2008 Franco-American Legal Seminar A Great Success

Thanks to the special efforts of Professors Martin Rogoff, Chris Knott, Charles Norchi, and Cab Howard, and the participation of numerous other law faculty members, administrators, students, and alumni, this year's Franco-American Legal Seminar was a tremendous success!

The 2008 Franco-American Legal Seminar took place from March 29 through April 6, 2008. Eight Maine Law students and six law students from oursister law school in Le Mans, France, participated. The French studentswere accompanied by three faculty members from Le Mans. The topic forthis year’s seminar was “Immigrants and Refugees: Entry, Status,Integration.” [For a detailed description of this year’s discussiontopics, see http://mainelaw.maine.edu/students/academic-program/franco-american-seminar.jsp.] At the seminar sessions, French and American students presented the papers that they had prepared and engaged in lively discussions,comparing American and French (and European) approaches to the problemsunder consideration.

In Portland, the French delegation visited the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic and the Cumberland County Courthouse, and then met with Charlie Miller and Jim Houle at Bernstein Shur. The next day, the French delegation met with Matthew Ward, former Director of Maine Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement Program, for a lengthy discussion of the international, national, state, and local aspects of refugee resettlement. Later that day, the group met with Cumberland County Sheriff Mark Dion who hosted lunch at the Cumberland County Jail and led an in-depth tour of the facility. On Friday, Cab Howard took the French group to Augusta for the day for meetings with staff members in the Maine Attorney General’s Office and with Governor Baldacci. On Friday evening, all French and American participants aswell as friends and supporters of the program attended a Gala Farewell Dinner at the Roma Café.

Thanks again to Professors Rogoff, Knott, Norchi, and Howard. And thanks also to Dean Peter Pitegoff, Assistant Dean Sherry Abbott, and Professors Orlando Delogu, Colleen Khoury, Deirdre Smith, Tom Ward, andother participants who attended events or otherwise assisted in making this year's seminar a success.