Summer Law in Vancouver!

Thanks to the Commentator for setting up this blog. This first post, is to provide a quick introduction for readers....

This year, 31 students are attending SW's Summer Law Program in Vancouver. Students are from law schools throughout Canada and the U.S., including SW, Univ. of British Columbia, Queens, Indiana, Univ. of Saskatchewan, Brigham Young, McGill, Osgoode, Univ. of Alberta, Loyola (Chicago), and Colorado. Five courses are offered, including: (1) International Criminal Law; (2) International Environmental Law; (3) Comparative Constitutional Law; (4) Comparative Cultural Property Law; and (5) Comparative Sentencing Law and Policy. Seven professors are teaching in the program. Two professors are from Southwestern (Profs. Parrish and Williams), two are from the Univ. of British Columbia Faculty of Law (Profs. Mickelson and Paterson), while three are guest professors from Cornell, Florida State Univ, and Seton Hall (Profs. Morrison, Markel, and Boon).

The program got off to a nice start. The Program began on Sunday, May 25th, with an orientation and dinner at a local Irish pub (Mahony & Sons). Since then, in addition to course-work, the students have done a variety of things. The program activities so far have included:

• A guided tour of Vancouver and dinner at Granville Island (Mon. 05/26)
• Drinks with faculty at Koerner's Graduate Pub (Thurs. 05/28)
• A tour of the Vancouver Law Courts and discussion with Judge Williamson of the B.C. Supreme Court (Wed. 06/04)
• A lunch with Chief Justice D. Brenner of the B.C. Supreme Court (Wed. 06/04)
• A lunch hosted by St. Andrews Hall (Thurs. 06/05)

Tomorrow, we'll have our first guest speaker -- Prof. Wil Burns, who is a senior fellow at Santa Clara Law School. And Saturday morning is the program's first set of exams.

Outside of class, students have been exploring Vancouver -- from trips to Whistler, to hikes up Grouse Mountain, to death-defying Vespa-riding in Stanley Park, to walks down to Vancouver's famous clothing-optional Wreck beach, to visits to the famous Museum of Anthropology, and more.... For the real scoop, you'll have to check out student blog posts!

I'll write more later....