Training
in Interamerican
Law challenges
15 generations
of university students trained across Latin America and Canada
+ 300 Certified Students
Contributing from each country and enriching the format of this summer program, providing training to all students and participants through mentors.
+ than 50 academic experts collaborating
Enriching the exchange of knowledge and ideas through debates and discussions delving into the realities and practices of our legal-political systems.
Why was this Training created?
Since the 1980s, all of Latin America has opened up to law as an object of democratization.
The entire American continent strives to make justice a more equal and accessible right.
However, very little is known about both the limitations and the successes that the hemisphere is going through.
The main objective of this course, created more than ten years ago, is to train future jurists on the challenges faced by several countries in the American hemisphere and in which the law and judicial actors can play a role.
For an
Egalitarian Right
In 2001, shortly after the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City, it was critical that Canada take an interest in the Americas.
New member of the OAS, and despite having a common hemisphere, little was pooled or shared. Canadian jurists, with their conventional principles, were no different. However, there were already many common challenges that required reconciliation through law.
This class addresses topics we have in common such as: the growing immigration, the internationalization of crime, human rights violations of all kinds that are committed across borders and the environment. Over time, new notions of law appear that transcend borders; about victims, reparation, indigenous people or persons in vulnerable situations.
To name a few challenges; so many new challenges need to be shared and go beyond the simple letter of the law, but rather the exchange of knowledge.
Generations of
exchange
Partners
& Alliances
With the support of the University of Ottawa - Faculty of Civil Law - and as coordinating professor, I have had the privilege of creating and setting up this program for more than 10 years in alliance with the following Universities, achieving an Inter-American collaboration that is still valid up to today.
Happy Students
Mariana Balcorta
It is not only a theoretical course, but instances are created to form interpersonal relationships.
We have many lecturers, lawyers and journalists, so it's not just the professors who teach.
It is a great opportunity as a student to be able to explore various contemporary issues, but always with the legal aspect in mind: how can law be used to make a difference and change the world?
Marie-Pierre Boudreau
&
Bianca Lessard
You will learn a lot, not only about the country you are visiting, about the culture and its citizens, but also about yourself.
This exchange was embellished with encounters as pleasant as the others.
It is a unique and educational opportunity that allowed us to realize the richness of cultural diversity in the world.
We quickly understood that before we were Canadians, we were citizens of the world.
George Monastyriakos
&
Sergio Valdiviezo
The exchange course was intellectually stimulating and helped us develop skills that will be invaluable once we begin our careers as lawyers.
The most notable of these is the art of negotiating with parties that have divergent interests, as well as learning how to successfully form and defend a legal argument before a panel of judges.
In terms of personal growth, adjusting to life in Chile broadened my view of the world, improved my cultural awareness, strengthened my character, and helped improve my Spanish.
Kami Temisjian
Latin America has a painful past and that past is recent. Being in Chile we were able to feel the pain of a people that lived through a dictatorship and also feel its strength and pride. It was a privilege to be able to understand the way Chileans found to overcome their difficulties. In addition, we were able to see the importance of Canadian solidarity in the world.
If you want to take a summer course, learn more about international relations and comparative law, improve your knowledge of Spanish and have a great experience, the course coordinated by Pierre Gilles is essential.
Elmura Dixon
What I liked the most about this course is the crossroads between theory and practice, and at the same time, the multitude of interactive and interesting activities. During our apprenticeship, we were able to draw many parallels between Canadian law and Chilean/Latin American law, which gave us a good perspective on comparative law.
I highly recommend the course to anyone interested in international law. The activities were an unforgettable experience for me during my last year at the Faculty of Civil Law at the University of Ottawa. In addition to acquiring new knowledge and skills, I have forged new friendships and created very beautiful memories that I will always cherish.
Evan Boogaart
I wanted to highlight the incredible experience of the course "The Legal-Political Order in Latin America and its Relations with Canada."
This course required tremendous effort in preparation, much of it from the professor who prepared an excellent case study of a legal dispute. This is one of the few courses in which myself and many colleagues, have been able to put our legal knowledge into practice in a concrete way in an international and multidisciplinary reality.
Every day in this course was a dream for many young lawyers curious to know the legal reality further south, both in the classroom and outside the classroom living in the Metropolis of Santiago. With globalization and legal relationships going beyond our borders, the value of this course allowed us to experience the interactions between various global, regional and local legal systems.
Angelica Mule
&
Gabriella Panayotidis
This intensive course offers a unique perspective on a large number of elements that are unique to the social, political, economic and legal systems of Chile, Latin America and that also transcend Canada and the rest of the world.
Adapting to new people and cultures who share the same passions for learning and law represents an innovative experience, deeply enriching our vision of life and our desire to learn. Each new experience and interaction has allowed us to gain new knowledge and a better appreciation of life!
We have been able to challenge the status quo internationally, preparing us to become the innovative leaders and thinkers of tomorrow.
This program is transformative in generating a new vision and understanding the place of law in our societies.