Bon voyage et bon chance!

The NIU College of Law extended its farewell on Wednesday to the two professors and 19 law students from the University Montesquieu-Bordeaux IV in Agen, France who have spent the last three weeks on U.S. soil.

The students have traveled overseas to partake in a program offered by the NIU College of Law that provides a basic understanding of the American Legal System. The students of Agen, France have spent the last several days attending lectures and a number of field trips.

Voyages outside Huskie territory included visits to the Illinois State Capitol, Illinois Supreme Court and United States Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

The students attended a series of lectures on aspects of several legal and government institutions but most enjoyed participating in “mock trials.” These trials gave the unfamiliar students an opportunity to re-enact a testimony as it would appear in the American court system.

After acting as a juror in a mock trial, French student Benjamin Latour explained the differences he noticed between the French parliament and America’s system of democracy.

“The principal of a president is a very different point of view. In France, the judges have much more power,” Latour said.

A recent press release from the NIU College of Law stated “this is the second year that NIU College of Law professors David Gaebler and Daniel Reynolds coordinated the program in cooperation with the NIU Division of International Programs.”

Professor Gaebler discussed how pleased he was with the level of interaction between the French and NIU College of Law students.

“It is our hope that students will gain insight on each other’s legal systems. Learning a new perspective breaks down stereotypes as students get to know each other. This is beneficial because the legal system is a large reflection of culture,” Gaebler said.

The French students related well with the culture of NIU and its students. When asked what their favorite part of their visit to NIU was, the France natives laughed simultaneously and replied, “Fatty’s!”