Study Abroad

Sports Law - LAW6840 (3 credits)
Professor Margaret Brenan Correoso
Assistant Professor of Legal Skills and Values, FIU College of Law

This course introduces Sports law in the United States and compares it to Sports law in Europe and specifically Spain; it discusses current events and trends in Sports law, including recent cases in U.S. and European courts. This course will also apply various legal doctrines to sports activities. Representative topics include the regulation of amateur and professional athletics, antitrust issues, public regulation of sports activities, legal relationships and structures in professional sports, and legal issues involved in representation of professional athletes. The students will apply practical real-life skills and negotiate a contract between a club and an athlete.

Comparative Evidence & Criminal Procedure - LAW7930 Special Topics (3 credits)
Professor Binyamin Blum
Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Global Programs, University of California College of Law, San Francisco

The objective of this course is to expose students to key differences in procedural and evidentiary regimes between the two main Western legal traditions, civil law and common law. Going beyond the technical differences between the two, the course will explore the historical origins and core values expressed by each of the legal traditions, their approach towards the role of the law and the legal process—and by extension, the role of the state, and the differences that flow from these differences in the way each approaches proof and process.

The students will examine the historical origins of the jury; the importance of confessions in each of the legal traditions; the concept of reasonable doubt; the ongoing role of lay adjudication in fact finding as part of the common law’s skeptical view of state authority; the evidentiary regimes that a lay fact-finding requires or allows (for example, the bifurcation between judge and jury allowing for exclusionary rules); the common law’s focus on dispute resolution as opposed to the civil law’s focus on truth finding; the role of experts—court versus party appointed—and the advantages and drawbacks of each.

• Classes and additional activities are scheduled Mondays through Thursdays until 3:30 p.m.
• Some classes and other activities will include guest lectures by University of Seville faculty.
• Both courses are subject to the upper-level normalization as per FIU Law’s academic regulations.

The FIU Law Study Abroad Program in Seville is approved by the American Bar Association.

• In-depth study of contemporary legal topics related to Sports Law and Comparative Evidence and Criminal Procedure from the European, Spanish and U.S. perspectives.
• Overview to the legal system, institutions, and legal cultures of Spain, and the European Union.
• Guided visits to legal institutions and historic places in Seville.
• English instruction with the possibility of enrolling in additional activities in Spanish.
• Professional development, networking, educational, social activities, and other opportunities of immersion into the cultures of Spain and surrounding countries.

• Have completed the first-year curriculum, be enrolled, and in good academic standing at an ABA accredited law school
• Hold a valid passport to travel to Spain
• Submit required forms and documents
• Pay non-refundable Registration fee ($275)
• Pay travel insurance premium ($195)
• Attend personal or phone interview
• Complete pre-departure orientation by May 1st, 2025

Payable to FIU

• Tuition (6 credits): $4,500
• Registration fee: $275
• Travel insurance: $195

Estimated individual expenses

• Housing and meals: $1,500
• Airfare (MIA-SVQ-MIA): $1,200
• Miscellaneous expenses: $500

These amounts are for reference only as individual expenses vary from student to student. Each participant will be responsible for his or her own travel, lodging, and related expenses.

Tuition for 2025

The tuition of $4,500 for the four-week program covers two 3-credit courses. Registered students are required to take six credits.

Financial Aid

Financial aid is available for FIU Law students through the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, RDB 1044. Contact the College of Law Office of Financial Aid at 305-348-8006 or email the office at lawfinaid@fiu.edu. Students from other law schools should inquire about the availability of assistance at their own schools’ financial aid offices.

COL Study Abroad Registration at FIU Global Affairs

1. Complete online registration through the FIU Study Abroad portal.
2. Follow instructions, complete, and upload the documents requested.
3. Pay a non-refundable $275 FIU Law registration fee, via the College of Law Registration Fee or with a check or money order payable to FIU paid in person at the International & Graduate Studies Office at RDB 2073.
4. Pay the mandatory fee of $195.00 for health insurance to cover you during your trip abroad when the prompt appears in your myFIU page, which will be approximately two weeks before departure. If you are a non-FIU student, you will receive special instructions from the Office of International and Graduate Studies on how to pay the health insurance fee.
5. Non-FIU Law students, additionally have to complete Visiting Student Application and ask your registrar to email it to the attention of the lawregistrar@fiu.edu with the required documents. Please copy Lisbeth D’Lima (ldlima@fiu.edu) at the International & Graduate Studies Office at FIU Law.

Cancellation Policy

FIU Law reserves the right to cancel this program at any time or make changes, modifications, or substitutions to the program.

Access for Persons with Disabilities

Students with documented disabilities who may require specific accommodations while studying abroad should contact Associate Dean Student Services Angelique Fridman at afridman@fiu.edu.

The Florida International University College of Law offers an ABA-approved Study Abroad in Spain each summer. The courses are considered part of the FIU curriculum and are approved, administered, and assessed by FIU-approved faculty. FIU affirms its commitment to ensure that each member of the University community shall be permitted to work or study in an environment free from any form of illegal discrimination based on race, color, religion, age, disability, sex (including sexual misconduct), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, marital status, veteran status, and/or any other legally protected status.

FIU Law's 2025 Study Abroad Program in Seville will follow the health and safety precautions set forth by FIU via it's program Panther Protecting Panthers and by the University of Seville. The program will abide by any additional measures that may be issued by the universities and government agencies in Spain and the United States. Should the University suspend, change, or make a substitution to a study abroad program based on the best interests of participants, including in cases of emergency or threats to health, safety, or security refunds of costs or fees will be made in accordance with published FIU policies and only if the funds are uncommitted and/or recoverable.

Payments made directly to an airline, travel agency or any third party are not recoverable by the University and cannot be refunded or reimbursed.