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Israel Winter Abroad Program

Tel Aviv & Ramat Gan, Israel

Dates: December 26, 2011 – January 6, 2012

Bar-Ilan University

Located in Modern Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan, the Israel program provides a unique legal and cultural experience for students interested in comparative systems and cultures. Because of its location, the program offers the possibility of optional travel to the Dead Sea, the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River, Nazareth, Eilat, the lost city of Petra in Jordan, and Cairo and its pyramids.




At a Glance:

Program Dates: December 26, 2011 – January 6, 2012
Program Director: Professor Neil H. Cogan: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Host University: Bar-Ilan University
Location: Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan, Israel
Tuition: $3,000 for up to 3 (three) credit hours
Proposed Courses: A Feminist Critique of Israeli Law Sem. [Ruth Halperin Kaddari]
A Survey of Israeli Law Sem. [Nir Kedar]
Comparative Civil Rights Law Sem. [Neil H. Cogan]

Click here to view the program flier

Program Details

Join us at Israel’s largest university, in the center of its dynamic commercial and entertainment region. Students will study with experts in their fields and earn credits toward their degrees. Just a short distance away, students will find historic venues and contemporary museums, as well as venues for music, food and entertainment.

Host Campus – Bar-Ilan University

Bar-Ilan University, located in the Tel Aviv suburb of Ramat Gan, is Israel’s largest academic community of students, scientists and staff (32,000). It seeks to produce students of intellectual and ethical understanding, with the highest standards of excellence in scientific and academic research. The unique Bar-Ilan formula blends tradition with modern technologies and scholarship. Bar-Ilan University is a peerless community of scientists and scholars toiling to synthesize the ancient and the modern, the sacred and the material, the spiritual and the scientific.
For further information about Bar-Ilan University and its law school go to: http://www.biu.ac.il/index_eng.shtml.

Past Legal Excursions Have Included

  • A private visit with the Honorable Justice Aharon Barak, the then President of the Supreme Court of the State of Israel in Jerusalem. The visit was preceded by a tour of the Supreme Court building.
  • Visit to the Tel Aviv District Trial Court and talk by a judge of that Court.
  • Visit to the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament.
  • Visit to the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
  • Visit to Yad Vashem, the Israel Holocaust Museum.
  • A tour of the Israeli Stock Exchange.
  • Visits with various law firms in Israel and presentations by their partners and associates.
  • Talks by spokespersons from Israeli Civil Rights organizations, the Israeli Defense Force, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
  • Visit to trauma center
    for victims of terrorism.
  • View of and talk given by an expert on the security barrier in Jerusalem.
  • • Talk by the Israeli Law Center, a law firm that specializes in civil suits against terrorist organizations and others on behalf of victims.

Optional Cultural Tours

An important part of the program is the opportunity to experience the magic of Israel and its environs. Previous students have included many for whom this was their first visit to the Holy Land. Classes end on Thursday afternoon, so students have time to travel over a long weekend.

In conjunction with our partners, Israel Experts Ltd., the program provides optional tours to other parts of Israel, including Galilee, the Jordan River, the Dead Sea, Eilat, and Jerusalem. Students in past years also traveled to Jordan, including the lost city of Petra, to the Sinai Desert in Egypt, Cairo, and Cyprus.

Rooms and Services

Classes are held in the Faculty of Law building and annex. The library and carrels are in the main building on the first and sub-first floors. Computers with Internet access are in the sub-first floor of the library. Classrooms and restrooms are accessible to the disabled.

Administrative Staff

Professor Neil H. Cogan is the stateside director responsible for planning and overall administration of the program. Professor Cogan is a well-known civil rights scholar and has written extensively on constitutional and civil rights legislation. He has lived, studied and worked in Israel on many occasions and enjoys sharing its excitement with students. He will also serve as the on-site director during the program. You can reach him directly at (714) 444-4141, ext. 216;” .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).”

For general inquiries, you may also contact Jennifer Maniscalco at x 111;” .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)”:mailto:jenniferm@law.whittier.edu.

