Four New University Partnerships Launched to Support Mexico’s Justice System Reform

Mexico City | June 25, 2009

The United States Embassy in Mexico, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and its TIES (Training, Internship, Exchanges and Scholarships) Program, announces four new university partnerships between Mexican and U.S. institutions to support Mexico’s efforts to modernize its justice system. The new partnerships are:

The Illinois Institute of Technology’s Chicago-Kent College of Law and the Monterrey Technological Institute (ITESM - Mexico City campus) will create an academic program addressing the challenges of the new justice system. The partnership will develop and incorporate an advanced curriculum focusing on alternative resolution of minor crimes, pre-trial practice, and trial practice. Partners will also develop a train-the-trainers program for law professors in substantive and procedural law and pedagogical techniques to prepare them to teach the advocacy curriculum and the certificate programs (diplomados).

Southwestern University School of Law and the Monterrey Technological Institute (ITESM – Monterrey campus) will establish a Center of Excellence in Advocacy Training through which certificate programs on human rights and judicial procedure will be offered.

University of San Diego School of Law and the Autonomous University of Baja California will respond to Mexico’s justice reforms by collaboratively developing comparative materials on judicial procedures, training faculty, and creating a legal clinic as part of the Autonomous University of Baja California’s curriculum.

Emory University will partner with the Panamerican University to establish a Mexican Institute for Trial Advocacy. The Institute will provide case study materials and an online library of applicable law and ethics guidance along with other educational resources.

A total of 68 partnerships have been established under the TIES program. Partnerships establish training, internship, exchange, and scholarship relationships between U.S. and Mexican higher education institutions to address common development issues in several areas.