The Rule of Law Academy will bring together 18 law students from around the world (12 international/6 german students) for intensive study in a block seminar. The program introduces students to comparative law methods and engages them in deep study of a common constitutional law issue or topic that is central to the rule of law, encompassing issues of state organization or basic rights. The Rule of Law Academy is administered by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V. in cooperation with respected academic partners: The Washington & Lee University School of Law, Virginia USA (represented by Prof. Russell Miller) and BSP Business and Law School, Berlin Germany (represented by Prof. Dr. Alexander Thiele). The seminar will take place in Berlin during the week 24 February to 3 March 2024.
The program of the Rule of Law Academy will involve intensive reading assignments followed by guided discussions around the seminar table. That reading material will focus first on the theory and method of comparative law and will then feature several sessions considering a selected substantive topic of constitutional law related to the rule of law. The classroom component of the seminar will end with student-led group presentations that call on the students to reflect on the new substantive material they have encountered as well as on their engagement with the different legal systems and legal cultures represented in the program. The seminar’s academic dimension will be reinforced by a visit to the German Bundestag and to the German Federal Constitutional Court.
Participants
Houssein A. Al Malla
Houssein is a Research Fellow and Doctoral Researcher at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies. Currently, he is investigating the legal frameworks governing sanctions, their enforcement mechanisms, and the evolving nature of sanction evasion strategies. At the University of Hamburg, Houssein is also lecturer of Foreign Policy Analysis and Global Security Studies.
Johannes Anton
Johannes Anton is a legal trainee in Bavaria. He studied law at the University Bayreuth with additional training in economics and worked at a chair for International and European law. He is currently at the German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer and is preparing for the second state exam.
Sabrina Callendar-Clewett
Sabrina Callender-Clewett is a 2L at Washington and Lee University School of Law, and previously received her undergraduate degree from Colgate University majoring in Philosophy with a double minor in Economics and Environmental Studies. Before attending law school, Sabrina worked as a corporate paralegal in Washington, D.C. for three years.
Phillip Shaffer Day
Shaffer Day is a 2L at Washington and Lee University School of Law. Prior to law school he graduated from Washington and Lee University with a BS in Accounting and received a Masters of Science in Accounting from Wake Forest University. Currently, he is serving as a Junior Editor on the German Law Journal.
Benedict Ertelt
Benedict Ertelt is a PhD student in the field of constitutional law at the chair of Prof Dr Britz (Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen). In addition to his doctorate, he teaches public law at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and works as a research assistant in an international law firm in the field of public commercial law and environmental law.
Lukas Graute
Lukas Graute is a law student at the Humboldt University in Berlin. He has worked and studied abroad for three years, with academic stays at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. In addition to preparing for the German bar exam, he works in an international law firm and holds a scholarship from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
Maxwell M. Hanamirian
Maxwell Hanamirian is a 3L at Washington and Lee University School of Law. He also received his B.S. in Business Administration from Washington and Lee University. Maxwell is the Lead Executive Editor of the German Law Journal.
Maeve Harris
Maeve Harris is a third-year law student at Washington and Lee University School of Law where she also serves as a Senior Articles Editor on the German Law Journal. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Virginia.
Mitchel Namalwa Kakai
Mitchel Kakai is a final year law student at Kenyatta University with a passion in International Human Rights Law. Her most recent milestone is her upcoming book chapter, published by the Pretoria University Law Press in 2024, which delves into the comparative application of Botswana and Kenya's constitutions in safeguarding the rights of sexual and gender minorities in Africa.
Judith Kärn
Judith Kärn enjoys interdisciplinary research at the interface between law, politics and administrative sciences. She studied political and administrative sciences and law. She pursues her passion for law and public administration as a Junior Researcher at the Deutsche Universität für Verwaltungswissenschaften in Speyer.
Yi Qian Lai
Yi Qian Lai is currently a senior year LLB student at Singapore Management University. Having participated in a few moots during her university days, Yi Qian is interested in areas of international law, international affairs, and different legal systems. During her free time, she loves to travel, read, try new things, and catch up on sleep.
Woly Lo
Woly Lo is currently in the 2nd year of her thesis at the Faculty of Legal and Political Sciences at Cheikh Anta Diop University. She has a Master's degree in Human Rights, Humanitarian Action and Peace from the same university. She is particularly interested in human rights and constitutionalism, international jurisdictions and the protection of vulnerable groups.
Maria Loewen
Maria Loewen is a fourth-year law student in Hamburg and has just finished her major in Private International and Comparative Law, such as Dispute Resolution. She has recently started preparing for her first state exam, whilst continuing her work as a research assistant at a chair for Law and Innovation.
Oswaldo Ruiz Mera
Oswaldo Ruiz is a law student at University San Francisco de Quito and is on the Chancellor's list for Academic Excellence. Oswaldo has focused his studies in Constitutional Law and International Human Rights Law where he has obtained a sub-specialization from the same university. Oswaldo is a teaching assistant in the area of constitutional processes and is also a research assistant in the area of human rights.
Mikayla M. Nasis
Mikayla Nasis is a second-year law student at Washington and Lee University School of Law. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in political science from Texas A&M University. She is a Junior Editor for the German Law Journal.
Sasipa Pruksadachan
Sasipa Pruksadachan is a Ph.D. candidate in comparative Rule of Law at Georg-August-Universität Göttingen. She/They eagerly anticipate participation in the Rule of Law Academy, bringing interest in comparative legal culture to enrich the dialogue and learning experience.
Dumitrita-Gabriela Rogojînaru
Dumitrița Rogojînaru is currently pursuing an LLM in New Technologies at the University of Bucharest. With a background in advocacy and active citizenship, she is deeply passionate about exploring how fundamental principles, justice, and digitalization intersect and complement each other.
Will Stanley
William Stanely is a second-year student at Washington and Lee University School of Law. He graduated from Eastern Mennonite University with a degree in history in 2018, and from James Madison University with a master’s degree in history in 2020. At Washington and Lee, he is a junior editor on the German Law Journal, and a member of the National Security and Military Law Society
