Georgia Law at Oxford Overview University, Town and Surroundings Academic Program Faculty Administration Tuition, Room and Board, Program Fees Application Related Links

Overview

The Georgia-Ohio State law semester program at Oxford runs for 15 weeks.  It is jointly conducted by the University of Georgia School of Law and The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, and is approved by the American Bar Association. It is one of the few semester-long study abroad opportunities offered by American law schools.  We enroll 20 students each year, 10 from Ohio State and 10 from Georgia.  The program is open to both second- and third-year law students.

Students take four courses and receive 12 semester hours of credit. Three of the four courses address comparative or international law subjects in a "traditional" small group classroom setting.  The fourth course, a supervised research tutorial, enables students to write a lengthy research paper (50 pages) on a comparative or international law topic of their own choosing.

The research tutorial and one traditional format course are taught by members of the law faculty at Oxford.  The other two traditional format courses are taught by a law professor from Ohio State or Georgia, in alternating years (i.e., an OSU professor in 2008, a Georgia professor in 2009, etc.)

Students are associate members of St Anne's College, one of the 40 colleges that make up the University of Oxford. They have access to dining, computer, library, sports and other student-related facilities/activities at the college. Students reside in a Victorian house in North Oxford, owned by the University of Georgia. The house is within walking distance of St Anne's and the entire university complex. Students have library privileges at the university's Bodleian Library, one of the world's most famous research libraries.

University, Town and Surroundings

Located 54 miles northwest of London, the ancient city of Oxford is home to a renowned university that dates from the 12th century.  The city enjoys a remarkably rich artistic and cultural life, and is within easy reach of splendid countryside and unspoiled villages.  The city and its university provide an exciting setting for a semester program in law.  The University of Oxford began as a confederation of independent colleges.  The extensive grounds and magnificent buildings of the colleges still exist, each as a self-contained academic unit with a dining hall, classrooms, student living and recreational facilities, and faculty offices.

2009 Academic Program

The following courses will be offered in the 2009 spring semester

International Intellectual Property (3 credits)
taught by Georgia professor Paul Heald

This course will explore the principles and policies supporting the international protection of intellectual property rights, as well as the sources of theose rights. We will focus on the international treaty arrangements for copyright, patent, and trademark protection, as well as on questions of enforcement, jurisdiction, and choice of law. The course will also examine the function of international intellectucual property organizations, recent developments in the European Union, and issues relating to establishing and enforcing intellectual property rights in less developed nations. No background in science, engineering, or international law is required for this course.

International Trade Laws (3 credits)
taught by Georgia professor Paul Heald

Study of international institutions (WTO, EU, WIPO, ICC, etc.), treaties (GATT, NAFTA, Warsaw Convention, COGSA, etc.), and statutes (CISG, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, various implementation acts, etc.) relevant to the movement of goods, services, capital, and technology around the world.

Legal Processes (3 credits)
taught by Oxford Professor Keith Hawkins

The purpose of this course is to give students an understanding of the law in action. Accordingly, the course will not so much teach students law as teach students about law, exploring various aspects of how legal rules operate. The substantive focus will be mostly on criminal justice and public law, although civil law will not be neglected since there are important parallels to be drawn, for example, in the handling of civil disputes and pre-trial bargaining in criminal cases. Study materials will be drawn from both U.S. and U.K. sources. The areas and questions to be covered will include: how social problems are transformed and created into potentially legal cases; how law is enforced; how cases are handled by legal bureaucracies and lawyers; how cases are disposed of, including pre-trial bargaining and settling out of court; the role of courts and adjudication; and alternative forms of handling disputes.

One student described this course as follows:

Throughout law school we study cases that are actually litigated, but this only accounts for 3% or 4% of the cases that are filed. Everything else gets weeded out, and we finally have a chance to see how they are weeded out in this class. It provides students with a different perspective and teaches us a different way of looking at the legal system. Rather than focus on a question for which a trial will provide a legal answer, this classes focuses on the matter in which the social dispute is transformed into a legal question. The class demonstrates that the legal answer does not necessarily provide a social resolution to the dispute. This might be evident once someone says it, but it is not something that students often think about, and we should.

In addition to the two 75-minute class meetings per week, there will be a visit to the Oxford Crown Court or to the Magistrates' Courts in the city (possibly to both). The Magistrates' Courts are important because all criminal cases (as well as some others) that arise in the Oxford area are brought in that judicial forum.

Supervised Research Tutorial (3 credits)

This course is modeled on the format of the justly renowned Oxford tutorial. Each tutor will meet periodically with a small number of students. Meetings will be devoted to planning or revising the students' individual research papers, to be completed by the end of the semester. Law students will participate in groups of 3 or 4 with their individual tutors (professors). Listed below are the six Oxford professors who are currently supervising research tutorials, their general subject areas, and some of the research and writing projects prepared under their guidance in 2006 and 2007.

