Discover International Law Through Whittier Law's Center and Certificate Program

Summary

Whittier Law School students can explore the different facets of international law with the help of the school's International Law Center and Certificate Program. The program was designed to give students a better understanding of global legal issues and to cultivate their research, writing, and advocacy skills. The center and certificate program provide students with the opportunity to learn about various international law topics, such as domestic and international human rights, international business and trade, immigration and refugee law, global health, and international criminal law.


The International Law Center's director, Emeritus Professor Robert F. Williams, works closely with students to help them gain a better understanding of international law. He has developed a network of international law professionals throughout the world and has established various internships and partners with organizations such as the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the International Court of Justice in Washington, D.C., and the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. The International Law Center also hosts lectures, panels, and conferences featuring international law experts from around the world.

Students enrolled in the International Law Center and Certificate Program have access to courses on a variety of international legal topics such as international organizations and institutions, public international law, international trade and business, international environmental law, public health, and public policy. Students also have the opportunity to participate in clinics related to international law and have access to a global moot court program. In addition, Whittier Law School also offers dual degree programs in partnership with international universities, allowing students to spend a semester abroad while continuing their studies and developing their legal skills in an international context.

The International Law Center and Certificate Program provide students with the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in international law, allowing them to better understand the complex global legal landscape. The center helps students to develop research, writing, and advocacy skills, while gaining access to internships, scholarships, and seminars related to international law. Furthermore, students have the opportunity to participate in dual degree programs, allowing them to study abroad and gain international experience. The goal of the program is to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to address global legal issues, helping them make a positive impact in the international community.
 

Overview of Whittier Law Students

Whittier Law School has more than 600 students from around the world, making it one of the most diversified law schools in the United States. Due to its international focus, students from all continents including Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America have the opportunity to study international law and explore a range of different facets of global legal systems.
 

Growing Demand for International Law

With the globalized world, there is an increasing demand for expertise in international law and Whittier Law School has responded to this need by providing its students with an International Law Certificate Program and the Center of International Law. Through the International Law Certificate Program, students are able to gain specialized knowledge on the laws of other countries, as well as gain useful insight into the ethical, economic and political forces that shape global legal systems.
 

Whittier Law School International Law Certificate Program

The International Law Certificate Program at Whittier Law School offers courses that cover topics such as international security, human rights, international business transactions, international environmental law, and international dispute resolution. The program also provides students with the opportunity to study abroad in international programs in countries such as Canada, France, and China. The students in the program have the chance to experience a real-world application of international law, giving them a unique insight into the global legal environment.
 

Center of International Law

In order to further enhance the international law education of its students, Whittier Law School also has the Center of International Law. The center hosts events and interactive sessions featuring speakers from various countries, as well as international and domestic experts. Through the center, students are able to learn firsthand about the complexities of international law from leading scholars, government officials and practitioners from around the world.
 

Benefits of Whittier Law Students Exploring International Law

By undergoing the International Law Certificate Program and attending events hosted by the Center of International Law, Whittier Law students are able to gain a more profound understanding of the legal systems of foreign countries. This kind of insight and knowledge can be extremely beneficial for students seeking to practice international law, as it will give them a greater understanding of the nuances of foreign legal systems and the ability to operate effectively in an international context.

Stevens and third-year student, John Cayangyang, are currently working towards their certificates in international law at Whittier. They have a myriad of opportunities to develop their educated opinions by availing themselves of a wide range of international programs there, all housed under Whittier's Center for International and Comparative Law (CICL).

A relatively new program, Whittier's international law certificate is generating a lot of student interest. Five certificates were granted to law graduates in 2004, 29 will be given in 2005, and so far 22 are planned for graduates in 2006.

To receive the certificate in international law at Whittier, students must take two base classes (International Law and Comparative Legal Systems), 15 elective credits in the field, and attend at least 12 colloquia run at the CICL. Stevens came to Whittier knowing she wanted to pursue international law. "It was one of the reasons I came here," she says. Stevens' particular area of interest is immigration law. Her work demonstrates that she practices what she preaches.

Last summer, Stevens worked at San Pedro Community Legal Services, a small nonprofit organization that provides services to women who are being abused. Many of the group's clients are Hispanic, and some are not yet citizens.

One problem the women face is being held back from applying for citizenship by abusive husbands, explains Stevens. Under the Violence Against Women Act, however, there is a provision allowing abuse victims to apply for citizenship on their own. Working under the supervision of the group's staff attorney, Stevens spent the summer helping women apply for citizenship.

Contrast her last summer with this summer, and Stevens's philosophy becomes clear. While it is not uncommon for law students interested in immigration issues to work with indigent immigrants, it is unusual for that same law student to then go work for those putting stricter limits on immigration.

This summer, Stevens will go to work for the Department of Homeland Security's office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Los Angeles. In addition to broadening her horizons, working with ICE will give her a clearer picture of what it is like to work for the government, which is one of her career goals, she says.

Still, since Stevens is only in her second year, things could change; and her work at Whittier has given her several options to choose from. Currently, Stevens is a junior member of the Journal of Child and Family Advocacy. She is working on her paper, required to be accepted as a full member, she says, incorporating international law with child welfare issues by examining child trafficking.

Stevens also works as a research assistant to Whittier Professor Michael Bazyler, a Holocaust specialist. Her research for Professor Bazyler has covered many topics, she says, including researching the work of Jewish judges, such as Justice Breyer. Stevens is also helping to publicize Whittier's study-abroad program in Israel and is considering going herself.

John Cayangyang, who has had a lifelong interest in international relations and international law, is a research assistant to Professor Hari Osofsky, Director of the CICL, and aided her work getting the center up and running. Cayangyang helped Osofsky in building up the young center's programs by researching which law firms in the area did international law and helping to find speakers for the center's colloquia.

Cayangyang gave a presentation recently to Whittier's board of trustees on the CICL's progress. "The board is very proud of us," he says; they see that Whittier's "students have been able to reap the benefits of the center."

"I really love every aspect of international law," says Cayangyang, including human rights, international business negotiations, and international peace agreements. He has a particular interest in the intercultural exchange that happens when international negotiations or talks happen on any topic, he says. Cayangyang also went to Spain on a Whittier law program there; it was "one of the best decisions I made in law school," he says.

Cayangyang, who says he "likes to get involved," is on Whittier's moot court honors board. He is the student organizer for Whittier Law's recent hosting of the International Law Weekend—West, and is Editor of Whittier's Law Review Symposia.

Last summer Cayangyang clerked for an administrative law judge with the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission in San Diego. While there, being able to sit in on dispute resolution hearings was "exhilarating," he says. Now he is concentrating on passing the California Bar Exam and hopes to find a position at a law firm.

Overall, Cayangyang sees great value in Whittier's international law program, the certificate, and the CICL. The center "has progressed tremendously" in its short lifetime, he says, providing Whittier law students with many opportunities to meet leaders in the field and participate in center programs. And, Cayangyang says, having a certificate in international law from Whittier will "mean a lot to me, as a student and as a person."