Dublin, Ireland Study Abroad

The Legal Studies Program of the Department of Political Science conducted its first Study Abroad Program in June 2016. The program offered graduate and undergraduate students the opportunity to take a basic course in Legal Theory and Analysis that focused on judicial decision making; the course also compared legal institutions in the United States with comparable legal institutions in Ireland. Each student who participated in the program also developed an Independent Study course and pursued one or more topics of special interest to the student. The program took place in Dublin, Ireland from June 10 through June 30, 2016, and was housed at University College Dublin (UCD).

Students had the opportunity to do extensive sightseeing as well as to participate in excursions to various Irish legal institutions, including the Criminal Courts of Justice (where many criminal trials and appeals occur), Four Courts (where many civil trials and appeals occur), the King’s Inn (where barristers are trained), and Leinster House (home to the Oireachtas, the Irish Parliament). Students with a particular interest in Alternative Dispute Resolution also visited the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for Conflict Intervention at Maynooth University and the Mediators’ Institute of Ireland.

Dr. Walter Wright was the faculty sponsor for the June 2016 program. Dr. Lynn Crossett will lead the June 2017 program. For further information about the 2017 program, contact Dr. Crossett at lynncrossett@txstate.edu.