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Gedurende Januarie 2009 het Dr. C.F. Swanepoel ‘n besoek gebring aan die Charlotte School of Law in Charlotte, North Carolina, V.S.A. Die hoofrede vir die besoek was om die moontlikheid van internasionale samewerking tussen die Fakulteit Regsgeleerdheid van die Universiteit van die Vrystaat en genoemde instelling te bewerkstellig. Die besoek is voorafgegaan met korrespondensie tussen Dr. Swanepoel en die dekaan van die Charlotte School of Law en veral met Professor Adcock, Direkteur van wat die instelling ‘experiential learning’ noem - ‘n konsep min of meer geskoei op ons konsep van kliniese regsonderrig.
The Charlotte School of Law, from our perspective, represents a novel idea in legal education. It is a member of the infilaw system, which is a consortium of independent law schools that are committed to making legal education more responsive to the realities of new legal career dynamics. Its stated mission is therefore to establish student centered ABA (American Bar Association) accredited law schools in underserved markets that deliver students with practice ready skills.
Dit is met inagname van bogenoemde dat hierdie instelling besondere moontlikhede vir samewerking aan die Fakulteit bied. Daar is ‘n sterk klem om regsvaardighede, en veral kritiese en analitiese denke, te ontwikkel. Die instelling se drie verklaarde hoofprioriteite is die volgende: praktyksvoorbereiding, algehele fokus op studente, en die belang van interaksie met studente en die gemeenskap.
A meeting between members of Charlotte’s faculty, including their interim dean, their vice-dean and four members of their faculty, and Dr. Swanepoel took place on the 15th January. Existing documents of our Faculty relating to co-operation with institutions like Utrecht were used as point of departure. Dr. Swanepoel also provided the gathering with the University’s cluster foci areas as well as the research foci of some members of the Faculty.
After a lengthy introduction of them- and ourselves, the following were agreed to:
1. That the two institutions enter into international co-operation with each other at various levels.
2. That student exchange at pre-graduate level for any lengthy period(s) of time would in all probability not be ideal (This is mainly because of Charlotte’s current priority of receiving ABA accreditation as soon as possible)
3. That student interaction at pre-graduation level could lie on various levels such as participation in student mock/moot competitions and debates and interaction by tele-conferencing and even communication on facebook.
4. That Prof. Adcock and Dr. Swanepoel explore specifics on co-operation on pre-graduate and other levels and present these to their respective faculties as a matter of priority.
5. That the other ‘usual avenues’ of co-operation be pursued such as academic fellowship visits and joint research and publications.
Alhoewel die Suid-Afrikaanse en Amerikaanse regsonderrigstelsels drasties verskil, is daar tog verskeie gebiede waarop daar met vrug saamgewerk kan word. Die Charlotte School of Law is ‘n relatiewe jong maar uiters dinamiese akademiese instelling wat soos genoem, uiters praktyksgerig is - ‘n kwessie soos wat ons deeglik bewus is, huidig hoog op die agenda van regsonderrig in Suid Afrika is. Op die gebied van gemeenskapsdiens-en diensleer, was dit interessant om te let op die aansienlike waarde wat hierop geplaas word as verpligte deel van die J.D. graad. Die grondliggende filosofie hieragter is dat studente waarvevolle praktyksvaardighede ontwikkel deur interaksie met die gemeenskap op verskeie vlakke.
As immediate post-meeting consequence, Charlotte School of law has notified Dr. Swanepoel that the details regarding co-operation has been assigned to a committee appointed for the purpose. Further, we have been able to assist Professor Sheryl Buske in exploring the possibility of submitting an article for publication in the Journal for Juridical Science. Adv. Mariette Reyneke of the Department Procedural Law and Evidence is currently considering making a visit to Charlotte School of Law later this year and incidental to a paper she is delivering at the ELA in neigbouring Kentucky.
I wish to thank my hosts as well as the Faculty of Law and the University’s international office for affording me the opportunity to make this visit. I have a number of fresh ideas relating to practical legal training and engagement of law students that will with no doubt with time be put into practice for the benefit of our students and our Faculty.
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