Ženevski klub s ponosom sporoča, da je marca letos uspešno organiziral strokovno ekskurzijo v New York in Washington, D.C. za 18 študentov Pravne fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani. Namen poti je bil jasen: pridobiti neposreden vpogled v ameriški pravni sistem ter spoznati institucije, kjer se prepletajo pravo, diplomacija in akademsko okolje. Velik del zaslug za to izjemno izkušnjo gre zasl. prof. dr. Janezu Kranjcu, ki je s svojo predanostjo in bogato mrežo omogočil dostop do številnih sogovornikov in ustanov, ki bi sicer ostali onkraj našega dosega.
Naš teden dni vsebinsko raznolik in intenziven program v New Yorku smo začeli na Stalnem predstavništvu RS pri ZN, kjer smo se srečali z namestnico veleposlanika Ondino Blokar Drobič in predstavniki Mednarodnega odbora Rdečega križa, v Uradu za pravne zadeve ZN pa smo poglobili razumevanje mednarodnega prava.
Obiskali smo tri ugledne pravne fakultete, pri čemer je vsaka na svoj način predstavila raznolikost ameriškega pravnega izobraževanja. Na newyorški univerzi (NYU) smo se udeležili predavanja prof. Barryja Friedmana z naslovom Judicial Decisionmaking, na Columbii nam je Adam Kolker predstavil zgodovinski razvoj in akademski značaj te ustanove, na Fordhamu pa nas je gostil tamkajšnji prof. Jurij Toplak, alumnus PF LJ, s katerim smo razpravljali o izzivih in priložnostih pravnega študija v ZDA.
Teoretična znanja smo nadgradili s praktičnim vpogledom v delovanje ameriškega sodstva ob srečanju s sodnikoma Robertom Levyjem in Vero Scanlon na Zveznem sodišču za vzhodno okrožje New Yorka ter s spremljanjem sodnih obravnav na Kazenskem sodišču mesta New York.
Zasebni sektor smo spoznali skozi srečanje s Sašem Kranerjem, nekdanjim študentom PF LJ, danes zaposlenim pri Latham & Watkins in Davis Polk, ter ob delovnem kosilu z odvetniki pri Seward & Kissel LLP, kjer smo raziskovali področje kapitalskega prava.
Zaključek newyorškega dela ekskurzije je potekal v slovenski cerkvi sv. Cirila, kjer nas je toplo sprejel p. Martin Krizolog, pridružili pa so se mu tudi alumni PF Ljubljana – Maja Žerjal Fink, Vid Cankar in Ana Grošelj –, ki so z nami delili svojo navdihujočo izkušnjo poti iz Ljubljane v New York.
Za devet članov kluba pa se pot s tem še ni končala – nadaljevali smo jo v Washington, D.C., kjer smo na pravni fakulteti Georgetown Law prisluhnili predavanju prof. Urške Velikonja, prav tako alumne PF Ljubljana, ter na Veleposlaništvu RS z Darjo Ferlež in Boštjanom Peršinom spregovorili o stičiščih prava in diplomacije.
Ženevski klub je izjemno ponosen, da je omogočil ekskurzijo, ki je presegla okvirje klasičnega študijskega potovanja – bila je vpogled v raznolike obraze prava ter osebna izkušnja, ki je pravno teorijo preoblikovala v živo prakso in med udeleženci ustvarila trajne vezi. Iskrena hvala vsem, ki ste to pot omogočili in jo soustvarjali. Kovčki so razpakirani, radovednost pa ostaja, skupaj z uvidi in ambicijami, ki že rišejo naše naslednje korake.
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V letu 1991 je bila organizirana prva ekskurzija študentov Pravne fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani v ZDA, ki je postala tradicija in se izvaja še danes. Namenjena je študentom višjih letnikov v okviru izbirnega predmeta Bančništvo, zavarovalništvo in finančni trgi. Organizirana je v drugi polovici marca, v 14 dneh pa študentje obiščejo New York in Washington DC.
Namen ekskurzije je obisk mednarodnih institucij, ameriških pravnih fakultet (Columbia University, New York University) in pravosodnih institucij. Študentje se z udeležbo na sodnih obravnavah neposredno seznanijo z ameriškim sodnim sistemom, z obiskom odvetniških pisarn spoznajo poklic odvetnika v mednarodni odvetniški pisarni. Poleg tega opazujejo delo v ostalih ključnih pravnih in ekonomskih intsitucijah (Združeni narodi, Mednarodni denarni sklad, Svetovna banka, kongres ZDA, vrhovno sodišče ZDA ipd.).
