IELE International Judicial Program

As one of the leading centers of jurisprudence and legal theory in the U.S., Berkeley Law School hosts each year a significant number of overseas students, researchers, judges and visiting scholars from public sector backgrounds.

Berkeley Law’s teaching faculty include prominent judges with extensive firsthand knowledge of the U.S. court system, including former Federal Magistrate Judge Wayne D. Brazil; Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge William A. Fletcher, the Richard W. Jennings Professor of Law Emeritus; and United States District Court Judge Vaughn R. Walker.

IELE’s Judicial Training program is designed for the education and training of judicial delegations from overseas and provides a broad philosophical understanding combined with a practical training focus on the basics of the U.S. common law and court systems. These programs are customizable, but some areas of focus include:

  • The “Rule of Law” concept in American jurisprudence
  • Sources of US substantive and procedural laws
  • Role of the Judiciary in the US legal and political system
  • Structure and Organization of the US Court system, including state and federal courts, function of the appellate courts
  • Civil and Criminal Adjudication Systems, e.g., case management procedures, pre- trial procedures, discovery, remedies and enforcement of judgments
  • Economic and Social Cost-Benefits of the U.S. civil litigation system and its emphasis on Due Process
  • Rise and Role of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

In addition to lectures by Berkeley Law faculty, participants engage in visits to federal and state courts, as well as to administrative tribunals and government offices, to observe proceedings and discuss procedures, judicial methods, case management and roles of judges and regulators.  For more information please contact IELE’s J.D. Executive Director, Louise Francis at lfrancis@law.berkeley.edu.