By Fasika Kenea and Dawit Berihanu/ College of Law
Two staff members of Haramaya University College of Law participated in an experience sharing visit to the USA from Sept. 28, 2014 – Oct.14, 2014.
During their stay, Mr.Dawit Berihanu and Mr. Fasika Kenea, visited North Western University, courts, prison center. They also attained legal clinical class and discussed with different legal clinic center directors as to how the Bluhm Legal Clinic is working.
In 2013, the College had sent its staff member, Mr. Tiglu Melese to a similar university to gain experience on legal clinics.
As a national legal curriculum, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Ministry of Education has incorporated legal clinics as an elective course for each law school throughout the country. The legal clinics is a program aimed primary at providing the real legal practice for students in addition to the lecture delivered in classrooms. Furthermore, the society will also be beneficiary from the legal service provided by the centers.
Haramaya University College of Law is on the way of expanding the legal clinics apart from what is included in the curriculum. In order to launch the work, the College plans to start with four centers: Center for Prisoners’ Right, Center on Child Rights and Family Law, Center on Land Disputes, and Center on Business Law.
The staff members are currently working on the College’s Legal Clinic Center to share the experience they got from USA. They also made presentations how the legal clinics of HU are working and planning to work in the future.