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Prague, Czech Republic

Overview:
Approved by the American Bar Association, the Prague program is open to students in good standing at ABA-accredited United States law schools.

“The Magical City,” “The city of a Hundred Towers,” and “The Paris of the East” are some of the common descriptions of Prague. Lying proudly along the banks of the River Vltava, Prague offers a wealth of artistic and cultural treasures, and possesses an individual charm with its many buildings of spectacular architectural form and proportional harmony. During his reign from 1346-1378, Charles IV made Prague the capital of the empire and founded Charles University in 1348. Prague grew into one of the largest cities in Europe and acquired many of its Gothic landmarks, including the Charles Bridge and St. Vitus Cathedral, during this period. Along with its fascinating history, Prague remains a bustling city of sights, sounds, and culture not to be missed.

Download 2023 Study Abroad Brochure – Prague

Call 713-646-1701, or e-mail studyabroad@stcl.edu for more information. 

Location: 

Orientation and classes will be held at the historic Charles University Law Faculty building located in the Josefov section of Prague, near Old Town (Stare Mesto).

In order to complement the summer curriculum, one or two class days during Session One will be spent visiting legal institutions, including the Higher Court in Prague.  A trip to the Terezin Concentration Camp is organized as part of program costs. While coursework is intensive during the week and attendance at orientation, all class sessions, enrichment lectures, and visits to government agencies and courts is mandatory, two long weekends in Session One allow for travel to nearby destinations. Students should bring a business suit for the court or government agency visits.

Download 2023 Study Abroad Brochure – Prague

Call 713-646-1701, or e-mail studyabroad@stcl.edu for more information. 

Tuition and Fees:
$950 per credit or $3800 for four (4) credits; includes $200 non-refundable application fee

Tuition Includes:
Tu
ition includes the orientation program, transport pass, trip to Terezin Concentration Camp, court or government visits, use of facilities at the law library of the Charles University Law Faculty, and course materials supplied by the professors. It does not include airfare, vaccinations, medical insurance, traveling expenses, costs associated with optional tours, or field trips to areas outside the home campus, housing, meals, or books.

Due Dates and Financial Aid:
The application and $200 application fee are due by March 20, 2023. The remaining balance of the tuition is due May 18, 2023.

Enrollment is limited; therefore, early application is encouraged. Financial aid loans are generally available to students participating in this study abroad program. Students interested in obtaining loans for the study abroad program should contact the Financial Aid Office at their home school for application deadlines.

Learn more about Financial Aid & Study Abroad

Download 2023 Study Abroad Brochure – Prague

Call 713-646-1701, or e-mail studyabroad@stcl.edu for more information. 

May 26 – Orientation (mandatory)
Classes May 29 – June 21, 2023
(Choose two courses for four (4) credits)

Religious Freedom: International and Comparative Constitutional Law Perspectives
9:00 – 10:50 a.m.
Professor John J. Worley,
South Texas College of Law Houston

These days, it is almost impossible to read the news without learning of some new conflict between law and religion.  Should women be allowed to testify in court wearing the hijab? Should public school students be exempted from studying material their parents find offensive to their religious beliefs? Should Scientologists get tax exemptions? Should Jehovah’s Witness parents be allowed to refuse certain life-saving medical treatments for their children? Are merchants entitled to refuse services to gay customers because their religious convictions condemn homosexuality?  

This course examines the relationship between law and religion from an international and comparative law perspective.  We will study a series of religious controversies where rights claimed by individuals, religious groups, and the state conflict.  In doing so, we will consider how governments have weighed individual rights against collective rights and have sought to balance religious freedom against other social and legal values, rights, and needs. We will explore how and why states intervene in religious conflicts and see how the legal struggles over religion might be resolved under international human rights norms as well as under various nations’ constitutional provisions. 

 

International Arbitration in the Real World
11:00 a.m. – 12:50 p.m.
Associate Dean and Professor Cherie O. Taylor,
South Texas College of Law Houston

This course examines how international arbitration agreements are negotiated and drafted, how the arbitral process operates, and how arbitral awards are enforced under the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards.  International arbitration is the form of dispute resolution used for deciding international business transactions (sale of goods, licensing of intellectual property rights, foreign direct investment), protecting of investor rights under Bilateral Investment Treaties, and resolving controversies in international organizations (World Trade Organization, Court of Arbitration for Sports).

