Pitt Law School to Host Roundtable Jan. 26-27

PITTSBURGH-The University of Pittsburgh School of Law's Center for International Legal Education (CILE) will host a CILE Roundtable titled "The Export of Legal Education: An Evaluation of Its Promise and Impact in Transition Countries," Jan. 26-27. The first day's events will be held in the Barco Law building's Alcoa Room, 3900 Forbes Ave., and the second day's will be in the Cathedral of Learning's Babcock Room, 4200 Fifth Ave., Oakland.

According to roundtable organizers, the export of legal education is little noted in official trade statistics, but it is believed to be one of the most important U.S. exports in terms of benefits for both the United States and the country to which the legal education is being exported. Graduates of Pitt's Master of Laws (LL.M.) Program for Foreign Law Graduates as well as policy-makers and practitioners whose work intersects with the export of legal education will participate in the discussion

Mary Crossley, Pitt law school dean, and Ronald A. Brand, Pitt professor of law and director of CILE, will give opening remarks. A number of CILE graduates who are now teaching and working in their home countries will present papers.

Wade Channell of the U. S. Agency for International Development will give the feature presentation, titled "Making a Difference: The Role of the U.S. LL.M. Graduate From the Policy-Maker's Perspective," at 9 a.m. Jan. 27. A discussion will follow.

In addition, participants will seek to answer various questions, including:

o What is the impact of American LL.M. programs on legal education abroad?

o What is the impact of American LL.M. programs on the development of the rule

of law abroad?

o Is the idea that an American LL.M. program influences education and rule of

law abroad an imperialist notion?

The two-day event will end with a summation by Brand. For more information, call 412-383-6754 or e-mail rist@law.pitt.edu.

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