News

The One-Day Leadership Event in Plano Offers Rare Opportunity for Cross-Cultural Learning and Networking with World-Class Experts

The Southwestern Institute for International and Comparative Law (SWIICL) at The Center for American and International Law (CAIL) is pleased to announce the launch of its CAIL Global Leadership Institute. This one-day program, set to take place at CAIL's education center in Plano, TX, on June 20, is designed to empower global leadership and foster an international network of change-makers.

The CAIL Global Leadership Institute focuses on enhancing leadership and communication skills in a global context with attendees from over twenty countries. Guided by seasoned leaders from diverse business backgrounds, participants will delve into the pillars of effective leadership, communication, and relationship building.

Among the distinguished faculty are Karlynn Holbrook, MA, SHRM-SCP, a senior manager at Disney Parks, Curtis Frasier, former Chairman of the Board at Shell Midstream Partners, and leaders from organizations such as Mary Kay Inc., Susan G. Komen, and Strava.

The program will begin with a Global Leaders Reception and Networking Dinner at Legacy West in Plano. The following day's itinerary includes a variety of interactive sessions ranging from Leadership Mindset' by PJ Dunn and “From Transactional to Transformational: Leading in a Global World” by Holbrook, to a concluding workshop on 'Authentic Relationship Building' by Gindi Eckel Vincent, Assistant General Counsel at Honeywell.

"In today's interconnected world, leadership is about continuous learning, adaptation, and global understanding," said Jay Ray, director at SWIICL. "We're thrilled to provide a platform that brings leaders from across the globe together for collaborative learning and future shaping."

This new initiative is co-sponsored by CAIL's Institute for Energy Law, CAIL's Institute for Law and Technology, and the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, making it a joint venture towards a more interconnected global leadership network.

For more information about the CAIL Global Leadership Institute, please contact Brandon White via email at bwhite@cailaw.org. To register, please visit here.

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About the Southwestern Institute for International and Comparative Law - The Southwestern Institute for International and Comparative Law (SWIICL) was founded in Dallas, Texas, in 1963 as a division of The Center for American and International Law, an international nonprofit educational institution for lawyers, judges, and law enforcement professionals. Since 1963, SWIICL has offered annual programs focusing on international business transactions and private investments worldwide while developing professional relationships among distinguished lawyers, business leaders, and government officials worldwide. SWIICL's premier annual event is the Academy of American and International Law. This multi-week program has provided more than 3,300 participants from 130 countries the opportunity to study American law and processes in the United States.

In September 2022, SWIICL Director Jay Ray visited long-time SWIICL members and Academy Alumni in Europe to introduce himself and discuss changes designed to improve the Academy of American and International Law. He first met with alumni in Madrid from the Ford Motor Company and Gomez-Acebo & Pombo. He then traveled to Stuttgart to visit with alumni at CMS Germany. He then travelled to Rome to meet with alumni from five different decades at Gianni & Origoni, as well as alumni at Legance, Ughi E. Nunziante, and Macchi di Cellere Gangemi.

During all his visits, Mr. Ray was struck by how important their experiences at the Academy were for the alumni, with many describing it as a life changing experience. Mr. Ray described new SWIICL initiatives to bring alumni together, including a new free lifetime alumni membership and an online alumni directory. Various alumni offered suggestions for strengthening the Academy for future participants.

The Southwestern Institute for International and Comparative Law (SWIICL) at The Center for American International Law (CAIL) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Frédéric G. Sourgens, the Senator Robert J. Dole Distinguished Professor of Law at Washburn University School of Law and Director of its Oil and Gas Law Center in Kansas, as SWIICL's new Chair. Sourgens succeeds Dr. Susan Karamanian, Dean of the Hamad Bin Khalifa University College of Law in Qatar, who served as SWIICL's Chair since June 2016.

“Dr. Sourgens brings a wealth of international practice and academic experience to SWIICL,” stated Jay Ray, Director of SWIICL and Vice President of CAIL. “As a dedicated supporter of CAIL for many years, SWIICL will benefit greatly from his experience, connections, and enthusiasm as we reengage with our members and over 3,000 international alumni post-pandemic.”

Sourgens is a globally recognized authority on the intersection between international energy law, international dispute resolution, transnational law, and globalization. Sourgens holds a Ph.D. in Law from the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt a.M., (Germany), as well as a JD from Tulane University School of Law in New Orleans, a Master of Arts in Political Philosophy (The Idea of Toleration) from the University of York (UK) and a candidatus magisterii in Philosophy and Latin from the University of Oslo (Norway). He currently serves on the Executive Council of the American Society of International Law and the Executive Committee of CAIL's Institute for Energy Law, where he leads the Institute's Academic Outreach efforts. He has actively participated in three of CAIL's institutes. This year, he taught at SWIICL's Academy of American and International Law and served as Co-Chair of SWIICL's Symposium on Global Business.

Since its founding in 1963, SWIICL has offered annual programs focusing on international business transactions and private investments worldwide while developing professional relationships among distinguished lawyers, business leaders, and government officials worldwide. SWIICL's premier annual event is the Academy of American and International Law. This program has provided more than 3,300 participants from 130 countries the opportunity to study American law and process in the United States.

