Summer Study Abroad Program in the Alps

The St. Mary’s University summer program in international law at the University of Innsbruck has been fully accredited by the American Bar Association since its inception in 1986. The St. Mary’s University School of Law is approved by the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association, 321 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654, 312-988-6738.

As part of the accreditation process, the ABA requires law schools to make certain information available to students planning to participate in foreign programs. The following information is set forth to comply with those requirements.

An average of 50 students have participated in each of the last 10 programs at Innsbruck. There will likely be a similar enrollment in the current year. Because the curriculum contains five courses, it is probable that most classes will have an enrollment of between 10 and 30 students.

Although there is no definite limit on the number of students who may participate in the program, at some point adequate student housing might not be available and the students enrolled for a class might exceed the capacity of the largest classroom available (about 150).

Each year several students from foreign countries participate in the St. Mary’s program. There are usually no more than 10 foreign students in the program. They are typically drawn from Austria, Germany and other European countries.

Because at least one of the classrooms that will be used by the program seats 150 persons, it is unlikely that the enrollment in any course will have to be limited. There are no course prerequisites for any of the classes. Each class is taught with the assumption that the students have completed one year of American legal education.

Some portions of the classroom building at the University of Innsbruck, and many public accommodations in Austria, are not readily accessible to persons with disabilities. Specific information about the obstacles a person with a disability would be likely to encounter can be obtained from the director of the program, by phone or mail.

The University of Innsbruck is the foreign sponsor for the St. Mary’s University Institute on World Legal Problems, and may be contacted through: Professor Bernhard Koch, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria, Telephone (011-43-512) 507-81210 or per email to Bernhard.A.Koch@uibk.ac.at.

Offices, study areas, and classrooms are comfortably housed in the main building of the University. Students have access to the international and comparative law collections of the University libraries. Selected American works are also available and students are provided Internet access through the University of Innsbruck.

The classrooms and administrative offices for the St. Mary’s University Institute on World Legal Problems are located in the main building of the University of Innsbruck. The facilities available to the program include a large faculty office, a small student library/study room with several tables and chairs, and several large and small classrooms with bench-type seating. Students may use the library and computing facilities of the University of Innsbruck, and will have internet access through the University’s wifi network.

The Institute is conducted under the co-direction of Professors of Law Chad Pomeroy and Genevieve Fajardo. Professor Pomeroy is an expert in property and mortgages. Professor Fajardo is a clinical professor and expert in housing and consumer protection.

Innsbruck Program Scholarship Information

We are proud to announce that Summer 2025 will mark the 39th year of the St. Mary’s Institute on World Legal Problems. This program is held annually in the breathtaking Innsbruck, Austria. We are proud to offer the following scholarship opportunities for students seeking to attend this summer.

You can apply for all five scholarships, but it is important to note that each scholarship has its own requirements and financial aid resources. Each scholarship offers varying financial aid amounts to a varying number of applicants. There are scholarship committees that oversee the completed applications and the scholarships are distributed to as many law students as possible.

We will not begin accepting submissions until Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. The last day to submit will be Friday, March 21, 2025, at 5 p.m.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Sister Grace Walle, F.M.I., D.Min.

Sarah Thompson Memorial Fund Scholarship: This scholarship carries on the memory of Sarah Thompson. Thompson was a third-year law student at St. Mary’s who died in a hit-and-run accident. Thompson’s parents started this scholarship to honor Thompson since she loved her Innsbruck study abroad experience. Applicants should demonstrate financial need. Thompson was a Texas Tech University graduate and applicants with degrees from Texas Tech may be given preference.

Flint Fund Scholarship: This scholarship is funded by Richard Flint, J.D., (M.A ’07), Albert Hermann Professor of Law at St. Mary’s, who has taught International Business Transactions in Innsbruck for many years. If selected, recipients must promote, plan and attend the Flint Fest BBQ Fundraiser. Recipients are also required to attend group hiking trips and/or Catholic Mass with Flint while in Innsbruck.

Clayton & Ramirez Scholarship: This scholarship is generously funded by the Clayton & Ramirez law firm. Garrett Clayton (J.D. ’06) attended Innsbruck while in law school, and the law firm wants law students — particularly those who have not previously traveled to Europe and could not otherwise afford the costs — to have the opportunity to benefit from this unique international legal experience.

Founders Fund Scholarship: This scholarship honors the professors who founded the Innsbruck program in 1986. This scholarship is designed to encourage students to attend Innsbruck so this study abroad program can continue to benefit students. Applicants should demonstrate financial need.

Ariens Family Scholarship: This scholarship has been made possible by the generous support of Michael Ariens, J.D., LL.M., Aloysius A. Leopold Professor of Law at St. Mary’s, and his family. This scholarship is intended for students who have demonstrated financial need. Special consideration will be given to students who have not received an award from other Innsbruck scholarships.

Apply now.

Students from St. Mary’s must enroll in not less than five credits, nor more than six credits. Students from other law schools can take no more than six credits and are subject to any minimum credit-hour requirement set by their home institutions.

