard of glass aiming for the hearts of London. No, unless you’re intrigued by government and the iconic Houses of Parliament, inspired by religion and the soul-stirring St. Paul’s Cathedral, and charmed by Londoners and the dog-friendly Spaniards Inn ~ don’t go to London.
While London is indisputably the European city of choice for many, the reasons individuals venture to England’s capital are as disparate and fascinating as the billion passengers, the 270 Underground stations, and the countless engaging stories that unfold on the city’s Tube.
Some venture to the Square Mile for a long weekend to be riveted by a performance of the Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, or The Mousetrap ~ Agatha Christie’s famous murder-mystery that’s been continuously running in London’s renowned West End theatre district since 1952. Tons travel to the city to peruse the treasures at Tate Modern ~ the most-visited modern art gallery in the world, and to behold the beloved Rosetta Stone on exhibit at the British Museum since 1802. Still lots are London-bound to bird watch while standing like a statue at Trafalgar Square, or to crank the elbow and buy rounds of ciders with locals at packed corner pubs, and to see the city’s hundreds of foreign banks that define it as the world’s centre of international finance. Many embark on the adventure to be in the possibility of close proximity to where a Queen walks and reigns, or to secure a well-rounded view of London from atop Europe’s tallest Ferris wheel, to snap a selfie with Big Ben photobombing in the background, or to be captivated by the British Legal System at Old Bailey ~ the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales.
For 41 law students from William Mitchell College of Law and 40 others from law schools throughout the world, all these were secondary reasons to venture to London in the summer of 2014.
These 81 young lawyers-in-the-making embraced the opportunity to have their perspectives of law enlightened, their understandings of law’s history enriched, and their passion to practice law enhanced. Through a unique, 5-week study-abroad program appropriately called Mitchell in London, these aspiring lawyers were not only able to study law in a stimulating city rich in history, politics, art, and grand architecture, but also garner all that new knowledge and awareness directly from the program’s remarkable roster of international scholars, top practitioners, and even from the Chief Justice of the United States Federal Judicial System.
Held at Regent’s University ~ a private college in central London just a short Tube ride from Nido Student Housing where many of the students stayed, the unique Mitchell in London program consisted of three consecutive, rigorous courses that met Mondays through Thursdays. The courses encompassed lectures by highly-esteemed and accomplished professionals from both the United States and Britain, scintillating class discussions among the scholarly leaders and the culturally-diverse law students, and small group break-out sessions for collaborative hands-on practical application opportunities ~ a teaching style reflective of William Mitchell College of Law.
The 3-course program was divided into two sessions, with three long weekends purposefully built into the schedule so that the students could have time travelling, exploring, and experiencing the customs, culture, and cuisine of the United Kingdom.
Session I of the program covered international negotiations and dispute resolutions. From 9:30 AM until midafternoon four days a week, the students explored the cross-cultural elements of deal-making and dispute resolution in today’s global environment. They learned the different negotiation strategies that are employed in the United States and those practiced in England; they explored various dispute resolution mechanisms as well as the essential ingredients involved in drafting international agreements. This thought-provoking course was instructed by 3 well-respected and vastly-experienced sages on the session’s topic ~ William Mitchell College of Law’s Professor Jim Hilbert, Professor Debra Berman from South Texas College of Law, and Barrister Sabeen Obaidullah from the BPP Law School in London.
Professor Hilbert is not only the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Negotiation and Justice at William Mitchell College of Law and the Co-Director of the school’s Legum Magister (LL.M) ~ an advanced legal studies program for lawyers from around the world, but also serves as the Vice President of Professional Services at Alignor, an international firm that specializes in guiding corporate executives toward embracing collaboration and a win-win philosophy rather than competition as they strive to solve their most difficult business challenges. In addition, Professor Hilbert is the Co-Director of the Expert Witness Training Academy ~ a facility that provides training on effective communication skills in courtrooms and legislative hearings.
Professor Debra Berman is the Acting Director of the Frank Evans Center for Conflict Resolution at South Texas College of Law; in addition, she develops and coaches winning teams for negotiation and mediation competitions in Paris, London, Dublin, and various cities across the United States.
Barrister Sabeen Obaidullah served as in-house counsel for a UK-listed, multi-national oil and gas company. She lectures at BPP Law School in London and, as a qualified barrister, specializes in Personal Injury law.
