The American Law Program (ALP) is a program jointly sponsored by the Jagiellonian University Law School and the Columbus School of Law of The Catholic University of America. The Program, taught by Catholic University law professors, provides students a foundation in the law and legal system of the United States using American legal education methods.
The Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Poland, has awarded The Catholic University of America its Merentibus Medal in recognition of the important professional contributions made to the Jagiellonian University by many CUA faculty and staff from the Columbus School of Law over the past 18 years. The Jagiellonian and CUA have enjoyed a cooperative academic agreement throughout these years.
In particular, the Jagiellonian recognizes the contributions of Professor Rett Ludwikowski for directing the Summer Law School Program in Cracow; Professor George Garvey for establishing the American Law and LL.M. programs there; Professor Catherine Klein for her help in establishing the Jagiellonian’s clinics; and Professor Leah Wortham for her ongoing assistance to numerous Jagiellonian faculty and students. Professor Wortham will be honored with the conferral of the Jagiellonian’s With Merit to Jagiellonian University Medal.
The Merentibus Medal is awarded for special contributions made to the Jagiellonian University. The With Merit to Jagiellonian University Medal is awarded to an individual who has made an outstanding personal contribution to the institution. The medals will be conferred on June 28, 2008, in Cracow.
You don’t want to miss the Film Project by Paulina Marcickiewicz on Thursday 3/27 after class. We will watch Wall Street, and later go out with our terrific guests:
Naczelna Rada Adwokacka i Szkoła Prawa Amerykańskiego UJ
zapraszają na spotkanie
Zasady etyczne wykonywania zawodów prawniczych wobec wymogów nowoczesności na przykładzie Stanów Zjednoczonych
PROFESOR LEAH WORTHAM
The Catholic University of America
wtorek, 8 kwietnia 2008, godz. 16:00
Fundacja im. Stefana Batorego, sala im. Jerzego Turowicza, Warszawa, ul. Sapieżyńska 10a
LEAH WORTHAM jest profesorem prawa The Catholic University of America (CUA).Skończyła studia w Harvard Law School.Praktykowała jako adwokat; pracowała w amerykańskiej administracji rządowej i w Kongresie. Zajmuje się etyką prawniczą, prawem karnym i poradniami prawnymi.Od 25 lat wykłada dla studentów i prawników zasady wykonywania zawodu.Profesor Wortham działa w liczącym 80 tys. członków samorządzie prawniczym w Waszyngtonie, D.C.Kierowała Komitetem ds. Etyki, który wydaje opinie co do wykładni zasad etyki prawniczej.Przewodniczyła komisji, która po sześciu latach prac w 2006 roku przedstawiła kompleksową reformę zasad etyki prawniczej obowiązujących w Waszyngtonie.Zasiadała w organach postępowania dyscyplinarnego.Od kilkunastu lat interesuje się edukacją prawniczą w Polsce i w innych krajach dawnego Bloku Wschodniego.Kieruje współpracą CUA ze Szkołą Prawa Amerykańskiego UJ; zasiada w Kolegium Programowym Fundacji Uniwersyteckich Poradni Prawnych.
Spotkanie odbędzie się w języku angielskim, organizatorzy zapewniają tłumaczenie.
I very much enjoyed having you in the class. I am e-mailing you this information on TWEN, but I also will see if I can get it posted on the American Law blogsite (which I know I need to learn to access).
As discussed yesterday, I highly suggest that you read the exam instructions distributed yesterday very carefully and that you come in with a time plan. My recommendation would be to do the first eleven questions first-taking no more than one hour for all of them-so you have at least 1.5 hours left for the essay. Mark any of the first questions to which you might come back if you had time left, but record some answer. A guess is better than no answer.
In addition to the advice on test taking in the memo distributed yesterday, here is another point regarding multiple-choice tests. Careful reading of the “call of the question” is particularly crucial, and strategy experts often suggest reading that sentence before reading the fact pattern. In careful reading of the call, for example, note carefully if you are being asked for the “most accurate statement” or the “least accurate statement.”
The essay involves consideration of several issues although they are all somewhat related to each other. The following is the “call of the question” on the essay. I am giving it to you in advance so you contemplate that you are being asked not only to identify issues, state relevant law, apply it to the facts, and reach a conclusion, but also to make a judgment about the wise course of action to take in light of that analysis. I deleted a few words shown by the ellipses (. . .) that would have given broader hints to the subject of the question. The fact pattern is not quite as short as I originally said it would be. It is about 1.5 pages, including the paragraph below.
Identify all professional responsibility issues that are directly related to the decision that you should make right now about what you should do. (When I say “you,” I assume this means you personally and that some of these actions will be made on behalf of the law firm as well.) Do not throw in every possible issue. Yes, Rule 1.1 says you must be competent, and you should act competently, but you don’t need to include that. Include only the points that are directly related to the decision about what to do in light of . . . . Your answer should state each issue and cite any pertinent Rule(s) (and Comment if necessary) related to the issue. Remember that you might have legal concerns that go beyond specific Rules of Professional Conduct. You should explain enough about that law that an intelligent lawyer who is not well-schooled in American professional responsibility law would understand the relevant law that you are applying. You should apply that law to the facts to each issue and reach a conclusion. In addition to reaching conclusions on the law on each of the pertinent legal issues, you should be sure to explain your conclusion on the wise course of action for you (and for your firm) to follow at this point. In doing so, you should think about the various potential consequences . . . and consider how they should be weighed and resolved in settling on a course of action. If you think there is additional information that is crucial to your decisions, identify what information that would be. (When writing the question, I did not have any specific information like that in mind, but it is possible you might identify something as important of which I did not think.)
A Civil Action. Less conventional than I expected. More bitter. Almost until the end I though it was going the usual American-lawyer-films way. I was sure that by the end of the day everything would be all right, the plaintiffs and their lawyers would rejoice.
Professor Nesson was not in the movie. But in reality he took part in the case as one of the co-counsels for plaintiffs. Here he comments his disillusions.
Today you got a good set of original documents from this case. Should you like to discuss them, we can meet after the Winter break.
Thank you Paulina Marcickiewicz for organizing another good event for the Film Project: the screening of the film, and the set of documents from the case!
On Thursday, 24 January 2008, 4 PM, ul. Bracka 12, room 200, we will host Ewa Don-Siemion, the managing partner in CDZ, and a well-known Warsaw lawyer. We will discuss potential for cooperation between CDZ and ALP as regards training in legal writing. Stay tuned for more details soon.
After this meeting we will watch “A Civil Action”, as part of the Film Project (6 PM, same room).
Professor Jay Wexler (Boston University) will teach a course this Spring at JU.
The course is not part of the JUCUA American Law Program but I think you might find it of interest. The issue is very hot, also in Poland. The course makes a unique opportunity, because professor Wexler is a visiting Fullbright Scholar, and he teaches in Kraków only this year. Here you can read more about the course, and learn how to sign up (deadline: 26 Feb 200 or download the flier.
The lecture of professor Aharon Barak (former President of Israel’s Supreme Court) organized by the Helsinki Foundation
for Human Rights and the Warsaw University has been streamed live to a
group of the JU-CUA American Law Program students in Krakow, and now it is
archived as a webcast. There are two language versions: English and Polish.
We are happy to say that this occasion makes another opportunity to
cordially thank the sponsor of the webcast: WSEInfoengine.pl.
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