The University of Pristina Law School Introduces New Courses

December 2008

The University of Pristina’s Faculty of Law has introduced two mandatory classes to the curriculum of third year law studies. The faculty will teach theLegal Methodology course and the Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility course in tandem with legal clinics and seminars during the 2008–2009 winter semester. About 159 students will attend the new courses.

ABA Rule of Law Initiative’s (ABA ROLI’s) Legal Education Specialist, Professor Emeritus John Van Doren developed the syllabus and materials for each course. He will co-teach the courses along with local professors Osman Ismajli, Emine Abdyli and Avni Puka.

This reform is part of the Law Faculty’s accreditation efforts to harmonizeits curriculum with European legal education standards. Since 2005, ABA ROLI has been supporting reform by developing new courses, offering a research andwriting seminar series, creating a student honor code and assisting faculty.

Simulation legal clinics (both civil and criminal), a trial advocacy and legal clinic, and legal research and writing seminars have all been successfully implemented this year, with a total of 83 students participating.

All the ABA ROLI-developed courses and clinics are fully and officially incorporated into the curriculum of the Law Faculty as either elective orrequired courses. They have been assigned credits under the European Credit Transfer System and the Bologna Process.

To learn more about our work in Kosovo, contact ABA Rule of Law Initiative at rol@staff.abanet.org.