 

Global Lawyering
1:00 – 2:50 p.m.
Professor Katerina Lewinbuk,
South Texas College of Law Houston

This course is intended to expose students to the various types of regulation of lawyers in different parts of the world. It will comparatively examine the structure and ethical framework of the legal profession in the United States, European Union and in a few selected countries. More specifically, it is a collaborative research seminar that is designed to foster in-depth study of legal issues related to comparative global lawyering. In the course, students will engage in open dialogues about the global and comparative issues in legal ethics and profession, and the role, image and regulation of lawyers in different countries and legal systems. Additionally, the course will provide each student with the opportunity to learn how to design and implement their own research project, which will culminate in a paper of publishable quality. Students will assess the present state of a substantial legal issue in either comparative lawyering or lawyering in a specific foreign country and argue for a novel, normative recommendation on the issue that is relevant to policy and practice by timely generation of a research paper of publishable quality with supporting analysis and appropriate citation.  The assigned course book will be “Global Issues in the Legal Profession” by James Moliterno and Katerina Lewinbuk (West 2022) (available to STCL students via our online library collection FREE OF CHARGE). 

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All courses are taught in English and assessment of student performance uses the same criteria employed in upper-division elective courses, which includes written final examinations, graded projects and presentations.  

 

Download 2023 Study Abroad Brochure – Prague

Call 713-646-1701, or e-mail studyabroad@stcl.edu for more information. 

Housing:
Students make their own housing arrangements for Prague. An internet search for “apartments in Prague” provides multiple links to companies that provide short term rentals. The law school is located in Prague 1 near Old Town (Stare Mesto) in Josefov, right on the river at the Cechuv “Most” (Most means bridge). The physical address of the Law Faculty building is Namesti Curieovych 7, Prague 1. Students are provided with transport passes at orientation that are valid on trams, buses and public transportation in Prague, so it is not necessary to live in the immediate vicinity of the law school. The college does not endorse any particular housing agents, but past students have made positive comments about their experiences with housing agencies in Prague such as: www.vrbo.com (select Europe, Czech Republic, then Prague), www.presitgeapartments.cz, and www.lovingprague.com. Costs for housing will vary based on location and desired amenities.

Download 2023 Study Abroad Brochure – Prague 

Call 713-646-1701, or e-mail studyabroad@stcl.edu for more information. 

Transportation:
Arranging air and ground transportation to and from Prague is the student’s responsibility. Several airlines serve Prague through European hub cities such as Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris and London. Locally, transportation to most areas of the city by tram, trains (Metro) and bus is inexpensive, reliable and easy to navigate.

Accessibility:
Facilities in Europe are not as accessible to individuals with disabilities as American facilities are. Individuals with special needs should contact the program at 713-646-1825 by March 20, 2023. 

Download 2023 Study Abroad Brochure – Prague

Call 713-646-1701, or e-mail studyabroad@stcl.edu for more information. 

South Texas College of Law Houston may cancel the summer program in the event of compelling circumstances, including unrest or instability in the host country, international medical situations, or insufficient enrollment. 

Responsibility and Modifications: 
South Texas College of Law Houston will not be responsible for personal injury or for loss or damage to personal property. Students are expected to maintain or obtain medical insurance coverage for accidents or illness that may occur during their participation in this program, including repatriation expenses. 

 South Texas College of Law Houston reserves the right to change any aspect of the program which circumstances make necessary or desirable. Participants will be notified of material changes or cancellation of the program. Student and faculty conduct in the Prague program is governed by the rules on attendance, plagiarism, and sexual harassment of South Texas College of Law Houston. Any student who has questions about any aspect of this policy should contact the program director or Assistant Dean Wanda Morrow at South Texas College of Law Houston. 

Download 2023 Study Abroad Brochure – Prague

Call 713-646-1701, or e-mail studyabroad@stcl.edu for more information. 

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Admission is open to any law student at an ABA-accredited law school who is in good academic standing and who has completed the first year of full-time study or its equivalent in part-time study.

Applicants should submit:

1.) An online application for admission along with a $200 application fee payable to South Texas College of Law Houston; and

2.) A letter of good standing from his or her law school stating that credits earned in the Prague program will transfer towards his or her J.D.

Should an application not be accepted, South Texas College of Law Houston will return this application fee within 20 days. The application fee will be applied to the tuition and program expenses such as orientation, closing dinner and visits to courts and governmental agencies.

The application deadline is March 20, 2023.

Download 2023 Study Abroad Brochure – Prague

Call 713-646-1701, or e-mail studyabroad@stcl.edu for more information. 

Call 713-646-1701, or e-mail studyabroad@stcl.edu for more information. 

Download 2023 Study Abroad Brochure – Prague