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Peltz-Steele Teaches and Counsels Polish Law Students

Professor Richard Peltz-Steele taught American Tort Law to students at Jagiellonian University (JU) in Kraków, Poland as part of their American Law Program.

JU law students studying sustainable development meet for a hike in the Tatra Mountains. First, third, and sixth from left are Dr. Szwedo, Prof. Peltz-Steele, and Ph.D. candidate Bańczyk.

UMass Law Professor Richard Peltz-Steele taught and counseled law students at Jagiellonian University (JU) in Kraków, Poland. Professor Peltz-Steele has been invited periodically since 2006 to serve as a visiting professor in the American Law Program (ALP) of the Columbus School of Law, Catholic University of America (CUA). Under the leadership of CUA Professor Leah Wortham in Washington, D.C., CUA operates the ALP in partnership with the law school at JU. ALP students are LL.B. and LL.M. candidates who study with CUA professors for an additional certification in American law.

This fall, Professor Peltz-Steele taught a one-credit course in American Tort Law. Peltz-Steele said, “Covering American tort law in a week is a whirlwind tour and a tremendous challenge for these students.”

“Like the rest of continental Europe, Poland has a civil law system, so tort law is very different. In this class, the students are expected to master the basics of common law tort, and at that, to do it in a second language,” he explained. “Polish students have a remarkable work ethic, and they rise to the challenge.”

In past years, Peltz-Steele has taught other courses in the ALP, including constitutional law and intellectual property law.

Also, while in Poland, Professor Peltz-Steele was invited by Professor Piotr Szwedo and teaching assistant/Ph.D. candidate Wojciech Bańczyk to visit Zakopane, in the south of Poland, with a conference of law students studying sustainable development. Professor Szwedo lectures in international law and oversees JU programs with foreign law schools, co-directing the ALP with CUA Professor Wortham. Just this month, Professor Szwedo published a new treatise on water and international trade.

JU students participating in the conference hailed from Poland and other nations, including France, Italy, and Spain. In Zakopane, faculty and students interspersed hiking in the Tatra Mountains with dialog about the students’ research projects. The projects focus on topics ranging from natural resources and food security to intellectual property and corporate social responsibility.

Professor Peltz-Steele teaches and researches in media law, civil rights, and comparative law. He has focused in recent years on the intersection of information law and sustainable development, especially in connection with governance and accountability in international sport.

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