• Professor Nicholas Bamforth: Comparative Constitutional and Human Rights Law  
  
  Human Rights Violations and the Responsibilities and Liabilities of States and Multi-National Corporations
  
  Striking a Balance: A Comparative Analysis of Protections for Both Individuals and Police in the US, England and the EU
  
  Broadcasting Freedom in the United States and the UK
  
  Legal Rights Afforded to War on Terror Detainees in the US and UK
  
  The Court and Aspirational Prudence: The Law's Promise, Democracy and Rights
  
  Same-Sex Marriage in the United State and the United Kingdom
  
  Going Too Far?: Comparative Legal Frameworks on the Use of Torture in the United Kingdom and the United States
  

• Professor Anne Davies: Comparative Labor and Employment Law & Administrative Law 
  
  Genetic Discrimination in the Workplace
  
  A Comparative Study of Redundancy/Layoff Laws
  
  Labor Issues in Regional Trade Agreements; Comparing the EU and NAFTA/NAALC
  
  Privacy and the Media: A Comparison of Laws in the United States and the United Kingdom
  
  Protection for Freedom of Religion in the United State and the United Kingdom
  

• Professor James Edelman: Contract Law, Torts, Equity and Remedies  
  
  Exemption Clauses for Breach of Trust From a Comparative Perspective
  
  Conflicting Libel Laws and the Problems Created by Forum-Shopping by Plaintiffs Choosing to Sue in the Most Favorable Jurisdiction  
  
  The Treatment of the Business Judgment Rule From a Comparative Perspective

• Professor Elizabeth Fisher: Comparative Risk Regulation, Environmental Law and Regulatory Subjects
  
  Promotion of Collaborative Approaches Between Industry, Citizens and Government in EU and US Risk Regulation
  
  A Comparison of US and UK Regulatory Strategies Concerning Contaminated Land
  
  A Comparison of the Ability of States in the US and EU to Take Measures in Circumstances of Scientific Uncertainty When it Infringes the Dormant Commerce Clause/Article 28
  
  Trading Spaces: the United States and United Kingdom 's Approach to Ergonomic Injuries
  
  A Smoking Look at Federalism: Public Smoking Regulation in the United State and the United Kingdom
  

• Professor Stefan Talmon: International Law in International Affairs and Other International Law Topics
  
  Do Georgia Law Students Need to Think About International Law
  
  Use of Non-Native Languages in Treaty Making
  
  How the US Supreme Court Uses International Law
  
  Right to Leave - Obligation to Stay: Rights and Duties of an Occupant
  
  Issues of Law and Jurisdiction Related to Establishment of an International Tribunal to Prosecute Those Involved in the Murder of Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri
  
  Is There a Legal Obligation on States to Provide International Emergency Assistance?
  
  The Status of "Article 98" Agreements Seeking Exemption from International Criminal Court Jurisdiction
  
  The United States ' Failure to Protect Iraq 's Cultural Property: A Violation of International Law?    
  

• Professor Lucia Zedner: Comparative Criminology and Criminal Justice  
  
  Comparing Recourse to Incarceration by the Penal Systems in the US and UK
  
  The Role of the Jury in Criminal Trials in the US and UK
  
  The Comparative Effectiveness of Treatment Programs for Offenders in Reducing Recidivism in the US and UK
  
  Terror's Triumph Over the Right to Privacy: A Comparison Between United States and United Kingdom Government Surveillance Policy and Law
  
  The Death Penalty and International Law - Comparing Approaches in the United States and the United Kingdom
  
  International Terrorism: War or Crime? Why the "War on Terror" is Conceptually Flawed
  
  Comparative Issues in Insanity Defense Jurisprudence

Faculty

A.  Faculty for "Traditional" Format Courses (each course required)

Paul J. Heald (Web Profile) Allen Post Professor of Law, University of Georgia School of Law A.B., A.M., University of Illinois; J.D., University of Chicago  Paul J. Heald joined Georgia Law in 1989 and, 10 years later, became the youngest faculty member in the law school's history to be named to a chaired position, the Allen Post Professorship. In addition to teaching courses in intellectual property law, he also leads classes in international trade and secured transactions. Heald lectures frequently on his areas of expertise at scholarly conferences around the country and Europe. He has taught in the University of Georgia's London Law Consortium and served as a visiting professor at the University of Regensburg in Germany, the Université de Lyon in France, the Innsbruck Summer School, the University of Texas and Vanderbilt University. Prior to joining Georgia Law, Heald clerked for Judge Frank M. Johnson Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.

Keith Hawkins (Web Profile) Fellow and Tutor in Law, Oriel College; Professor of Law & Society, University of Oxford Former Deputy Director, Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, University of Oxford. Former Member, Parole Board for England and Wales; Visiting Fellow, U.S. National Institute of Justice; Visiting Professor of Law at the University of Texas and The Ohio State University; University of Oxford-Ohio State University Summer Law Program 1989-2000. LL.B. Birmingham; Diploma in Criminology, M.A., Ph.D. Cambridge; M.A., D.Phil. Oxford.

