This past summer, I was lucky enough to participate in McGeorge School of Law’s Salzburg Graduate Study Abroad Program and the European Law in Practice internship program. It was an experience of a lifetime that brought me lifelong friends. 

I decided to participate in this program as a way of exploring other areas of law that I may not have considered, while in a beautiful country I had never traveled to before. Never did I imagine I would fall in love with the city and the people. I was placed at a firm in Vienna, Austria, where I lived walking distance to some of the most amazing views and historic locations.  

During my internship, I was able to attend many conferences, work on legal documents, and observe court trials. Initially I was nervous about the language barrier but I met so many incredible people who helped me quickly pick up conversational German.  

One of the most impactful moments during my internship was writing a comparative law article on the U.S. class action style lawsuit and the potential new Austrian Sammelklage (collective lawsuit). Even more exciting was that my article was posted the day the Sammelklage was voted in.  

After spending six weeks in Vienna, I am genuinely considering pursuing a career in the international law field. The program inspired me to complete the International Law Concentration at McGeorge.  

Once my internship came to an end, I traveled to Salzburg, Austria to begin my three-week long course. The two classes I took were Negotiating Entertainment Contracts and Comparative Freedom of Expression. The negotiation class was a hands-on simulation style course that provided me with skills that will not only help me as a member of McGeorge’s Negotiation Competition Team, but will be greatly beneficial in my everyday life. The Comparative Freedom of Expression course, co-taught by McGeorge alumna and Ninth Circuit Judge Consuelo M. Callahan, ’75, and a local law professor, Professor Bernhard Zagel, showed me just how important it is to understand how other countries’ legal systems work and differ from the United States.  

I remember my first day in Vienna well. I had an, “Oh no!” moment where I began to wonder if I had made the right decision; I was acutely aware that I was completely alone in a foreign country, I didn’t speak the language, and I had a nine-hour time difference between me and my loved ones back home. I was worried I wouldn’t make it the entire nine weeks. Thankfully, I could not have been more wrong.  

I spent the first week at the law firm getting to know the other interns, being shown amazing sights of the city, including the Austrian Parliament and the juridicum, and most importantly, finding my independence and confidence.  

Apart from the incredible experience and impact on my education, the program brought many wonderful people into my life that I would not have met otherwise. I can honestly say that my life has been changed in many positive ways thanks to the Salzburg Graduate Study Abroad Program.  

I highly recommend everyone participate in this amazing program while at McGeorge School of Law. It truly is a one-of-a-kind experience. 

By Katie Boucher, a second-year student at McGeorge School of Law.