August, 2008—South Texas College of Law Professor Kathleen Bergin led a four-day conference on the American common law practice in Turkey this month. The conference at the Bahcesehir Istanbul University’s Institute for Global Understanding of Law is part of the ongoing effort in Turkey to modernize their civil law system while preparing for membership in the European Union.  Bergin, a Constitutional law professor, was co-coordinator of the event that involved presenters from nearly 20 law schools in the U.S. and Europe. “We are responding to changes in legal systems and legal education globally, and especially in Turkey, giving us the chance to exchange ideas and experiences,” says Bergin. “Lawyers, judges, and academics need to be skilled in how to navigate the ins and outs of different legal systems and this gave us the opportunity to expose those in Turkey to the nuts and bolts of a common law system.”

The conference ran from August 4-7 and was co-coordinated by Touro Law Center’s Professor Tracy McGaugh and the Legal Writing Institute. “We applaud our colleague, Professor Kathleen Bergin, for coordinating this very important event,” says South Texas President and Dean James Alfini, “and for continuing the South Texas College of Law relationship with the Turkish legal community initiated by Dean Emeritus Tom Read.” Bergin can be reached via email at kbergin@stcl.edu or 713-646-1829.