UF To Open Central And Eastern Europe's First American Law Program

September 29, 1998

GAINESVILLE — Central and Eastern Europe’s first academic program in American jurisprudence debuts next week with the launch of the University of Florida’s Center for American Law Studies.

Coordinated by UF’s College of Law, the center opens Monday (10/5) at Warsaw University. It builds on UF’s 25 years of involvement with Polish academic, governmental and economic institutions and is a joint initiative of the UF law school and the Warsaw University Faculty of Law and Administration.

“There is a great need for this kind of education for Polish law students,” said Ewa Gmurzynska, center coordinator and a graduate of both the UF law school and Warsaw University, which already has programs in British, French and German law. Gmurzynska noted that Poland is preparing to become a member of the European Union in 2002 and “is one of the fastest developing countries in Europe.” The largest investor in Poland, she said, is the United States.

Professor Jon Mills, director of the Center for Governmental Responsibility at the UF College of Law, visited Poland before its transition to a democratic system, during the period of martial law when Soviet tanks rolled through Warsaw, and several times since.

“Poland has been uniquely successful in a peaceful transition to democracy and to a market economy, and is probably the most successful market economy over there,” he said.

The Warsaw center will offer eight courses in a one-year program designed for advanced Polish law students with particular interest in the American legal system. So far, 87 students have enrolled. The two-week courses taught by UF law faculty are specially designed to give students a thorough understanding of the common law system and unique issues of the American legal system, and to introduce the issues and problems the students likely will encounter in their legal careers.

“Throughout the world there is enormous interest in the American enterprise system,” said Stuart Cohn, one of the UF law professors who will teach at Warsaw University in the coming year. “We seem to be doing something right, and there is great curiosity as to structure and process. At the same time, any of us teaching in Poland or elsewhere must be cognizant of the demands and conditions of the local economy and laws. Putting all of this together is a wonderful academic challenge.”

Courses in this year’s program include Introduction to American Law, Constitutional Law, Theory of Property and Real Estate Transactions, Environmental Law, Theory of Contracts and Sale of Goods, Business Organizations, Intellectual Property, and Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Professor Don Peters, who has taught Alternative Dispute Resolution to students and lawyers in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, says he’s excited about the opportunity to work with Polish law students regarding theories and skills involved in resolving disputes with approaches other than litigation.

“I understand that many judges, lawyers and law students in Poland are very interested in exploring whether and how American experiences with alternative dispute resolution can be adapted to their institutions and contexts,” Peters said.

Among those who will speak at the opening ceremony in Warsaw are Florida Board of Regents Member Steve Uhlfelder, a UF law graduate; UF law Dean Richard Matasar; Mills; Daniel Fried, the U.S. Ambassador to Poland; and several Warsaw University officials.

The center will be self-supporting through student tuition and funding from law firms, including White & Case, a New York-based law firm with offices in Warsaw.