Visiting Scholars Program Provides Insight into U.S. Legal System
The UC Davis School of Law Visiting Scholars Program was profiled in The California Aggie on December 8, 2006. Beth Greenwood '91, international programs executive director, was quoted on the selection process and the program, which offers visiting judges the opportunity to attend or audit classes at the Law School and conduct research aimed to strengthen their home judicial systems.
Judges from Korea and Japan visit School of Law
Visiting scholars programs to provide insight into U.S. legal system
The UC Davis School of Law recently welcomed judges Motoki Horiuchi, Byoung Sik Kim and Jung Mi Jung as part of two visiting judicial scholar programs with the Japanese Supreme Court and the Korean Supreme Court.
The School of Law is also sponsoring two additional Japanese judges visiting courts in Michigan and New Jersey.
School of Law international programs executive director Beth Greenwood said she noticed a new trend with the programs' participants.
"Over the past several years, other judges who are women have come to Davis as part of the program," Greenwood said. "This represents an increased number of women entering the judiciary in their countries."
Since its start in the late 1990s, the School of Law has established one-year programs with the Japanese Supreme Court and Korean Supreme Court in 1999 and 2001, respectively. According to Greenwood, the School of Law approves one judicial candidate for each program every year.
"The selection process is based on the scores of written tests administered by their governments," Greenwood said.
The program offers visiting judges the opportunity to participate in a two-semester curriculum. During the first semester, judges are able to attend or audit classes, such as Professor Bill Hing's judicial system seminar. During the second semester, judges do research in "specialized and current areas" and visit judges in neighboring Yolo and Sacramento counties. Previous research topics have included the U.S. jury system, court administration and management, court-run mediation systems, capital punishment, and evidence. All research aims to strengthen their home judicial systems, Greenwood said.
In addition, visiting judges contribute to the School of Law community by giving presentations on their legal systems and the problems they encounter.
Judge Horiuchi, an associate judge of the Tokyo District Court, graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Kobe. Prior to his appointment in 2003, he worked as a legal apprentice at the Legal Training and Research Institute of the Japanese Supreme Court.
Judges Byoung Sik Kim and Jung Mi Jung from the Daejeon District Court of Korea are married and have two daughters. Daejon is currently the fifth-largest metropolitan city in South Korea.
With a background in business, Judge Kim looks forward to studying international trade law and the mergers and acquisitions of international law. His interests also include bankruptcy laws within the United States, particularly reorganization proceedings and consumer debt adjustment proceedings. Since his graduation in business administration from Seoul National University, he has worked with Samsung Corporation and Korea Air. He was appointed a judge at the Daejon District Bankruptcy Court in 2004.
Because Jung's interests are in family and child law, she collects data for an "ongoing judicial reformation project in family law" from the Supreme Court of Korea. According to Jung, the increase in Korea's divorce rate prompts the concern for custody and guardianship rights with children.
"Traditionally, there has been a low divorce rate in Korean society and families maintained close ties," she said on the School of Law website.
Like her husband, Jung also attended Seoul National University. She received a bachelor of law degree. Both she and her husband have also completed a two-year program at the Judicial Research and Training Institute of the Supreme Court of Korea, according to the School of Law website.
KELLY CHEN can be reached at mailto:[email protected]
Copyright 2006 The California Aggie
Judges from Korea and Japan visit School of Law
Visiting scholars programs to provide insight into U.S. legal system
The UC Davis School of Law recently welcomed judges Motoki Horiuchi, Byoung Sik Kim and Jung Mi Jung as part of two visiting judicial scholar programs with the Japanese Supreme Court and the Korean Supreme Court.
The School of Law is also sponsoring two additional Japanese judges visiting courts in Michigan and New Jersey.
School of Law international programs executive director Beth Greenwood said she noticed a new trend with the programs' participants.
"Over the past several years, other judges who are women have come to Davis as part of the program," Greenwood said. "This represents an increased number of women entering the judiciary in their countries."
Since its start in the late 1990s, the School of Law has established one-year programs with the Japanese Supreme Court and Korean Supreme Court in 1999 and 2001, respectively. According to Greenwood, the School of Law approves one judicial candidate for each program every year.
"The selection process is based on the scores of written tests administered by their governments," Greenwood said.
The program offers visiting judges the opportunity to participate in a two-semester curriculum. During the first semester, judges are able to attend or audit classes, such as Professor Bill Hing's judicial system seminar. During the second semester, judges do research in "specialized and current areas" and visit judges in neighboring Yolo and Sacramento counties. Previous research topics have included the U.S. jury system, court administration and management, court-run mediation systems, capital punishment, and evidence. All research aims to strengthen their home judicial systems, Greenwood said.
In addition, visiting judges contribute to the School of Law community by giving presentations on their legal systems and the problems they encounter.
Judge Horiuchi, an associate judge of the Tokyo District Court, graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Kobe. Prior to his appointment in 2003, he worked as a legal apprentice at the Legal Training and Research Institute of the Japanese Supreme Court.
Judges Byoung Sik Kim and Jung Mi Jung from the Daejeon District Court of Korea are married and have two daughters. Daejon is currently the fifth-largest metropolitan city in South Korea.
With a background in business, Judge Kim looks forward to studying international trade law and the mergers and acquisitions of international law. His interests also include bankruptcy laws within the United States, particularly reorganization proceedings and consumer debt adjustment proceedings. Since his graduation in business administration from Seoul National University, he has worked with Samsung Corporation and Korea Air. He was appointed a judge at the Daejon District Bankruptcy Court in 2004.
Because Jung's interests are in family and child law, she collects data for an "ongoing judicial reformation project in family law" from the Supreme Court of Korea. According to Jung, the increase in Korea's divorce rate prompts the concern for custody and guardianship rights with children.
"Traditionally, there has been a low divorce rate in Korean society and families maintained close ties," she said on the School of Law website.
Like her husband, Jung also attended Seoul National University. She received a bachelor of law degree. Both she and her husband have also completed a two-year program at the Judicial Research and Training Institute of the Supreme Court of Korea, according to the School of Law website.
KELLY CHEN can be reached at mailto:[email protected]
Copyright 2006 The California Aggie