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Akron Law unveils new study abroad option in Ireland
Administrators at The University of Akron School of Law recently signed a letter of understanding with Maynooth University in Ireland that will allow students to study comparative law at the university. The school has also established relationships and signed memorandums of understanding or MOUs with Hanoi Law University, Hue University of Law and the law department at Da Nang University of Economics in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The first group of Akron Law students traveled to Vietnam in May 2023, visiting a variety of locations and watching a criminal trial at the Gia Lam District Court outside of Hanoi, pictured here. (Photo courtesy of William Hatt).
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: December 27, 2024
Students at The University of Akron School of Law have a brand new study abroad option after administrators signed a letter of understanding with Maynooth University in Ireland.
The agreement was finalized in mid-October after Akron Law Dean Emily Janoski-Haehlen and Associate Dean of Law Library Services Kerry Lohmeier flew to the Republic of Ireland to work out the remaining details.
It will allow Akron Law students to study comparative law at the university and gain firsthand knowledge of the legal system in Ireland.
“Practicing law in Ireland is very different than what attorneys are used to in the United States,” said Janoski-Haehlen. “It is much more formal. The barristers operate out of the Four Courts Building in Dublin and some still wear silks and robes. They also utilize print books in the law library much more than attorneys in the U.S.
“Ireland is an amazing country,” she said. “The people are very friendly.
“Students who take advantage of the program will get the chance to learn about the differences between the U.S. and Irish legal systems and have the opportunity to experience the country through the eyes of the locals,” said Janoski-Haehlen.
The program is expected to kick off in May 2025 and will be managed by Lohmeier, Assistant Professor Sarah Starnes and Assistant Dean for Career Services and Strategic Initiatives Alisa N. Benedict O’Brien.
Other faculty members are expected to participate in the future.
Students will take a comparative law class taught by Lohmeier and attend lectures given by Maynooth University law faculty. There will also be scheduled excursions around the Irish countryside where students will get to explore castles, cliffs, mountains and experience Irish life and culture.
In addition, students will take trips to Dublin to meet with industry partners and law firms, tour the Four Courts, parliament and the Bar of Ireland, meet with barristers and visit open court proceedings.
The Ireland program is one of several new study abroad options added in recent years.
The school has also established relationships and signed memorandums of understanding or MOUs with Hanoi Law University, Hue University of Law and the law department at Da Nang University of Economics in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
In addition, Akron Law administrators have signed Letters of Intent with La Universidad Católica de Santa María in Arequipa, Peru and the Royal University of Law and Economics in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Janoski-Haehlen credits Patrick Gaughan, assistant dean of global engagement and associate professor of law, with laying the groundwork for the growing international opportunities.
Gaughan, who has a J.D. and a doctorate in international business, earned an MBA in business from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.
One of his Trinity classmates made the initial introduction to administrators at Maynooth University.
Gaughan also completed a U.S. Fulbright Scholarship at Hanoi Law University in Vietnam, which helped foster the development of broader connections throughout Southeast Asia.
“These partnerships ultimately come down to relationships,” said Gaughan. “Once you have an established personal relationship in any of these countries, doors open up for enhanced learning opportunities for Akron Law students, law students from our partner institutions and faculty at the respective institutions.
“In the process, Akron Law’s integration of its global model for legal education provides a deep appreciation for how different cultures, economies and legal systems operate,” said Gaughan. “This provides Akron Law students with a broader perspective both in how the American legal system can be improved as well as the options for creative problem solving of client issues.
“It also provides a convenient opportunity for Akron Law faculty to improve their international engagement as well.”
The Vietnam program started in 2023.
Akron Law students began the two-week trip in Hanoi on May 19. They were accompanied by Gaughan and former clinical professor of law and now-visiting practitioner Gary Spring.
They visited locations such as the office of global law firm Baker McKenzie and the Supreme People’s Court and got the chance to see a criminal trial.
The students also spent time at Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter.
The following week they attended classes at Hanoi Law University, learning about the government, legal system and the way in which environmental law is approached. They had similar learning experiences the following week in Hue, Vietnam at Hue University of Law.
Prior to the trip, students took a two-credit intercession course on global lawyering with Spring and completed either a one- or three-credit law and economics class taught by Gaughan.
Janoski-Haehlen also traveled to Vietnam for a few days to sign the MOUs with the schools and enjoy a taste of the culture.
“These are general study abroad comparative law programs, which provide a rare insight into a very different legal system,” she said.
Akron Law 3L William Hatt, president and co-founder of the International Law Society, was among the students who took part in the inaugural Vietnam program.
“It was a great experience,” said Hatt. “Vietnam has a civil law system versus a common law system like we have in the U.S. and as a result the courts operate somewhat differently.
“We watched a criminal trial at the Gia Lam District Court outside of Hanoi, involving a man accused of stealing a moped or motor bike,” said Hatt.
“The prosecutor in the case wore a bright blue uniform,” he said. “There was no defense counsel and the defendant had already confessed, so after a witness testified, the defendant was found guilty.”
Hatt said with the exception of Hanoi Law University, which falls under the purview of the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education and Training oversees all of Vietnam’s universities.
Beyond the educational component, Hatt said he learned a great deal about the history and culture, including sampling the unique cuisine.
And after traveling from Hanoi to the old Vietnamese capital of Hue, he said he learned that the food in central Vietnam is much spicier.
As part of the program, students were required to write a paper on the relationship between law and economics.
Hatt wrote about land use rights in Vietnam upon his return to the U.S.
“In Vietnam, there is no private ownership of land,” said Hatt. “Individuals can buy land use rights for certain purposes and periods of time.”
While the 2023 trip included seven students, educators are hoping to attract a larger group of participants in the future.
“I felt very safe and I would definitely recommend more students try it,” said Hatt.
Subject to student interest, Akron Law has scheduled several other travel abroad programs including to Peru (March 2025), the Republic of Ireland (May 2025), Botswana/South Africa (May 2026), Finland/Ireland (May 2026) and Vietnam/Cambodia (May 2027).
Students who opt to go to Peru next March will complete a one- or three-credit online asynchronous law and economics course taught by Gaughan prior to leaving.
The Akron Law students will also be meeting a parallel cohort of law students at La Universidad Católica de Santa María in Arequipa, Peru. These Peruvian law students are currently in the middle of a sister law and economics course, which Gaughan is teaching synchronously on Microsoft Teams.
Once the Akron Law students complete their visit to Arequipa, they will proceed to visit Machu Picchu, Cusco and Puno, Peru. Throughout the study abroad program, the students will be chaperoned by Spring and Akron Law Assistant Dean of Student Affairs Andrew Costigan.
“Preliminary plans for the study abroad trip to Peru include the expansion of joint course and degree offerings as well as a new expanded MOU between the two universities,” said Gaughan.
“The opportunities for students to study abroad in so many different countries around the world really gives Akron Law students a distinctive experience while in law school and will, hopefully open doors to future career opportunities or give them new perspectives on the rule of law,” said Janoski-Haehlen.