CENTER FOR TRANSNATIONAL LEGAL STUDIES (CTLS)
ESADE Law School is one of the founding schools of the Center for Transnational Legal Studies (CTLS), launched in 2008 in London (UK). The London-based CTLS is a global partnership currently encompassing over 20 schools from almost as many countries around the world. The initiative is premised on a belief that, as legal practice becomes increasingly ‘transnational’, the best legal education must include exposure to ideas, faculty members and fellow students from many different legal systems.
Simply put, 21st century legal professionals will need to understand law within the context of different legal systems and cultures. These lawyers will increasingly be called upon to advise businesses, individuals, non-government bodies, and administrations in matters that involve parties, laws, and judicial or arbitral bodies in two or more jurisdictions. To prepare for careers that transcend the borders of their home countries, lawyers will need to develop transnational perspectives.
CTLS offers that preparation in a manner unlike any conventional “study abroad” or exchange program. The Center’s academic purpose is to examine transnational legal issues from within a transnational educational context. Thus, while the school is located in London and instruction takes place in English, there is no “host school,” “local faculty,” or “domestic legal context.”
Instead, faculty and students alike are drawn from a range of world-class law schools located in Asia, Australia, Europe, and the Americas. All are encouraged to share their own “home jurisdiction” perspectives on academic and other issues. Some courses are co-taught by two instructors, specifically to explore the contrasts in such perspectives. Others include projects structured to facilitate collaboration by students from different backgrounds. The Center’s small size and multicultural orientation provide the opportunity for students to learn in a uniquely active, participatory way. Outside of class, CTLS organizes professional networking and social events with a similar goal.
http://www.law.georgetown.edu/ctls/partnerbook2010/
