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Drake recently hosted a group of international visitors who were selected to participate in the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). This program brings mid-career professionals to the U.S. who have been selected as having contributed or the potential to contribute toward significant progress in their fields.
This year the focus was, “Judicial System in the U.S.”
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The visit included meetings with Former Chief Justice Marsha Ternus, a tour of the Neal and Bea Smith Legal Clinic, visits to the Iowa State Bar Association, The Iowa Court of Appeals, and several other judicial connections within Polk County. A special highlight for Drake Law was hosting the visitors in Professor Mark Kende’s comparative constitutional law course.
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“It was great to be able to host these international judicial officials in the comparative constitutional law class,” said Mark Kende, professor of law, James Madison Chair in Constitutional Law, and director of the Drake Constitutional Law Center. “The Drake Law students did an excellent job describing the unique qualities of an American legal education and there was good dialogue with the visitors on legal education generally.”
The group included professionals from Cambodia, Namibia, South Africa, Turkey, and Uganda.
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The IVLP is sponsored and organized by the Iowa International Center, whose mission is to “build cultural respect at home and around the world one person at a time.” The focus of the Iowa International Center is to provide access to international resources to Iowans, new Iowans, and international visitors to Iowa. The overarching impact provides economic and leadership development resulting in Iowa being a more inclusive and welcoming place to live, work and raise a family.