The Southwestern Institute for International and Comparative Law held its 58th Academy of American and International Law, which ran from May 29 - June 30. Forty attorneys and legal professionals from twenty-five countries attended this year’s Academy.
The first week of the Academy featured Dr. Susan Karamanian, Dean of the College of Law at the Hamad Bin Khalifa University, introducing participants to the U.S. legal system and Constitution. The week also featured an outstanding judicial panel consisting of a Justice from the Supreme Court of Texas, a federal judge from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and a local Texas district judge, who discussed the process that led to them being judges and practicing before both federal and state U.S. courts. The class also had an insightful day on legal writing in plain English with Professor Bryan Garner. During the first week, the participants also spent a leisurely evening experiencing “America’s Favorite Pastime” at Riders Field watching a Frisco RoughRiders baseball game. The first week concluded with an introduction to the first group project of the Academy, a project where students are put into groups and tasked with analyzing an international compliance problem and preparing a memo an oral response to be presented later in the course. This introduction was preceded by an intensive course on the U.S Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other current compliance topics by Daniel Pickelner of Wood Mackenzie.
Continuing a long-standing Academy tradition, the participants were treated to a day in Fort Worth, Texas, on the first Saturday of the program. They visited the Fort Worth Stockyards where they tried on cowboy hats, purchased cowboy boots, ate local foods, were mesmerized by Texas longhorn cattle, and enjoyed live music. The evening ended with a visit to the Cowtown Coliseum where the class watched a Texas Rodeo show.
The second week began with three days of lectures on international business transactions by Professor Sadie Blanchard of Notre Dame Law School and the first exam of the Academy. The week ended with an interactive course on international negotiations with Professor Elizabeth McClintock of the John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and the Fletcher School, Tufts University. The class also got to enjoy an evening reception at the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, hosted by SMU, the Dallas Bar Association Section of International Law, and the State Bar of Texas Section of International Law.
A traditional social event during this second week was a joint lunch with over 80 U.S. police officers in the School of Police Supervision class and the Texas Command Leadership Academy of the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration, SWIICL's sister institute.
The third week began with two days of lectures and an exam on international litigation in US Courts with Professor Donald Earl Childress III of the Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law. This was followed by a three-day course on business organizations taught by Professor Lori A. McMillan of Washburn University School of Law.
The penultimate week of the Academy began with an energetic day of Arbitration taught by Professor Frédéric G. Sourgens of the Washburn University School of Law. Participants were then able to spend a day participating in our new program, The CAIL Global Leadership Institute. This week the class also heard from Professor Orly Mazur of SMU Dedman School of Law on the topic of International Tax. The class also presented their solutions to the law firm problem to Mark Michels of the Santa Clara University Law School and Daniel Pickelner of Wood Mackenzie who acted as law firm partners evaluating their solutions. Following these presentations, the class ended the day with an interactive cyber breach workshop where participants ran through simulation exercises assuming corporate leadership roles designed to put them in their client’s shoes during the simulation. This workshop was led by Mark Michels and facilitated by Jeremy Rucker of Spencer Fane LLP and Micah Skidmore of Haynes Boone. The week ended with a collaborative International Bankruptcy Workshop put on by The Hon. John C. Ford American Inn of Court giving the class the chance to work with U.S. federal bankruptcy judges and lawyers.
After their visit to the courthouse, participants then traveled to the McKinney Historic Square and did some shopping, sampled some wine at the winery, picked up candy and popcorn, and enjoyed a couple of hours exploring Downtown McKinney.
The final week of the Academy had the Academy examining specialized topics including Business & Human Rights with Professor Kish Parella of Washington and Lee University School of Law and IP, International Trade with Professor Srividhya Ragavan of Texas A&M School of Law, and Attorney Wellness with Abby Read of Haynes and Boone, LLP. The class then enjoyed hearing from a panel of In-House Counsel Leaders, which included Robert Ackermann of Beal Bank, Julia A. Simon of Mary Kay Inc., and Richard C. Vint of Exxon Mobil Corporation.
Academy participants were also able to visit the Collin County Courthouse where they saw a mock voir dire. Judge Tom Nowak also explained the jury process and then gave them a tour of his chambers and the courthouse.
After their visit to the courthouse, participants then traveled to the McKinney Historic Square and did some shopping, sampled some wine at the winery, picked up candy and popcorn, and enjoyed a couple of hours exploring Downtown McKinney
Participants also enjoyed both participating and watching a mock trial this week. Andrés Correa of Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann and Taylor Robinson served as trial counsel and mentors for their co-counsel and Academy class members Luciana Palomino of Baker McKenzie in Peru and Lies Verstreken of iustica.BE in Belgium. Academy participants also took the role of witnesses and members of the jury.
The 58th Academy concluded with their farewell luncheon and graduation ceremony. Class Speaker Lies Verstreken gave a rousing and heartfelt speech at the ceremony before it was time to adjourn the class this year. After five long weeks together, the forty participants of the 58th Academy were ready to return home. They take with them the knowledge they have gained during the course and the life-long relationships they have forged with their classmates and others.
A flagship program of The Center for American and International Law since 1964, the Academy is a five-week course taught by an outstanding faculty of law school professors and practitioners. In addition to the intensive educational focus on the U.S. legal system and international business transactions, the Academy provides participants with an opportunity to develop professional and personal relationships with a diverse group of legal professionals from around the world.
