Innsbruck, Austria Summer Study Abroad Program

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) 507-8031, Fax (011-43-512) 507-2821.

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 Victoria Mather and Chad Pomeroy. Mather teaches and writes in the areas of population law, family law, wills and trusts, property and estate planning. Pomeroy teaches a variety of business and property-focused classes, including oil and gas, mortgages, property and business associations.

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. Monday June 29 (students should arrive no later than Sunday June 28). The last exams will be no later than Friday, July 31.

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 5, and students should arrive in Innsbruck no later than Sunday, July 4. The last exams end no later than Friday, August 6.

Second Session (July 15 – July 31)
8-9:10 a.m., International Business Transactions (continuation), R. Flint
9:20-10:30 a.m., International Child Abduction Based on the Hague Convention, D. Pepi
10:40-11:50 a.m., International Law of Stolen Art and Artifacts, P. Hosey

International Child Abduction based on the Hague Convention

(1 credit, Professor Dayla Pepi, St. Mary’s University)

Course Description coming soon.

International Insolvency

(1 credit, Professor David Hague, St. Mary’s University)

This course deals with transnational or cross-border insolvencies and the legal regime that governs the resolution of these controversies. A number of large international insolvencies in recent years have brought to the forefront the importance of developing an understanding of bankruptcy beyond the bounds of the United States. In this course, students will first gain a brief understanding of the basic bankruptcy laws of the United States. The bulk of the course then examines the legal structures for dealing with an insolvency that crosses national borders, including an overview of Chapter 15 of the United States Bankruptcy Code and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency.

International Law of Stolen Art and Artifacts

(1 credit, Adjunct Professor Peter Hosey, St. Mary’s University and Partner, Jackson Walker)

This course deals with the common and civil law of lost, found and abandoned property, the problems of national sovereignty in cultural property, and the law and the various fora for seeking the return of such property. The course will address the manner in which different nations and supra-national conventions define and interpret the rights of artists in their creations.

Lawyering Abroad: Basic Concepts Of European Legal Systems

(1 credit, Professor Bernhard Koch, University of Innsbruck)

Students in this course will be introduced 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, and 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.

International Business Transactions

(2 credits, Professor Richard Flint, St. Mary’s University)

This course explores national and international private law relating to the movement of goods and payment of money across national borders; licensing and franchising; direct foreign investment; and dispute resolution in international transactions.