Kosovo Law Centre sends law students to Washington D.C. and Vienna

PRISTINA, 29 March 2001 - Seven law students from the University of Pristina will be travelling to Washington D.C. and Vienna, Austria, in April thanks to the Kosovo Law Centre. It is a prime opportunity for students to begin establishing professional relationships between themselves and students from around the world.The Kosovo Law Centre will be sending three law students to compete in the Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition in Washington D.C. from 1-7 April 2001. This yearly event is an international law competition in which oral and written arguments are presented related to cases from the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The students will be joining approximately 1,500 students, representing more than 300 law schools in almost 50 countries, for the Jessup Competition. The trip is financially supported by the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. The American Bar Association's Central and East European Law Initiative (ABA/CEELI), is also a primary partner and facilitator in ensuring that the students are prepared for the competition.The Kosovo Law Centre will also send four law students to Vienna to participate as delegates in the International Model United Nations Conference (VIMUN), from 1-5 April 2001. The Conference encourages students to become acquainted with the ideals and goals of the United Nations. It will teach students multilateral diplomacy skills by providing five days of teaching and training sessions of intense debates and negotiations involving a wide range of international issues. The Academic Forum for Foreign Affairs, the Finnish Human Rights Project, and the Kosovo Foundation for Open Society (SOROS Foundation) are financiallysupporting the project."These events are wonderful opportunities for law students from Kosovo to learn the same legal techniques and negotiation strategies as their global colleagues and to share the knowledge and skills they will acquire with the legal profession in Kosovo", said Dr. Sebastian von Muenchow, International Director of the Kosovo Law Centre.

The Kosovo Law Centre was established in June 2000 by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe as part of its institution-building mandate. The Kosovo Law Centre has been working with the Law Faculty of the University of Pristina to enhance its capacity through curriculum reform, development of its administration and by facilitating access to scholarships for students of law.

For more information, contact the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Mission in Kosovo, Claire Trevena, Spokesperson, Tel: (+381-38) 500-162 ext. 260 / mobile: +377 (044) 500-150; email: [email protected], website: /kosovo