Notre Dame Law School in Indiana has added an exchange program opportunity with Strathmore Law School in Nairobi, Kenya.
This will be Notre Dame’s first exchange program agreement in Africa, according to a news release. The schools said the exchange program will enhance students’ understanding of different cultures, legal traditions and scholarly approaches to law.
“It is high time that Notre Dame Law School had an exchange partner in Africa,” said Marcus Cole, dean of Notre Dame Law School. “I am elated that Strathmore Law School is the partner.”
The program will allow for two exchange students from each school to attend a semester at the other school. There will also be an exchange of faculty members, where they will visit the other school for short courses. The two schools hope that the agreement will encourage collaboration on research projects between the schools.
This agreement also includes the establishment of an online annual conference on human rights, where they will award an essay prize.
“We are not at all strangers, since our alumni and former staff members have gone through the hands of Notre Dame in their LL.M. and Ph.D. studies,” said Strathmore Law School Dean Peter Kwenjera. “We believe this partnership will go a long way in creating avenues for our students and staff members to interact and since we need to innovate in the legal education sphere, such collaborations will go a long way in that regard.”
Cole noted in the release that Ann Claire Williams, a Notre Dame Law School graduate and retired judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals, opened many doors with her connections in Africa which led to the new program’s development. Williams worked with Jones Day to advance the rule of law in Africa through pro bono efforts.
Notre Dame has expanded its international programs over the years through its Global Lawyering Initiative. It has created exchange programs with schools in Chile, China, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, and Switzerland, and its long-running program in London.
