Published: June 08, 2007 12:45 am      

WVU law students send bit of Brazil back to state

Blogs about trip have been posted on university Web site

FAIRMONT — West Virginia University law students are sending a little bit of Brazil back to the Mountain State online.

On May 13, 25 students from the WVU College of Law departed for a study-abroad program in Brazil. The trip ended June 2. They catalogued their experiences in blogs, or Web logs, that were posted at on the university’s Web site at http://lawinbrazil.blogs.wvu.edu/.

The site debuted with students Aimee Lim, Allen Mendenhall, Arthur Bryan II and Joe Garcia guiding readers through their adventures and sharing the insights they are gaining along the way.

An integrated effort of the Division of University Advancement and Marketing, with support from Web Services and News and Information Services, the site is a follow-up to the popular student “Blogging from Abroad” Web site, http://fromabroad.blogs.wvu.edu/, which has so far featured students’ learning experiences in Italy and Japan.

Carla Williams, assistant dean of development and external relations at the law school, has been facilitating the blog logistics in Morgantown. When she was a student at WVU, Williams participated in a study-abroad program in France.

“Being immersed in another culture is great education,” Williams said.

She noted the field of law is becoming increasingly specialized. The students who participated in the Brazil program were exposed to a variety of topics, from economic development to health care.

Participants enjoyed course work while boating on the Amazon River and meeting people in the communities nearby. They also stayed in Rio de Janeiro, visited legal institutions, including a Brazilian court and judiciary panel, took part in classes in a Brazilian law school, and attended seminars on various topics such as international environmental law.

Students who participate in the trip have reading assignments in the fall and spring semesters and the opportunity to take Portuguese classes at the law school to prepare for the experience although all of the classes on the trip are given in English. The students were accompanied by professors Kevin Outterson, who originated the idea for the program, André Cummings and Joyce McConnell.

E-mail Katie Wilson at kwilson@timeswv.com.