V prostem času so organizirani obiski športnih (NBA, NHL) in kulturnih (Broadway, Metropolitanska opera) dogodkov, študentje pa imajo tudi možnost spoznavanja obeh mest in uresničevanja lastnih interesov.
Pomemben del ekskurzije je tudi organizacija ekskurzije, ki je precejšen zalogaj. Ekskurzijo namreč organizirajo udeleženci pod vodstvom prof. Janeza Kranjca in prof. Franja Štiblarja, s čimer se marsikdo prvič spopade z organizacijo tako zahtevnega dogodka.
The Geneva Lawyers’ Club is pleased to announce the successful completion of a high-level academic excursion to New York and Washington, D.C. in March this year, involving 18 students from the Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana. The primary objective was to obtain a first-hand understanding of the U.S. legal framework and engage with institutions at the intersection of law, diplomacy, and academia.
This exceptional opportunity was made possible through the dedication and broad professional network of Prof. Emer. Dr. Janez Kranjc, whose efforts secured access to individuals and institutions that are typically beyond the reach of visiting academic groups.
Our intellectually engaging and diverse program in New York began at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Slovenia to the United Nations, where we met with Deputy Ambassador Ondina Blokar Drobič and representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), followed by an in-depth exploration of international law at the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs.
We had the privilege of visiting three prominent U.S. law schools, each offering valuable perspectives on American legal education. At New York University (NYU), we attended a lecture by Prof. Barry Friedman on judicial decision-making; at Columbia Law School, Adam Kolker (Assistant Dean and Executive Director, International and Comparative Law Programs), provided insights into the school’s academic profile and historical development. At Fordham Law School, we were welcomed by Prof. Jurij Toplak, a Ljubljana Law alumnus, for a discussion on the challenges and opportunities of pursuing legal education in the United States.
We complemented our theoretical foundation with a practical perspective on the functioning of the U.S. judiciary through a meeting with Judges Robert Levy and Vera Scanlon at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, followed by attendance at hearings at the Criminal Court of the City of New York.
We gained insight into the private legal sector through a meeting with Sašo Kraner, a Ljubljana Law graduate now practicing at Latham & Watkins and Davis Polk, as well as a working lunch with attorneys from Seward & Kissel LLP, where we explored developments in capital markets law.
We concluded our New York visit at the Slovenian Church of St. Cyril, warmly welcomed by Father Martin Krizolog and former Ljubljana Law students Maja Žerjal Fink, Vid Cankar, and Ana Grošelj, who shared their inspiring personal and professional journeys from Ljubljana to New York.
For nine members of the group, the program continued in Washington, D.C., where we visited Georgetown University and attended a lecture at its Law Center by Prof. Urška Velikonja, a Ljubljana Law alumna, and held discussions at the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia with Darja Ferlež and Boštjan Peršin on the intersection of law and diplomacy.
The Geneva Lawyers’ Club is proud to have organized an academic excursion that went beyond a traditional study trip, offering hands-on insight into the legal profession, bridging theory and practice, and building lasting professional and personal connections.
We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who made this journey possible. The suitcases are unpacked, but the curiosity remains, as the insights gained and ambitions sparked continue to shape our perspectives and guide our next steps.
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In 1991, the first excursion to the USA was organized for selected students of the Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana. Since then, the excursion has become a tradition and is still being held yearly today. It is intended for students of higher years within the elective course Banking, Insurance and Financial Markets. It is organized in the second half of March, and within 14 days the students visit New York and Washington DC.
The purpose of the excursion is to visit international institutions, US law colleges (Columbia University, New York University) and judicial institutions. By attending court hearings, students become directly familiar with the American court system and by visiting law firms, they learn about the profession of a lawyer in an international law firm. They also observe work in other key legal and economic institutions (United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, US Congress, US Supreme Court, etc.).
In their spare time, visits to sports (NBA, NHL) and cultural (Broadway, Metropolitan Opera) events are organized, and students have an opportunity to get to know both cities and pursue their own interests.
An important part of the excursion is the organization of the excursion, which is quite a project. The excursion is organized by the participants under the guidance of prof. Janez Kranjc and prof. Franjo Štiblar. For many people, this is the first time that they are confronted with organizing such a challenging event.