KU Law provides opportunity for three KU Law students to travel to Türkiye
While it’s known that your law degree can open doors around the globe, it may not be as well-known that KU Law can do the same during your three years of law school.
KU Law offers two formal summer study abroad programs in Ireland and Türkiye as well as two semester-long programs in Scotland and Italy. They also work alongside KU International Affairs for a summer program in England.
Last year, 13 students spent three weeks studying in Limerick, Galway and Dublin where they learned about international law and Irish culture.
“I appreciated the perspective on European law and thought we gained in class as well as the opportunity to explore Irish history, culture and food,” said Reagan Hoskin, 3L, who participated in the 2023 summer program. “This experience has grown who I am both personally and professionally.”
This summer, three students – Allen Colombo, 2L, Alex Hagerott, 3L, and Michael Rebein, 3L – joined Professor Steve Ware and Dean Stephen Mazza in Istanbul, Türkiye, for American Law Week which highlighted U.S. legal education. Our students were able to meet and collaborate with Turkish students at KU Law’s long-time friends at Bahçeşehir University (BAU).
“We were presented with a wonderful institution whose close relationship with KU and drive for excellence was immediately apparent,” said Rebein. “BAU loves its students, and that same love was given to us.”
This program is a fantastic opportunity to achieve a more well-rounded law school experience despite having to delay internships and other summer job opportunities. Plus, the students were able to immerse themselves completely in Turkish culture.
“Though Americans might not be as well acquainted with Türkiye as with some other European countries, it rivals the rest of the world with the breadth of its natural and architectural beauty, as well as its historical significance,” said Hagerott.
Alongside the beauty of the country and the invaluable learning experience, this study abroad experience helped create strong relationships between the students and the faculty who traveled with them.
“Having the ability to spend time with distinguished professors and the dean truly made this experience unforgettable,” said Colombo. “By speaking with Dean Mazza and Professor Ware, I found new interests in law which I had not considered.”
Colombo, Hagerott and Rebein aren’t the only students with rave reviews of KU Law’s study abroad programming. Recent KU Law grad, Jamie Treto, L’23, shared her experience studying in Italy for a semester in 2022 and more opportunities for studying around the globe are accessible to all law students.
“A study abroad experience can be eye-opening for students, particularly those who have not done a lot of international travel,” said Dean Mazza. “Students get out of their comfort zones, respond to challenges and get the opportunity to learn about other legal systems which often helps them understand U.S. law better.”
Learn about all KU Law’s study abroad opportunities.
– By Emma Herrman