A Year in Review 2022: Alumni, External Engagement, and Internationalisation Highlights

19 Dec 2022

As we bid farewell to another year, we reflect on some of 2022’s highlights at the UCC School of Law.

Now is the turn of key Alumni, External Engagement and Internationalisation Highlights. 

Key External Engagement and Internationalisation Highlights from the year

The School of Law continues to foster relationships and partnerships with universities across the world, providing students and faculty more opportunities to study and research abroad, as well as gain new insights and new perspectives. New partners include Sapienza and Bologna in Italy, Lisbon in Portugal, Vienna in Austria, Koç University in Istanbul and University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. 

The International Law Summer School, hosted jointly by UCC School of Law and the University of Montana Alexander Blewett III School of Law, commenced on 27 May 2022. The summer school gave students the unique opportunity to engage with internationally renowned scholars and for UCC and UM students to work together on global legal issues.

The School was delighted to announce the renewal of its almost 20-year partnership with Temple University School of Law, Philadelphia. Both law schools have benefitted greatly from the Irish-US partnership, having created many opportunities for study abroad and faculty exchange. Read more here.

We were also delighted to host the Irish American Law Society of Cleveland in Cork in September of this year. The society hosts its Biennial Symposium to promote the comparative understanding of the law between the Republic of Ireland, the EU, and the United States.

The Dean, Professor Mark Poustie travelled to the US in November. The Dean met with the School’s existing partners, at Temple University Beasley School of Law and Brooklyn Law School, met with our students on exchange there, and students who were interested in studying at UCC during or after their JD degrees.  He also met with George Washington University and Cleveland-Marshall Law School to explore possible partnership opportunities.

In November, International Students studying at the School of Law travelled to UCC’s centre located in Dún Chíomháin in the Corca Dhuibhne Gaeltacht in Co. Kerry.  This trip was organised by Dr Shaoming Zhu as part of the School’s ‘Inclusive Project’. The Inclusive Project is designed to support international students to dissolve the knowledge gaps, language barriers and cultural differences that they may face while studying in Ireland.  Watch the video below to learn more about the Inclusive Project.

Key Alumni Highlights from the year

The School hosted an 'Alumni and Friends' event at the Irish Embassy in Brussels in June. The Dean provided an update on developments in the school and the keynote speaker, former Chief Justice and Adjunct Professor in the School of Law, Frank Clarke, delivered his address on 'The Common Law in Europe Post Brexit. 

The Dean participated in the inaugural in-person Dublin Alumni Chapter event on 7 July very generously hosted by Matheson at their Dublin Office.  Law alumni figured prominently amongst the very well attended event.

In November, the Dean attended a number of alumni meetings in New York, which included a meeting with alumnus Aidan Synnott, who generously funded the Synnott Family Chair in EU Law in 2019.

UCC Law alumna, Judge Helen Boyle, was awarded an Alumni Achievement Award alongside four other trailblazing alumni in April 2022. An accomplished lawyer and Circuit Court judge, Judge Helen Boyle graduated with a BCL and LLB from UCC’s School of Law in 1992 and 1993 respectively. 

We were thrilled this year to renew scholarships benefitting students from across a range of our programmes.  Click here for more details on our scholarships.