Download Application

Courses

A Feminist Critique of Israeli Law Seminar (Professor Ruth Halperin-Kaddari)

The course is a critique of gender equality in Israeli law. Topics include education, employment, family and relationships, physical violence, property, public and political office, and welfare. The course includes an examination of the cultural and political influence of religion.

A Survey of Israeli Law Seminar (Professor Nir Kedar)

The course offers an overview of Israeli law and legal history. The classes will be divided into three main parts: The first part discusses the structure of Israeli legal system: the court system, the attorney general and the ministry of justice; and then survey the sources of Israeli law (legislation, precedents and the role of custom in Israeli law). The second part reviews Israeli legal history, including sources in Ottoman and British law and Knesset enactments and Supreme Court decisions. The third part tackles three of the main legal issues that bother Israeli society: the ongoing constitutional debate; the complex relationship between Jewish law and Israeli law; and the question of law and nationalism, especially in light of the Jewish-Arab conflict.

Comparative Civil Rights Law Seminar (Professor Neil Cogan)

The course covers the Israel High Court of Justice’s decisions on issues such as equality, privacy, religion, and speech and compares the the Court’s treatment of the issues to those of the United States Supreme Court.

Access to Computers & Internet Service

It is strongly recommended for students to bring their own notebook/laptop computer, particularly for those courses that require papers or written assignments.

Grading

Students are required to attend all classes and participate actively in all classes. All students receive a course grade based on class participation and a required paper or exam administered at the end of each course. Please be advised that many classes have been designated as seminars and require a paper instead of a final examination. At the discretion of the professor, the due date for the paper may be as late as the end of January. The acceptance of any credit or grade for courses completed in a Whittier Summer Program by any law school other than Whittier Law School is subject to determination by the home school.

All Whittier Summer Abroad Courses are graded by using the same grading system used for the on-campus program. We do not offer courses on a Pass/No Pass bases except for units earned for Externships, Independent Study projects, and clinical or extern units. Professors report numerical grades based on a 4.0 point system as follows:

  • 3.6 – 4.0 (A)
  • 3.0 – 3.4 (B)
  • 2.5 – 2.9 (C )
  • 2.3 – 2.4 (C-)
  • 1.8 – 2.2 (D)
  • 1.7 (F)

Some courses may require a mean or median grade distribution. Please see general Whittier grading policies for further information and/or contact the director. The grading policy for each class will be included with the course description. Review Whittier Law School’s Polices Manual for more information about grading.

If your school requires information about the grading policy for course you select, please request that they contact the director prior to the beginning of the program.

Reporting of Grades

Whittier Law School will report all grades once they are reported and finalized by the professors. Generally, grades are due no later than six weeks after the end of the program. Non-Whittier students must inquire with their home school for policies regarding accepting courses and transferring credit for courses taken at Whittier law school’s summer programs. Whether credit will be accepted and how grades will be reported at the home school is entirely at the direction of each student’s home school.

Housing Information

Whittier Law School has an arrangement with a private firm to assist students to obtain program housing. The firm is called Israel Experts. Although most students choose to reside in such housing, it is not a requirement in order for you to participate in the academic program. Regardless of whether you obtain housing from IsraelExperts or obtain housing on your own, the Program assumes no responsibility for housing.

IsraelExperts also provide arrangements for a private bus to take students to/from classes at Bar-Ilan University and to all legal excursions. The private bus will leave from nearby the location of the arranged housing.

Accommodations through IsraelExperts

To view housing options arranged by our tour provider, IsraelExperts, go to:

http://www.israelexperts.com/whittier.html
Questions for IsraelExperts may be sent by email to gillian@israelexperts.com.

