Cyber Beat

Germany And Usa Exchange Legal Experience And Education

If you are a law student, or an attorney, you may be interested in participating in a student exchange program with Germany or you may know someone who is interested. A program offered by the German American Lawyers Association (GALA) and its sister program in Germany link attorneys in the United States with students and lawyers in Germany for study and internships in the United States. Information about the program appears in English and German at the home page (http://www.jura.uni-sb.de/dajv/dajv.e.html) of the Deutsch-Amerikanische Juristen- Vereinigung, or DAJV, which is the German version of GALA.

The exchange program encourages students to compare the American and German legal systems, as well as offers opportunities for practitioners from both countries to have lawyer contacts in Germany and the U.S. Lectures, seminars, and discussions are offered to students in Germany concerning constitutional law, as well as civil, criminal and commercial law by both German and American lecturers.

From the information provided at the DAJV home page, the program seems to encourage German students to concentrate their efforts for an internship program with a law firm in one of the larger metropolitan areas in the United States. New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Atlanta are the cities that are specifically referenced. It is reasoned that the firms in the larger cities are more likely to handle cases in the international arena, thereby giving rise to these firms having an interest in participating in an exchange program.

Although it seems that the emphasis of the information offered at this site is in giving German students internships with American law firms, there is brief mention that American students can be teamed with German firms, but this is only alluded to, with no specific references made. I suspect, however, that the exchange works the same for Americans who wish to study the German legal system. Besides American law firms, it is also mentioned that American judges, court administrators and managers have also hosted German students. Again, nothing is mentioned about programs offered to American students.

Concerned about whether language might be a barrier when hosting a German student? You shouldn't be, as the site clearly indicates that German students who wish to participate in the program must pass the TOEFL exam (Test of English as a Foreign Language). I suspect that there is a similar requirement for American students desiring to go to Germany.

The DAJV/GALA home page is maintained by a German law student by the name of Joerg M. Aumann. Joerg apparently is also participating in this exchange program as he has posted a message indicating that for three months, beginning November 1, 1995, he will be in the United States.

If you have internet access and e-mail capability you can communicate with Joerg and approximately 32 other members of the program that are listed on the DAJV roster of persons with Internet or e-mail access. The site also lists the names of the DAJV Board members. I found it strange, but also listed are the banks in which the DAJV has accounts along with their respective account numbers.

Student exchange programs have been around for years, however, even students attending school often are not aware of them. If you know someone who might be interested in this program, point them to the web site.

In my opinion, our legal system, as a whole, is the best in the world, however, that certainly does not mean that it could not benefit from an exchange of this type. What could even be an added benefit is a program for the exchange of judges and administrators who are actually working within the court systems. American judges and administrators would probably also benefit by seeing first hand the tricks employed by other governments in moving cases through their court systems. Barring that, however, a comparison study of the law in each country by students is wonderful for those future lawyers who will practice international law in private practice. They then can bring that knowledge to their respective law firms and courts.

What's most interesting is that had I not found this site, I probably would not have ever known that a program such as this exists. Perhaps you wouldn't either. The fact that this information is being provided on the Internet, and that I, a nonlawyer had access to it, reaffirms the tremendous possibilities the Internet offers. Information that can be accessed internationally, and 24 hours a day, will not only change how we view the world, but will open the doors for opportunities never before offered or experienced.

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