B. Faculty for Supervised Research Tutorial (students to take one of the six)

	Nicholas Bamforth (Web Profile) Fellow in Law, The Queen's College, Oxford; CUF Lecturer in Law, University of Oxford; 2003-04, Hauser Global Research Fellow, NYU School of Law; former Fellow in Law, Robinson College, Cambridge; Lecturer in Law, University College, London. B.A., B.C.L., M.A., Oxford. Author or editor of three books and author of over 40 articles on range of constitutional and human rights topics.
	Anne Davies (Web Profile) Fellow and Tutor in Law, Brasenose College, Oxford; former Fellow After Examination, All Souls College, Oxford; Visiting Scholar, University of Michigan Law School (Fall 1999). B.A., D.Phil., Oxford. Author of 12 articles on range of public law topics.
	James Edelman (Web Profile) Fellow and Tutor in Law, Keble College, CUF Lecturer in Law; University of Oxford; Adjunct Professor, University of Western Australia; Barrister, Australia; Author, co-author or editor of 5 books on unjust enrichment, damages, equity, interest awards and restitution and author of over 50 articles, chapters or notes on tort law, restitution, contract law and other related subjects.
	Elizabeth Fisher (Web Profile) Tutorial Fellow in Law, Corpus Christi College, Oxford; CUF Lecturer in Law, University of Oxford; former Lecturer in Law and Acting Director for Centre for Environmental Law at University of Southampton; Visiting Professor, Florida State University Law School (Summer/Fall 2001); L.L.B., University of New South Wales (Australia), D.Phil. Oxford. Editor of one book and author of more than 30 articles or book chapters on Environmental Law, Risk Regulation, and related regulatory subjects.
	Stefan Talmon () University Lecturer in Public International Law, University of Oxford; Tutorial Fellow in Law, St. Anne's College; Associate Professor, Tubingen University, Germany. LL.M., Cambridge, D.Phil., Oxford; Barrister, Member of German Bar. Author of five books and more than 20 articles or book chapters on range of International Law topics.
	Lucia Zedner (Web Profile) British Academy Research Readership and Reader in Criminal Justice, University of Oxford; CUF Lecturer in Law, University of Oxford; Tutor and Senior Law Fellow, Corpus Christi College. Former Assistant Director, Mannheim Centre for Criminology and Criminal Justice & Lecturer in Law, London School of Economics. B.A., University of York, D.Phil., Oxford. Author of over 40 articles and book chapters on topics in criminology and criminal justice.

Administration

	Dr. Christopher J. Whelan, On-Site British Coordinator (Web Profile) Associate Director, International Law Programmes, University of Oxford Department of Continuing Education; member of Barristers' Chambers in London and Oxford. Dr. Whelan has held academic positions in law in U.K. (University of Warwick and University of Oxford Centre for Socio-Legal Studies) and U.S. (Visiting Professor or Scholar in Residence at University of Texas, Ohio State University, Washington and Lee University). In addition he has held administrative positions at University of Warwick and University of Oxford, including director of Oxford summer law programme for U.S. students for 15 years. LL.B. and Ph.D., London School of Economics, M.A., Oxford.
	David E. Shipley, Administrative Coordinator, Athens (Web Profile) Thomas R.R. Cobb Professor, University of Georgia School of Law B.A. Oberlin College; J.D., University of Chicago David Shipley joined Georgia Law in 1998 as Dean, after serving as Dean of the University of Kentucky College of Law (1993-98) and Dean of the University of Mississippi School of Law (1990-93). He taught at the University of South Carolina School of Law from 1977 to 1990 and was a visiting professor at William & Mary (1983-84) and Ohio State (1986-87). After stepping down as Georgia's Dean in 2003 Shipley worked with faculty at Ohio State's Moritz College of Law and UGA's Oxford Program to establish the Oxford Law Semester, plan and design the basic curriculum, recruit students for 2006 and 2007, and secure approval of the program by the American Bar Association. Shipley was the American professor in residence at Oxford during the 2007 program, teaching Comparative Intellectual Property and International Administrative Law. He regards his semester teaching in the Oxford Law program as one the best experiences in his 30 years as a legal educator.

Tuition, Room and Board, Program Fees

Tuition:  Students enrolled in the program pay regular tuition at their home school (Georgia or Ohio State), and will purchase books or photocopied materials as they ordinarily would.

Room:  Housing costs (including utilities) for 15 weeks are not yet set, but they should be approximately $3,900, payable to the University of Georgia or The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.

Board:  Students pay their own food costs, as they would at Georgia or Ohio State.  They have the option of cooking for themselves, dining in St Anne's College (at a subsidized rate, similar to plans available at UGA or the "Buck I.D."), or sampling Oxford's range of restaurants.

Program Fee:  This covers the cost of U.K. instructors, the on-site British coordinator, library privileges at the Bodleian, associate membership at St Anne"s, ABA fees and other administrative expenses.  The total will be approximately $3,900 in 2009.  This fee is payable to the University of Georgia School of Law or the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.

Application Form -  University of Georgia/Ohio State University Oxford Semester Program - Spring 2009.  Deadline March 21, 2008.

Application is in pdf format and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view, complete and print.  Click here to obtain Adobe Acrobat Reader

• University of Georgia at Oxford
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