*Metropolitan Hotel (First Class Hotel)*
http://www.hotelmetropolitan.co.il/index.cfm
The Hotel Metropolitan is located in the very centre of the bustling city of Tel Aviv. It is only one block away from the Mediterranean Sea and the wide, sandy beaches.
Free WiFi internet is currently available in the hotel’s public areas

Rates per night on room and breakfast basis:
$55 per person, sharing a twin-bedded room
$92 per single bedded (single occupancy) room

*Adiv (Economy Hotel)*
http://www.adivhotel.com/
The Adiv Hotel is located in the center of town, just a two minute leap to the Mediterranean beach and minutes away from the city’s business, cultural entertainment and shopping districts. The hotel offers fully air-conditioned guest rooms with private bath, and free WiFi connection plus a separate Internet desk

Rates per night on room and breakfast basis:
$49 per person, sharing a twin-bedded room
$85 per single bedded (single occupancy) room

According to Israeli law, Israeli citizens must pay V.A.T. on all hotel rates. V.A.T. is currently 16% and payment should be made directly to the hotel.
Full payment and cancellation policy appears in the reservation form.

Admissions Policy for Study Abroad Programs

Whittier Law School will exercise complete discretion to select applicants for its study abroad programs who demonstrate an ability to live and study in a foreign environment as well as a commitment to participate fully in the academic and cultural programs designed by the program directors. The Law School seeks program participants who will serve as exceptional ambassadors of Whittier Law School in the host country and reserves the right to deny admission to any applicant who does not satisfy its study abroad admission criteria.

Admission Application for Israel Winter

Admission to the Israel Winter Program

The program is open to law students who have completed their first year of full or part time study by the time the program begins. Law graduates may be admitted as auditors. All students, except Whittier students, must submit a letter of good standing from the Dean or Registrar of their school.

  • The application deadline is November 21, 2011. Enrollment may be limited. Applications received after the November 21 deadline will be considered only if space is available.
  • A complete file consists of all of the following:
  1. Completed application form
  2. Non-Refundable application fee of $75. (Visa or MasterCard are accepted, and checks should be made payable to Whittier Law School. The application fee must accompany the application at the time of submission.)
  3. A letter of good standing from the Registrar of your law school (not required of Whittier Law School students). Students on Academic Probation are discouraged from applying, but will be considered on a case by case basis.
  4. Copy of your passport [should be valid for the duration of your study abroad]
  5. Signed Acceptance Letter
  6. Signed Participation Agreement
  7. Signed Tuition Agreement

You may request an application from the Law School or print the form from this site. For your convenience, you may submit your application(s), the required fee(s) and all supporting documents by mail, email, fax, or in person to:

Israel Winter Program
Office of International Relations
Whittier Law School
3333 Harbor Boulevard
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Fax: (714) 444-0855
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Attn: Jennifer Maniscalco

Course Registration

Once you are accepted into the program, you will be auto-enrolled into all three (3) program courses, for a total enrollment of three (three) credit hours. If you do not wish to enroll in all three courses, you must submit a drop request in writing to Jennifer Maniscalco at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), and state clearly the courses that you wish to drop. Please note that your tuition price remains the same even if you do not take all three courses. Tuition will not be discounted if you choose to take less than three (3) credit hours.

Admission Application for Israel Winter

Tuition Payment Schedule

The total tuition and fees for Whittier Law School’s Winter Program in Israel will be $3,000 (includes orientation costs, legal and cultural tours). The program participants will have access to various facilities on campus, and there will be group excursions to local legal institutions and local cultural and historical sites.

The payment schedule is as follows:

  1. Application fee of $75. Due with application.
  2. All fees (tuition, housing, & program activity fees) due by November 21, 2011. If you will pay your program costs with Financial Aid and are unable to meet the November 21 deadline, we will need to know. Therefore, it is essential that you apply early for Financial Aid considerations.

Note: Please be advised that your space in the program is guaranteed upon acceptance. In the event the program is over-subscribed, we reserve the right to give your space to another applicant if you fail to comply with the payment schedules.

Financial Aid

Israel Abroad Intersession 1–3 units
Tuition $ 3,000
Application Fee $ 75
Housing/Room & Board $ 1,560
Airfare/Transportation $ 1,600
Total $ 6,235

Withdrawals Policy

Students are notified of their acceptance and are automatically enrolled upon submitting the signed acceptance letter. Once enrolled, the last day to withdraw from the program with no tuition obligation will be December 1, 2011. Should a student decide to withdraw from a program, s/he must submit in writing a “Letter of Declaration” setting forth an intention to withdraw no later than the close of business on December 1, 2011. For timely requests for withdraw, all appropriate tuition and/or fees will be refunded within 10 business days of receipt of a letter of withdrawal.