The Center for American and International Law’s Southwestern Institute for International and Comparative Law (“SWIICL”) has released the recordings from its virtual Symposium on Global Business: The Challenges of Doing Business in an Imperfect World held on June 27, 2022.

Against the backdrop of ongoing global issues rising from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, SWIICL convened 12 leaders from the academic, legal, and corporate sectors to facilitate discussions about the modern risks of international business in an imperfect world. Some discussion topics included the role of global companies in peacebuilding, the risks brands face when corporate decisions ultimately aid bad actors, the emergence of governance as a form of peacebuilding, and corporate actors in the role of peacebuilders.

2022 Symposium on Global Business Video Series:

Part One: “Keynote: Why Globalization is About Peacebuilding and What Business Has to Do with It” features Ambassador Lee S. Wolosky (Jenner & Block, NYC & Washington, D.C.)

Part Two: “Business Decision-Making in the Wake of Ukraine” features moderator M. Imad Khan (Winston & Strawn LLP, Houston) and panelists Yousuf Aftab (Director, Atelier Aftab P.C., NYC), Ellen Hewitt (Managing Director, FTI Consulting, New York, NY), Richard L. Kilpatrick, Jr. (Assistant Professor of Business Law, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC).

Part Three: “Do No Harm: How Global Businesses Can Be Agents for Sustainable Development and Community Building” features moderator Daniella D. Landers (Womble Bond Dickinson, Houston, TX) and panelists Diane Desierto (Professor of Law and Global Affairs & LL.M. Faculty Director, Notre Dame Law School), Lisa E. Sachs (Associate Research Scholar, Director - Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, NYC), Frédéric Gilles Sourgens (Senator Robert J. Dole Distinguished Professor of Law, Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, KS)

Part Four: “Corporate Diplomacy: In the Room Where It Happens” features moderator Frédéric Gilles Sourgens (Senator Robert J. Dole Distinguished Professor of Law, Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, KS) and panelists David L. Attanasio (Dechert LLP, Washington, D.C.), Lucinda A. Low (Steptoe & Johnson LLP, Washington, D.C.), Julia Simon (Chief Legal Officer and Chief Diversity Officer, Mary Kay, Addison, TX).

After a two-year pandemic caused delay, the Southwestern Institute for International and Comparative Law held its 57^th Academy of American and International Law running from May 29 - July 1. Twenty-nine attorneys and legal professionals from seventeen countries attending this year’s Academy.

The first week of the course 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 federal judges from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Western District of Louisiana, 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 first week of the course concluded with three days of lectures on international business transactions by Professor Timothy Meyer of the Vanderbilt University Law School and the first exam of the Academy.

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 National Cowgirl Museum, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, the Kimball Art Museum, and the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens. The day closed with an evening in 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. Pictures of the trip to Fort Worth can be found on SWIICL’s LinkedIn page.

The second week began 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. This was followed by 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. The week ended 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.

A new social event during this second week was an evening visit to TopGolf where participants enjoyed a restful evening playing golf —many for the first time. Participants also had a joint lunch with over 50 U.S. police officers in the School of Police Supervision class of the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration, our sister institute.

The third week began with a three-day course on business organizations taught by Professor Jens Christian Dammann of the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. This week 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. Finally, the week ended 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 Shawn Tuma of Spencer Fane LLP and Micah Skidmore of Haynes Boone.

This week the participants also spent a leisurely evening experiencing “America’s Favorite Pastime” at Riders Field watching a Frisco RoughRiders baseball game.

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 several days this week examining specialized topics including regulating environmental impacts with Professor Vanessa Casado Pérez of the Texas A&M University School of Law, Business and Human Rights with Professor Evelyn Aswad of the University of Oklahoma School of Law, and international bankruptcy with Judge Michael M. Parker of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Texas and Amber M. Carson of Gray Reed. Academy participants were also able to visit the Collin County Courthouse where they saw a mock voir dire by Mitch Little of Scheef & Stone. Judge Jennifer Edgeworth also showed the class the video all potential Collin County jurors see, explained the jury process, and then gave them a tour of her chambers and the courthouse.

After their visit to the courthouse, participants then traveled to the McKinney Historic Square and had lunch, 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 began with the timely Symposium on Global Business: The Challenges of Doing Business in an Imperfect World. This program was attended by the Academy and was presented online for other participants around the world to watch live. Academy participants then spent a day learning about international tax with Professor Lori McMillan of the Washburn University School of Law.

Participants also enjoyed both participating and watching a mock trial this week. Jordan Kazlow of Baker Botts and Taylor Robinson of Haynes Boone served as trial counsel and mentors for their co-counsel and Academy class members Lucy Stratton of Baker McKenzie in South Africa and Belen Godinez of Procter & Gamble in Mexico. Academy participants also took the role of witnesses and members of the jury. Academy courses finished with a full double class day on legal ethics and professional responsibility with Barbara B. DePeña and Geoff Gannaway of Beck Redden LLP and Contracts and Contract Drafting with Professor Harry W. Sullivan, Jr. of the Texas A&M University School of Law.

The 57^th Academy concluded with their farewell luncheon and graduation ceremony. Class Speaker Meriem Boujida 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 29 participants of the 57^th 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.