South Texas College of Law Houston (STCL Houston) is known historically as a national leader in Advocacy training, but a recent ranking by preLaw magazine – a National Jurist publication – names the school’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and international law programs among the best in the country.
The magazine graded law schools on the breadth of their curricular offerings to determine this ranking.
“We were delighted to learn that one of the nation’s preeminent publications for pre-law students ranks South Texas as a national leader in ADR and international law,” said Don Guter, president and dean of South Texas College of Law Houston. “Our ADR teams, representing the Frank Evans Center for Conflict Resolution, continue to accrue national championships – with three in the last year alone, and 14 national and international wins in the past five years. And our faculty comprises some of the nation’s most distinguished scholars in international economic law, national security law, and public international law.
“With the increasing demand for skilled dispute resolution practitioners and well-equipped international law experts, we prioritize training in these fields to give our students the greatest competitive advantage following graduation.”
Alternative Dispute Resolution:
In the Winter 2018 issue, preLaw magazine writer Tyler Roberts underscores the growing popularity of ADR among both students and attorneys as practice opportunities in mediation and arbitration continue to rise.
Currently, the Evans Center sponsors and administers a variety of programs and projects, including classes, trainings, clinical opportunities, externships, and dispute resolution competitions. STCL Houston offers eight ADR-related courses – including a mediation clinic and a 40-hour basic mediation training, which is open to both students and professionals – and approximately 125 students earn their Texas mediator certification each year. The school boasts nearly 20 full-time and part-time ADR-focused faculty and competition coaches who are leaders in their field.
“Very few cases actually make it to trial, so it is important that our students are well-versed in a variety of dispute resolution processes,” said Debra Berman, director of the Evans Center at STCL Houston. “This includes effective representation in negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. The ADR skills that our students learn will be used in every facet of their legal practice.”
International Law:
With international relations a key focus of businesses and government organizations, law school graduates with expertise extending beyond U.S. borders are in high demand. Law schools across the country are responding to this demand, with more than 130 now offering some type of concentration in this area of study. Among the institutions earning a grade of B+ or higher in preLaw’s recent ranking of top schools for international law, 34 have dedicated international law centers.
STCL Houston is home to the Institute for International Legal Practice and National Security (IILP and NS), which provides students with relevant, practical education and contributes to public discourse on matters of worldwide importance. The school provides students with a global perspective through an extensive curriculum in the areas of international law, international economic law, and national security; a summer-abroad program and active international law society; research opportunities; and the chance to participate in Currents: Journal of International Economic Law (soon approaching 25 years of publication).
“The IILP and NS acts as the coordinator of everything involving international law, international economic law and national security at STCL Houston, and provides teaching, scholarship, and outreach to Houston and its international practitioners, as well as to the international scholarly community,” said Cherie Taylor, professor of law and co-director of the Institute for International Legal Practice and National Security at STCL Houston. “The two main areas of work of the institute (through Taylor and Co-Director and Professor Geoffrey S. Corn) focus on the linkage of international economic law and transactional skills (to make students practice ready) and the connection between international law and national security.”
For more information about ADR, international law, and other key areas of legal training at STCL Houston, please visit www.stcl.edu.