Please be advised that the Program Directors make early commitments to secure housing, purchase materials and pay for other program expenses based upon the number of participants determined shortly after the November 21 application deadline. Therefore, it will not be possible for Whittier Law School to accept requests for refunds and/or relief of commitment to pay tuition or housing fees after the December 1 deadline to withdraw. A student who withdraws from a program after that date will forfeit all fees and tuition.

Please be advised that once you withdraw from a summer program, there will be a $25 fee to re-activate your application and reserve your space in the program in the event that you subsequently change your mind. We understand that a few of you will need to change your summer plans, and we are ready to assist you as best we can. We wish you all a wonderful and productive summer.

Notices of withdrawal received after December 1 will not be considered for refund or for tuition fee relief. Any program participant who withdraws after December 1 will be responsible for the full price of tuition and/or other non-refundable fees.

Changes in Course Offerings or Other Significant Aspects of the Program by Whittier Law School

Whittier Law School reserves the right to cancel or alter the Study Abroad Programs. The programs are subject to cancellation if the enrollment is insufficient or if a State Department travel warning has been issued for the country or area where the program will take place. Any cancellation or substantive alteration of the program will be promptly communicated to all applicants. In the event that Whittier Law School decides to cancel, change course offerings, or make other significant changes to a program, students will be immediately notified and given the opportunity to withdraw without financial penalty. All tuition and all fees will be promptly returned. In the event of cancellation, the Associate Dean for International Relations will assist all displaced registrants to find suitable alternative summer programs.

Students on Academic Notice

Students typically learn their GPA in June after all grades have been submitted and published. It is particularly important that you carefully weigh whether you should apply to a Study Abroad program if there is an apparent risk of academic disqualification. After December 1, no one is excused from financial commitments, even when disqualified and even when student loans are cancelled.

Program Cancellation by Whittier Law School

Whittier Law School reserves the right to cancel or alter the Study Abroad Programs. The programs are subject to cancellation if the enrollment is insufficient or if a State Department travel warning has been issued for the country or area where the program will take place. Any cancellation or substantive alteration of the program will be promptly communicated to all applicants. In the event that a Study Abroad Program is cancelled by Whittier Law School, all tuition and all fees will be promptly returned. In the event of cancellation, the Assistant Dean for International Relations will assist all displaced registrants to find suitable alternative summer programs.

Medical Insurance

Whittier Law School assumes no responsibility for medical care or costs, and students may be required to show proof of health insurance that covers medical expenses incurred abroad. You are advised to check with your medical insurance provider to see if your current medical insurance covers emergency medical care while overseas. If it does not, you are strongly encouraged to consider buying supplemental medical and hospital coverage for the period of your stay overseas. You might inquire with your medical provider, insurance agent or travel agent.

Additionally, students are strongly encouraged to obtain medical evacuation insurance. Such insurance may be obtained from various providers including, but not limited to, the following possible providers: Travel Assistance International, (800) 821.2828,
http://www.travelassistance.com Global Travel Insurance, (800) 232.9145,
http://www.globaltravelinsurance.com and Travel Insurance Services, (800) 937.1387, http://www.travelinsure.com; The Gateway Plans http://www.gatewayplans.com Wallach & Company Inc. http://www.wallach.com BETiNS, (866) 552-8834, http://www.betins.com.

Contact Us

Office of International Relations
Whittier Law School
3333 Harbor Boulevard, Costa Mesa CALIFORNIA 92626

Fax: (714) 444-0855

Calvin D. Peeler Associate Dean for International Relations
(714) 444-4141 ext. 110; cpeeler@law.whittier.edu

Jennifer Maniscalco
Executive Assistant for International Relations
Phone: (714) 444-4141 ext. 111; jenniferm@law.whittier.edu