New courses provide international students planning to study law in the U.S. context, history of American legal system

Stetson Law campus image

Stetson University College of Law is excited to announce the launch of a new Legal and American History Program (LAHP) for students who will begin their J.D. or LL.M. studies in August 2021, as well as Legal and American History Program Plus (LAHP+) for those looking to begin their U.S. legal studies in 2022 or beyond!

The program will provide historical context and knowledge of United States history – focusing on legal decisions, and the socio-economic, racial, ethnic, and gender disparities that have existed over time and influenced the evolution of the American common-law legal system.

Jessica Dworkin
Jessica Dworkin

“This program was created because international students who are planning to study law in the United States often find that having a strong foundational understanding of United States history provides an important basis for understanding the legal system, and current legal and political events,” said Jessica Dworkin, director of international and graduate programs at Stetson Law. She will teach the courses.

LAHP will be a three-week, synchronous, virtual program (July 6 to July 23), and LAHP+ will be a four-week, synchronous, virtual program (July 6 to July 30) from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. EDT. The additional week in the LAHP+ program will feature workshops aimed at helping international students understand how the U.S. law school admissions process works. In this additional week, admissions professionals will share insights about how they review applications and what makes a candidate stand out from the crowd. They will discuss personal statements, résumés, and letters of recommendation, as well as the overall application process and timeline.

“LAHP and LAHP+ are wonderful preparatory courses for students interested in applying to and studying at any of the law schools in the United States,” Dworkin said.

As director of international and graduate programs at Stetson Law, Dworkin provides leadership, strategic planning, enrollment management, student and academic support for LL.M., M.J., and study abroad programs. Prior to working at Stetson, Dworkin held similar roles at Emory and The Ohio State University. Dworkin earned her B.A. from The Ohio State University and her J.D. and LL.M. from Duke University School of Law. Prior to her career in international legal education, Dworkin practiced law. She has presented on topics of LL.M. administration, internationalizing legal education, and U.S. legal education for organizations including NAFSA, NALP, and EducationUSA.

Scholarships are available for these programs. To learn more and register, visit our website:  https://www.stetson.edu/law/academics/home/legal-and-american-history-program.php.