Courses - The Hague, Netherlands
Week 1: June 30-July 3, 2025
INSTRUCTOR: Ashley Krenelka Chase, Assistant Professor of Law, Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, Florida
ACCESS TO LEGAL INFORMATION, THE COURTS, AND GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS (1 credit)
This course will look at access to information and access to the courts worldwide and how access impacts human rights. Students will be asked to look at varying global approaches to information access, specifically legal information access, and learn about the approach different jurisdictions have for providing access to legal information and the courts. Students will discuss best practices for ensuring meaningful, open, and equitable access to legal information in ways that best effectuate access to global court systems and ensure human rights.
Readings will consist of legislative and regulatory materials, historical materials related to the publication and accessibility of information and the courts, current events pieces related to human rights and the interaction with access to information and the courts, as well as policy pieces written about the topic. The class will include multimedia presentations by looking at news stories or short documentary snippets regarding access to information, the courts, and human rights and showing the students websites that deal with these issues. For the final exam, student will be asked to select a jurisdiction they feel has a particularly solid approach to access to information and access to the courts and, using materials from class, they will be asked to explain why that jurisdiction’s policies have led to an increase of human rights and the reasons other jurisdictions would benefit from such an approach.
Week 2: July 7-10, 2025
INSTRUCTOR: Steven Friedland, Senior Scholar and Professor of Law, Elon University School of Law, Greensboro, North Carolina
COMPARATIVE CRIMINAL COURTS (1 credit)
This course compares the rules, processes, and perspectives found in the criminal courts of different systems. The primary focus will be on the International Criminal Court (ICC). Its operation will be compared to other courts, including American state and federal courts, religious courts, and European courts. Comparative touchstones include the history, processes and jurisdiction of the courts, the evidence that might or might not be permitted at trials in the courts, and the roles of judge and jury. With respect to history, the class will examine the origin stories of the courts. The jurisdiction of the different courts will be assessed as well, including the ICC jurisdiction over “crimes against humanity,” European and American criminal proceedings and American counterparts such as juvenile adjudications, and courts applying religious law. Evidentiary issues will be explored using such digital age challenges as Stingray cell phone surveillance technology, Artificial Intelligence risk-assessment programs, and advanced face recognition software. The roles of judge and jury include how they are selected and what their responsibilities are. To better understand how these concepts apply within a particular set of circumstances, the course will utilize the same multiple homicide fact pattern each day and explore how such a case might wind its way through the different court systems. The case will start with a fact pattern, discuss police involvement, prosecutorial charging decisions, jury selection, the trial, and possible outcomes.
Week 3: July 14-17, 2025
INSTRUCTOR: Jessica M. Moeller, Assistant Dean of Experiential Learning and Visiting Professor of Law, Charleston School of Law, Charleston, South Carolina
INTERNATIONAL CHILD ADVOCACY (1 credit)
This course will explore how various countries respond to the idea of Child Rights, with a specific focus on children involved in Criminal Justice Systems, either as youth offenders, victims, or as children of abuse and neglect. There are 196 countries that have signed the UNCRC which has 54 articles that cover all aspects of a child’s life. Arguably – some of these very articles may come into conflict with separate jurisdictional statutes, codes, and common law interpretations. This course will explore those tensions, and ask students to consider how their own jurisdiction could benefit or hinder child welfare by making adjustments.
Week 4: July 21-24, 2025
INSTRUCTOR: Katherene E. Holtzinger Conner, Associate Professor of Law and Director of Residency Program, Elon University School of Law, Greensboro, North Carolina
ADMINISTRATIVE ADVOCACY IN PRACTICE (1 credit)
This is an Administrative Advocacy practice course that will focus primarily on simulated exercises regarding a mock case before an administrative panel in a state court Office of Administrative Hearings. Students will prepare a case for administrative adjudication, conduct mock depositions, and a pretrial conference. The course will start with a preliminary overview of the types of cases that come before an administrative court in the United States court system and that will- by definition- include a brief contrast with international administrative panels. Administrative advocacy types of case in the US Court system will include discussion about cases that address due process in administrative advocacy and what that means, evidence in administrative proceedings, and the trial preparation process, appellate review. The significance of the contrast between administrative proceedings in the US Court system and international administrative panels is to underscore the difference in the types of cases that would originate in either type of forum, the concept and contrast of due process, evidentiary issues, and trial preparation, appellate review.The students will be introduced to a set of facts involving a claim pending before an administrative tribunal. Students will use the set of facts to conduct mock client interviews proceeding to depositions, assuming different roles, and then students will be paired in teams of two – four to participate in a pre- hearing conference and how that informs preparation and discovery techniques and preparation for a full administrative hearing. The assessment will be based on the preliminary case discussion and the topics of due process and evidentiary considerations and participation in the simulation exercises.