Promoting International Experiences
Italian villas, was located among the rolling hills of the Tuscan countryside, a stone’s throw from ancient Etruscan ruins in Fiesole.
My classes included a seminar on European com- petition law taught by a former Prime Minister of Italy, a survey course on new developments in European Union institutional law, and a course on the role of courts in European law, including constitutional problems of judicial governance. Our classes involved a little lecturing and a lot of open discussion between the faculty and the “researchers” as my classmates pursuing their doctorate called themselves. I was exposed to the perspectives of the best legal minds from nearly every European state.
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I had been introduced to international law, previ- ously, as a predominantly theoretical construct, and had always viewed it as a foreign and sepa- rate entity to supplement or sometimes contra- dict American domestic law. My understanding changed, however, when I observed the integral role of international law in the European Union and its member states. I began seeing myself, my country, and my domestic legal system as it related to others. For the first time, I began to appreciate the interconnected relationships of the global legal system.
The national perspectives, personal histories and experiences that were present in the classroom added a stimulating dimension to my grasp of the theories and case law. I was amongst fac- ulty and colleagues who had helped shape and revise the very history and jurisprudence I was studying. From my classmates, I learned to see the laws and directives through the anecdotes and stories they would relay to illustrate their lo- cal impact.
Studying abroad in Italy recharged my intellec- tual curiosity and strengthened my ability to un- derstand and appreciate complex and different legal systems. I was taught to reason and write more thoughtfully. I was forced to abandon inse-
curities and preconceptions while critiquing ar- guments and theories more effectively. I could not wait to travel as a legal scholar again.
Working Abroad Through Internship Opportunities
While studying abroad in Italy, I was already looking for new avenues to pursue international law once I returned home. I applied for and re- ceived a fellowship to intern at a London-based NGO focused on international and European human rights law. In a cozy room stacked floor- to-sloped-ceiling with books and legal files, I learned about the legal system in the United Kingdom and in the European Union. With no time to waste, the first week found me training on the basics of fundamental rights in Europe along with the provisions of the Citizens’ Direc- tive that was to form the bulk of the work we would do.
The NGO had four full-time interns and five to six part-time interns, including European citi- zens as well as foreign nationals from Asia, Afri- ca and North America. Unlike the United States, I found that NGOs in the United Kingdom of- ten dispensed advice in criminal, civil and im- migration contexts, allowing them to address a broader and comprehensive array of client con- cerns. The NGO environment was also remark- able because it brought together people from diverse cultural, socio-economic and linguistic backgrounds for a common purpose: namely defending fundamental human rights through the law.
I admired my colleagues and enjoyed their company inside and out of the office. I explored London with other interns, picnicked in Hamp- stead Heath and attended performances at the National Theater. On one memorable weekend, an intern from Northern Ireland took me to her family’s home near Belfast. On another trip to Cardiff, Wales I learned about rugby and heard
ILSA Quarterly » volume 20 » issue 2 » December 2011
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