Istanbul Program

Istanbul, Turkey June 28-July 26, 2008

Turkey Sea

The Istanbul Study Abroad Program is co-sponsored by the South Texas College of Law and William Mitchell College of Law, and is conducted in cooperation with the University of Bahcesehir in Istanbul.

You can download an application for the Istanbul Study Abroad Program here. For more information, please contact Professor Stephen Mazza at (785) 864-9266 or smazza@ku.edu

The University Of Bahcesehir

The University of Bahcesehir in Istanbul, Turkey, is a foundation university, established in 1998. Bahcesehir has quickly established itself as a progressive, dynamic educational institution. The school's modern facilities are located on the European side of the Bosphorus coast in the heart of Istanbul. With a population in excess of 10 million, Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey. It is the only city in the world located on two continents, Europe and Asia. Its rich history dates back some 5,000 years. Students will enjoy a unique learning experience in this vibrant, cosmopolitan city.

The program contact for the Istanbul Study Abroad Program is Feridun Yenisey, a professor of law at the University of Bahcesehir. Professor Yenisey is the country's foremost expert on international and comparative criminal law.

Curriculum

(There are no prerequisites for any of the courses.)
All classes are taught in English. No Turkish language skills are necessary for participation in the program

Course Description:

Law and Religion: A Comparative View (1 credit -- 1st session) Prof. Michael J. Davis
The course will first review basic United States Supreme Court cases interpreting the religion clauses of the U. S. Constitution. It will then compare those decisions with ones on similar topics from the European Court of Human Rights, which renders decisions for both current European Union countries and the Republic of Turkey.
Comparative Study of Domestic Violence Law and Policy (1 credit – 1st session) Prof. Nancy Ver Steegh
Students will learn about the history of the domestic violence movement in the United States and become familiar with new social science research that is changing the way domestic violence cases are handled. Both criminal and civil approaches will be explored including discussion of implications for child custody and for dispute resolution. Students will consider how culture and tradition shape public policy by comparing how legal systems in different countries have responded to the issue of domestic violence.
Comparative Criminal Law (1 credit – 1st session) Dr. Feridun Yenisey
This course examines as representative of the Civil Law tradition the substantive rules of the criminal law systems operating in Turkey and Germany. Lectures will also concern the development of the European Union Criminal Law and its expansion under the leading decisions of the European Court of Human Rights. Legal concepts and legal institutions of Islamic Criminal Law shall be explained and compared with Civil Law tradition.
Effective Use of Negotiation and Mediation in International Deals and Disputes (1 credit – 2nd session) Prof. Kimberlee Kovach
This course will examine both the negotiation and mediation processes from theoretical, legal and practical perspectives. In doing so, students will have the opportunity to not only gain an understanding of the procedures, but also be able to competently represent clients in each context. Experiential application in both dispute settlement as well as transactional matters will be included. The cultural variations in each process will also be considered and explored as well as the comparative use of the processes.
International Tax Law (1 credit – 2nd session) Prof. Stephen Mazza
This course gives students an introduction to the world of individual and corporate international taxation. The first portion of this course examines basic domestic and international tax rules from the perspectives of the United States. The second portion of the course examines broader, comparative issues relating to international taxation, including operation of consumption-based taxes and worldwide vs. territorial taxation. No prior tax knowledge required.

Faculty:

Michael J. Davis is the Centennial Teaching Professor of Law at the University of Kansas, where he served as Dean from 1980-1989 and 2005-2006. He has taught extensively abroad, including at the University of Vienna, the University of Limerick, and in KU summer programs at Cambridge, UK and Limerick, Ireland.
Nancy Ver Steegh is a professor at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she teaches family law, domestic violence law, and alternative dispute resolution. She publishes articles about domestic violence and she is a co-author of Work of the Family Lawyer and Family Law: Examples & Explanations.
Feridun Yenisey is a professor of law at Bahcesehir University in Istanbul Turkey. He is a frequent visiting professor at law schools within the United States, including the University of Kansas, William Mitchell Law School, and South Texas College of Law. He is a leading proponent of Turkey's efforts to modernize its criminal law system and has published widely on the topic.
Kimberlee K. Kovach has nearly thirty years experience in mediation as a leading teacher, trainer, scholar and practitioner. She is a Past Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, as well as a former Chair of the State Bar of Texas ADR Section. Professor Kovach has taught a variety of ADR courses in legal education for over seventeen years, and is the author of a text book for law school use, Mediation: Principles And Practice (3rd ed. 2004). She is also the author of Mediation In A Nutshell (2003). She currently serves as the Director of the Frank Evans Center for Conflict Resolution as well as the Distinguished Lecturer in Dispute Resolution at South Texas College of Law.
Stephen Mazza is a Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of Kansas School of Law. He teaches a variety of tax courses, including individual, corporate, and partnership tax, as well as tax policy and procedure. He is the co-author of Tax Controversies: Practice and Procedure (2nd ed. 2002).

Admission Requirements

Open to all students who have completed the first-year curriculum at an ABA accredited law school. Applicants should submit an application by March 1, 2008. Late applications are considered. A $200 non-refundable deposit is due within two weeks after the student is accepted. If the program exceeds its cap, applicants will be placed on a waiting list with preference to early applicants. Students should consult their home schools about transfer of credits and grading requirements for transfer of credits. Students who do not attend The University of Kansas, The South Texas College of Law or William Mitchell College of Law must submit a letter of good standing from their law school registrar or dean.

Tuition

Program fee, including tuition, double accommodation lodging, and weekend excursion to Izmir, is approximately $5,300 for students from sponsoring schools and $5,400 for all other students. Students wishing to take all five available credits must pay an additional $395. Estimated additional student expenses such as airfare, passport, books, meals, and personal expenses are $2,820. Program fee payment must be received by May 15. The $300 non-refundable deposit will be credited toward your tuition.

Transportation

Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from Turkey. Airlines provide a variety of reduced fare plans and early booking can result in substantial savings. As summer flights tend to fill quickly, early travel arrangements should be made.

Housing

Students will stay at the Grand Halic Hotel in Istanbul. The hotel is located in the heart of Istanbul, with easy access to shopping, restaurants, and the law school facility. The cost of housing is added to tuition fees and paid to the hotel directly by the University of Kansas School of Law.

Cancellation

Students must notify the University of Kansas by letter or e-mail of their intent to withdraw from the program. If a student withdraws after being accepted for the program, s/he will be liable for the program deposit plus any non-recoverable expenses incurred on the participants behalf. Students are responsible for any and all costs arising out of his/her own voluntary or involuntary withdrawal from the program prior to its completion, including withdrawal caused by illness or disciplinary action by representatives of the University of Kansas. The sponsoring school reserves the right to cancel the program for any reason. In the unlikely event of a cancellation, notices will be sent to all students by May 15, 2008, and all money will be refunded.

Financial Aid

Please inquire about the possibility of financial aid and scholarships with your law school's study abroad coordinator.

Health And Liability Insurance

The sponsoring school is not responsible for student's medical care or expenses in case of illness or accident. All students are required to obtain health insurance (typically about $40 for a month-long term) that will cover them while outside the United States.