Summer Program in Guatemala 2010
FREE ON LINE APPLICATION
Study-abroad programs offered by U.S. law schools, including those that take place in Latin America, commonly teach courses in English that could have been offered in the United States. By contrast, the Pacific McGeorge Guatemala Summer program will offer two substantive law classes taught in Spanish and will allow students the opportunity to learn about Latin American laws, study with Latin American students, take courses from Guatemalan law professors and complete an externship with a legal institution in this Latin American country.
In addition, a third substantive law course will be taught in English, and students not possessing substantial proficiency in Spanish will combine this course, taken for law school credit, with participation in the 
Spanish Immersion program offered concurrently in Antigua, Guatemala by the Modern Language and Literature Department of University of the Pacific.
The classroom portion of the Guatemala summer program will take place over three weeks, from May 22, 2010 through June 12, 2010. Of the three courses offered, one will be taught in English and the other two will be taught in Spanish. Students may enroll in one or two courses in order to earn either two or four semester units of credit. Additionally, students who enroll in the optional externships following the classroom program will earn four additional semester units of credit over an 8-week period.
Students placed in an externship are required to enroll in the two classes taught in Spanish over the first three weeks of the program and will have earned a total of eight semester units of credit by the completion of the program.
The agencies and organizations in which externships will be offered work in the fields of environmental justice, commerce and trade, human rights, economic development, immigration and labor relations. Among the organizations with which externship placements will be available are:
- Center for Environmental and Social Legal Action (CALAS)
- Guatemalan Exporters Association (AGEXPORT)
- Rigoberta Menchu Foundation
- National Roundtable of Immigrant Groups of Guatemala (MENAMIG).
Pacific McGeorge has entered into a partnership with Rafael Landivar University, a leading Jesuit-run institution in Guatemala that is known for its social justice mission and its offerings of law courses in the field of human rights. The partnership allows for exchanges of professors and students, and it allows Pacific McGeorge to hold programs on the Landivar campus. All classes will be held in classrooms at the Antigua campus of Rafael Landivar University. During the program, an administrative office located in the classroom building will be open daily during class hours to assist students with any questions or problems. The classrooms will have writing and study space for all students and are equipped with wireless internet access. Internet access is also available at no charge in the library of the classroom building.
Up to ten law students from Rafael Landivar University may attend classes in this program alongside the American law students, thus providing a unique opportunity to learn firsthand about the legal system of this Central American country.
Enrollment in the Guatemala summer program is expected to be about 20 to 25 students and will be limited to no more than 30 students. Read what Katie Oldham, a participant from 2009 had to say about this program:
"The Inter-American Program was an exciting and rewarding experience that has opened many doors for me. From this experience, I have gained an understanding of what it is like to practice law internationally, and I am far more confident in my Spanish skills. This is a truly unique opportunity that will benefit students interested in many different practice areas."
The City of Antigua
UNESCO World Heritage Site. La Antigua Guatemala means "Old Guatemala" and, it was the third capital of Guatemala. Antigua is a growing tourist destination in Guatemala as it is close to Guatemala City, but it is much calmer and smaller, with more tourist oriented activities. For more information about the city, take a look at the official Guatemala tourist website.