Session II of the summer program encompassed two distinctly-different areas of focus. One course covered comparative criminal law and practice; it enabled the students to follow a criminal case from the initial police investigation through to the trial. Students compared U.S. criminal law procedures and practices to those in Britain, and analyzed the Constitution and various facets of the law as it related to the case study, including: rules governing arrest, search and seizure, confessions, identification procedures, trials, and a criminal defendant’s right to an attorney. This second course was taught by three esteemed representatives from the field of law: London Summer School Director and William Mitchell College of Law Professor John Sonsteng; Judge Larry Gist from South Texas College of Law; and Barrister Juliette Wagner from the BPP Law School in London.
Professor John Sonsteng previously served as the elected Prosecuting Attorney and President of the Minnesota County Attorneys’ Association, and was a member of the national board of the National District Attorneys’ Association. He’s a published author, a Fulbright scholar, and an international lecturer.
“Thanks to Professor Sonsteng who asked me to do a presentation,” shared Emilie Jensen, a Danish law student at Aarhus University in Denmark who enrolled in the London in Mitchell program, “I was given the chance to explain some of the most important Danish Criminal rules and parts of the Danish Legal System to all the other students…Even though I did not know too much about American criminal law before I enrolled in the program, it’s given me a great opportunity to compare the American system to the Danish system, and…” continued Jensen, “build my confidence in speaking English in front of a big group!”
Judge Larry Gist served on the faculty of the Texas and National Judicial Colleges, is an Adjunct Professor of Criminal Law at South Texas College of Law, and is the Director of the International Comparative Criminal Law Course. For 9 years he served as an Assistant Criminal District Attorney of Jefferson County, 1 year as Assistant State’s Attorney before the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, and 20 years as Criminal District Judge of Jefferson County. He continues to serve as a full time Senior Criminal District Judge in the Jefferson County Drug Impact Court, is a Certified Specialist in both Criminal Law and Criminal Appellate Law, and is the Chairman of the Judicial Advisory Council of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Barrister Juliette Wagner has extensive experience in the Higher Education sector and has held various senior management roles, culminating in her current role as BPP’s Head of Learning & Teaching. She’s a legal consultant at a pro bono practice, a doctoral candidate at the University of Liverpool, and an author.
The third course in the summer program ran from July 7th through the 17th and was titled The Supreme Court of the US in Historical Perspective. This course examined how both the role and the operation of the Supreme Court have changed since the nation’s founding. Particular emphasis was focused on the role of the Chief Justice and the ways that several of the Chief Justices ~ from John Marshall to William Rehnquist ~ have influenced the Court’s role. In addition, the course also reviewed how advocacy before the Court has changed over time.
One of the well-respected instructors of this final course was author and Harvard University Professor Richard Lazarus. Prior to teaching at Harvard, Professor Lazarus taught at Georgetown University where he founded the Supreme Court Institute. He’s represented the United States, state governments, nonprofit organizations, and individuals in 40 cases before the Supreme Court, and presented oral arguments in 13 of those cases.
It’s no surprise that the highlight of the program for the students and the admitted primary reason so many of them enrolled in the summer program was the opportunity to meet, interact with, and learn from Chief Justice John Glover Roberts, Jr. who also taught the final course. Nominated as Chief Justice of the United States by President George W. Bush, Roberts assumed that office in September 2005, and will hold that role indefinitely.
“It was great to see in action how sharp of a mind the Chief Justice has,” shared Jason Turner, a 3rd year law student at William Mitchell College of Law who enrolled in the summer program specifically because Chief Justice Roberts was teaching one of the courses. Turner was the first student “cold-called” by Chief Roberts; about 15 minutes into the class and while talking about Chief Justice John Marshall, Chief Roberts looked right at Turner without looking at his notes and said, “Mr. Turner, what do you think?”
Turner’s first thought? “Oh my God, the Chief Justice of the United States wants to know what I think!”
His second thought: “Oh no, what was the question?”
“It was also nice to discover what a great sense of humor Chief Justice Roberts has,” added Turner. “That was a big surprise!”
When the students were given the opportunity to ask Chief Roberts questions, one of the other students in the class asked what his favorite lawyer joke was. Chief Roberts replied, “I don’t tell lawyer jokes because lawyers don’t think they’re funny and non-lawyers don’t think they’re jokes!”
Turner, who chose William Mitchell College of Law for “the professors, the caring staff in the Student Affairs Office, and the huge amount of resources the school offers the students to become successful in school and beyond,” really made the most of his summer in Europe by also spending time exploring Norway, Paris, Cardiff, and Ireland.
Whether you are a law student enrolled in the Mitchell in London program, a practicing attorney flying to London for a weekend of the arts, or a retired attorney with a hankering for authentic bangers and mash, London has something for everyone.
So, don’t go to London.
Not unless you are prepared to return home enhanced, uplifted, and inspired.
