Students in eastern Europe are gearing up for the second semester of Critical Thinking and Advocacy – Foundation of a Free Society, a year-long course sponsored by The Leavitt Institute for International Development (TLI).
The course will begin February 26, 2018 in universities and law schools in Moldova, Poland, Romania, and Ukraine.
During the semester, seasoned legal professionals from the United States and Canada will travel to these countries to teach students about a variety of topics. The semester will culminate in an international competition in Moldova and a three-week internship in the U.S. or Canada for select students.
The second part of the TLI course follows a successful fall semester in which more than 20 legal professionals traveled to eastern Europe to teach. Those professionals donate their time and money to take part in this experience. Many of them consider it one of the highlights of their careers.
The course consists of a series of lessons aimed at informing and preparing participants to conduct a trial according to the rules of the common law system, characteristic of the United States of America. By combining theory with practical exercises during classes, students will become well versed in these principles and will have the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills in an international mock trial competition. Teams from all four countries will take part.
Following that event, students who apply and qualify will take part in an all-expense-paid internship to the United States or Canada. During a period of three weeks, they will work closely with judges and attorneys to deepen their understanding of the principles they learned during the school year.
The Leavitt Institute for International Development was founded in 2005 by David and Chelom Leavitt. It is a non-profit organization whose primary goal is to promote democracy, ethics, and the rule of law in developing nations.