The cost of food and meals in Innsbruck is approximately what a student might pay in the United States. Students must purchase books, if needed, for their courses before departing for Europe. The cost is the same as would be incurred for similar courses taken at a law school campus in the United States. Entertainment and travel expenses vary greatly from person to person. Most students travel on weekends. Those who spend their weekends enjoying the Innsbruck area attractions, many of which are free, will spend considerably less.

Students must apply separately for course enrollment and for housing. Enrollment applications are accepted on a first-come basis and must be accompanied by a $100 tuition deposit. Visiting students must submit a letter of good standing from an ABA- or state-accredited law school. Classes begin Monday July 1, and students should arrive in Innsbruck no later than Sunday, June 30. The last class is on Thursday, August 1.

TBA

(July 1 – July 16)

TBA

(July 17 – Aug. 1)

(1 Credit, Prof. Rishi Batra, St. Mary’s University School of Law)

Today, international commercial arbitration has become the norm for dispute resolution in most international business transactions. This introductory course is designed to equip students with a thorough understanding of the principles and practices of arbitration in the international commercial context. This course examines the legal framework governing international commercial arbitration, the key institutions involved, and the process of arbitration from the initiation of proceedings to the enforcement of awards. Students will engage with critical issues related to the arbitration agreement, the role of arbitrators, and the recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards across different jurisdictions. 

(1 credit, Prof. Emeritus Geary Reamey, J.D., St. Mary’s University School of Law)

This course studies selected aspects of criminal procedure used in the world’s major legal systems, including certain international criminal tribunals. The learning objectives, or goals, of the course are: to learn select procedural rules and their applications in certain countries within the common-law (adversarial) tradition; the so-called “civil-law” (non-adversarial) tradition; a socialist or communist legal tradition; and a religion-based tradition; to become familiar with and compare the ways in which traditional and non-traditional legal systems function procedurally; why they choose to function in those ways; and how those procedures differ from, and are similar to, those of other legal systems; to study and learn the ways in which countries within the same legal tradition may apply that procedural tradition differently, and why they do so; to learn and compare the procedural characteristics of ad hoc and permanent international criminal tribunals with each other, and with the procedures employed by legal systems of various nation states; and to consider and design a procedural structure for the adjudication of criminal cases using features selected or adapted from existing legal regimes.

(1 Credit, Professor Bernard Koch, J.D., University of Innsbruck, Innrain)

This course introduces students to the core elements of European legal systems and to their structural dissimilarities with American legal systems. Emphasis will be placed on major differences between common law and civil law approaches. Examples will be drawn from the laws of Germany, France and other countries. Particular attention will be given to the practical aspects of lawyering, such as finding the law and communicating with foreign counsel.

(2 credits, Albert Hermann Professor of Law — Richard Flint, J.D., St. Mary’s University School of Law)

This course will focus on the legal aspects of the most important forms of international commercial sales transactions, including the documentary sales transaction.  The course includes an overview of the principal institutions involved in international sales transactions as well as of the principal forms of international commercial activity.  It focuses primarily on the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods; UCC articles 2, 5 and 7; the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act; the Federal Bill of Lading Act, the UCP 600 (International Chamber of Commerce, Uniform Customs and Practices for Documentary Credits) and the International Chamber of Commerce INCOTERMS. It will also include discussion of other applicable treaties, conventions, and laws concerning the international commercial sales of goods; the laws governing the transportation of goods in international commerce; and the financing of international sales transactions.

(1 Credit, Prof. Stephanie Stevens, J.D., St. Mary’s University School of Law)

The idea of a separate system for juveniles began in the United States in 1899 and has spread to most countries. We will read seminal cases that paved the way for separate juvenile systems and discuss what rights children have available within those justice systems. This will provide the opportunity to compare and contrast a few countries treatment of children in the justice system. Specifically, we will review the laws of a few countries to discuss the difference in age limits and punishment limits.

Sept. 15 – Applications and refundable tuition deposits begin to be accepted. Send your deposit and SSAN to Catherine Mery, Office of Law Admissions, St. Mary’s University School of Law, 1 Camino Santa Maria, San Antonio, Texas 78228-8603.

November to May – Make travel arrangements. Fares rise and fall, so when you find a good itinerary and fare, act quickly.

November to February – Make your living arrangements. Innsbruck housing is in heavy demand during the summer, so don’t delay reserving something.

February to March – If you will use financial aid for the Innsbruck program, check with your financial aid office to make arrangements.

March – Apply for Innsbruck program scholarships, if eligible.

May – Register for courses. This registration is done by a paper form you will receive, and cannot be completed online.

June – Be sure you have access to your course materials that are posted on Canvas, TWEN or in Dropbox. If you need to buy books, do it well in advance of your departure date.

Mid June – Leave in time to arrive in Innsbruck at least a day before classes begin. Remember that flights leaving the U.S. will arrive in Europe the following day.