Prime Highlights
- Mitchell Hamline’s Center for Law and Business hosted “Global Law in Action,” bringing together legal scholars and judges from Kosovo and Minnesota.
- The Kosovo delegation toured clinical law programmes at three Twin Cities law schools during their visit.
Key Facts
- Mitchell Hamline’s Center for Law and Business led the first US law school study abroad programme in Kosovo last year.
- The event featured judiciary members including Judge John R. Tunheim alongside Kosovo’s University of Prishtina Faculty of Law representatives.
Background
Mitchell Hamline’s Center for Law and Business has hosted a special event titled “Global Law in Action: Kosovo & Minnesota,” bringing together legal scholars and judiciary members from Kosovo and Minnesota for an exchange of ideas on legal education and justice systems.
The event featured Dean Avni Puka, Vice Dean Ardrit Gashi, and Clinical Program Coordinator Muhamet Vokrri from the University of Prishtina Faculty of Law, alongside Minnesota judiciary members Judge John R. Tunheim, Judge Steven Swanson and Judge Paul Scoggin. Discussions centred on legal education, clinical legal training, access to justice, and the role of courts in strengthening democratic institutions.
Organizers described the conversation as thoughtful and collegial, a reflection of an evolving relationship between Minnesota’s legal community and its partners in Kosovo. Participants shared experiences from their respective legal systems and identified opportunities for future collaboration.
The panel formed part of a broader visit by the Kosovo delegation, which toured clinical programmes at all three Twin Cities law schools, Mitchell Hamline School of Law, the University of Minnesota Law School, and the University of St. Thomas School of Law. The visits allowed participants to compare approaches to experiential legal education and view work being done by students and faculty across the region.
Beyond academic engagements, the delegation also attended a Minnesota Frost game and a Minnesota Timberwolves game, offering additional opportunities for cultural exchange.
The Center for Law and Business said the programme strengthened institutional relationships and reinforced a shared commitment to legal education and international collaboration, adding that it looked forward to continuing the partnership.
The centre noted that it led the first-ever US law school study abroad programme in Kosovo last year, and returned this summer for a follow-up programme hosted by the University of Prishtina, where students examined transitional justice and economic development in post-conflict societies.
