Does Winter get you down? Winter session programs give students the opportunity to advance their education, and some let you do that while on the beach.
Consider a program in an exotic destination like Curaçao, which is jointly offered by the University of Baltimore School of Law and Hofstra University, Maurice A. Deane School of Law.
“In addition to spending Christmas on a Caribbean beach, the highlights of the program were the multiple field trips to various national and local government offices to experience firsthand comparative and international law,” said Clark Smith, a third-year law student at the University of Baltimore. “We visited the local prosecutor’s office to discuss Curaçao’s legal system based on Dutch law and to the U.S. Consulate to learn about cooperation on drug interdiction between the U.S. and Curaçao.”
Catherine Moore, Coordinator for International Programs at the University of Baltimore, said students often bring their families to accompany them on the three-week trip to Curaçao, which overlaps with the holiday season.
“Mixing sun and study is ideal for a student who usually spends their winter break in the snow,” Moore said. “Studying abroad opens up a whole host of career opportunities and broadens your network. You never know how that’ll come in handy down the line.”
Exotic destinations are ideal for those studying international or comparative law. Moore said learning about a foreign legal system can help students better understand the American legal system.
“Opening your mind and being exposed to different legal cultures will make you a better lawyer domestically,” Moore said. “It allows you to have a different experience that you wouldn’t get in your every day law school life.”
