Summer School der St. Mary's University School of Law in Innsbruck

Heuer findet bereits zum 40. Mal die Summer School der St. Mary's University School of Law in Innsbruck statt. Das Programm dauert fünf Wochen vom 29. Juni bis zum 30. Juli 2026. 

Die Kurse entsprechen Lehrveranstaltungen, wie sie für den Lehrbetrieb an einer amerikanischen Universität typisch sind. Abgesehen davon, dass alle Vorlesungen in englischer Sprache gehalten werden, wird von den Studierenden auch erwartet, dass sie sich auf jede einzelne Stunde gezielt vorbereiten. Dazu werden im Voraus sogenannte reading assignments aufgegeben, also eine bestimmte Anzahl von Fällen oder anderen Texten, die von den Studierenden vorab gelesen werden müssen. Potentielle TeilnehmerInnen an einer solchen summer school seien also schon jetzt darauf hingewiesen, dass eine Bewerbung nur dann für sie sinnvoll sein kann, wenn die entsprechende Bereitschaft zu intensivem Arbeiten besteht.

Neben den Lehrveranstaltungen gibt es auch einige field trips und social events.

Teilnahmemöglichkeit für Innsbrucker Studierende

Auch heuer haben wieder acht Studierende die Möglichkeit, an diesem Programm teilzunehmen, ohne tuition fees zu bezahlen. Dazu ist eine Bewerbung bis zum 10. Mai 2026 bei Univ.-Prof. Dr. Bernhard A. Koch, LL.M., nötig. Das nötige Bewerbungsformular kann hier heruntergeladen werden. Prüfungen müssen keine abgelegt werden, es gibt allerdings auch keine Anrechnungsmöglichkeiten für das hiesige Studium!

Programm 2026

Folgende Lehrveranstaltungen werden im Sommer 2026 angeboten:

1. International Business Transactions (Albert Hermann Professor of Law Richard Flint, St. Mary’s University)
   This course will focus on the legal aspects of the most important forms of international commercial sales transactions, including the documentary sales transaction.  The course includes an overview of the principal institutions involved in international sales transactions as well as of the principal forms of international commercial activity.  It focuses primarily on the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods; UCC articles 2, 5 and 7; the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act; the Federal Bill of Lading Act, the UCP 600 (International Chamber of Commerce, Uniform Customs and Practices for Documentary Credits) and the International Chamber of Commerce INCOTERMS. It will also include discussion of other applicable treaties, conventions, and laws concerning the international commercial sales of goods; the laws governing the transportation of goods in international commerce; and the financing of international sales transactions.
2. Lawyering Abroad: Basic Concepts Of European Legal Systems (Prof. Bernhard A. Koch, University of Innsbruck)
   Students in this course will be introduced to the core elements of European legal systems and to their structural dissimilarities with American legal systems.  Emphasis will be placed on major differences between common law and civil law approaches, and examples will be drawn from the laws of Germany, France, and other countries. Particular attention will be given to the practical aspects of lawyering, such as finding the law and communicating with foreign counsel.
3. International Refugee Law (Prof. Erica Schommer, St. Mary´s Univeristy) 
   This course explores the origins of international refugee law and how States have implemented and interpreted the law over time. The course will begin with a review of the United Nations 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees. We will examine the refugee definition and the grounds of eligibility for protection (race, religion, nationality, political opinion and membership in a particular social group) that are applicable worldwide. The course will also study the role of the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in interpreting and ensuring treaty compliance.
4. International Recognition of Indigenous Rights (Prof. Bill Piatt, St. Mary’s University)
   This course will examine the rights of Indigenous peoples and the corresponding obligations of member states of the United Nations, under the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).  We will consider how the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have applied, and in many instances, ignored the provisions of the UNDRIP, as regards the first nations of those countries.
5. International Asset Protection (Prof. Matthew Dawson, St. Mary’s University)
   This course will examine key considerations when establishing and administering offshore asset protection trusts, including international jurisdiction selection, competing jurisdictional interests, sovereignty and tax compliance. The course will also review transfers under the Uniform Voidable Transfers Act, whether asset transfers are protected under international repatriation treaties, and when U.S. Courts can exercise jurisdictions over offshore asset protection trusts and the related parties to the transactions. Additionally, comparisons between domestic and offshore trusts will be discussed, along with resulting civil and criminal penalties that may be imposed for those found to have used offshore planning to engage in fraudulent transfers, money laundering, and regulatory compliance avoidance.

Zeitplan

Die Lehrveranstaltungen finden in zwei Blöcken jeweils von Montag bis Donnerstag Vormittag statt (Ausnahme: Der Kurs "International Business Transactions" wird über die gesamten fünf Wochen angeboten).

First Session (29. Juni - 14. Juli 2026)

 

Second Session (15. Juli - 30. Juli 2026)