WHAT: Mishpatim Canada is a travel study course that introduces law students to Israel and its legal system. It was launched in 2011 under the leadership of Bryan Schwartz, Asper Professor of International Law at the U of M.

HOW IT WORKS: Every May, roughly 20 U of M law students (along with students from the Asper School of Business at the U of M and the University of Saskatchewan law school) take this three-week, four-credit hour course at the Rothberg International School at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Students explore Israeli law and society, coming away with an enhanced appreciation of the complexity and vitality of Israel and greater insight into how Canada copes with comparable challenges. They better understand developments in the news and appreciate the nuances in the debate over Israeli policies that continue to infuse life on university campuses and in society generally. The students attend educational lectures and navigate historical settings. They’re also free to explore their surroundings on their own time. “There’s much to be learned by having free time and actually experiencing talking to people in the streets, interacting with them and witnessing their world,” says Schwartz. “I think that combination of structured educational programs, some structured field trips and some free time worked out very well this time around.”

THE GOAL: To give students the opportunity to compare and contrast issues in Israel and Canada, given the two countries share many challenges and realities.

THE INSPIRATION: “[U of M alumnus and philanthropist, the late] Izzy Asper really wanted students to have practical learning experiences. Israel has modeled a lot of their constitutional development on Canada’s experience with our Charter, so it makes for a great fit,” says Schwartz.

THE MOMENTS THAT MATTER: Schwartz says a highlight for him has been witnessing the interest that’s grown from those first info sessions in its inaugural year. Today, “a quarter of first-year students attend the program,” he says, noting that feedback from students has been exceptionally positive. “Some describe it as the most outstanding experience in the law school program.”

NEXT STEPS: Schwartz wants to maintain Mishpatim as a signature program of the U of M, something that’s part of our own identity where we continue to play a leading role in its design and delivery. The intent is for it to be increasingly accessible to students from other law schools across Canada starting first in the Prairies and then to Western Canada with an incremental approach towards the goal of national accessibility.”

FUNDERS: Canadian Friends of Hebrew University, Canadian Friends of Hebrew University Winnipeg Chapter, Asper Chair of International Business and Trade Law, and Desautels Centre for Private Enterprise and the Law

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• Mishpatim Canada

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