Connected Minds,Connected Cultures:\ Connected Minds

Leah WorthamRalph Rohnercolleague Catherine Klein to help itestablish the first successful clinicalprogram in central Europe and onlythe second in the entire formerSoviet sphere. Wortham directs theColumbus School of Law’s AmericanLL.M. (Master of Laws) Program inPoland, offered in conjunction withJagiellonian University since 2004, aswell as CUA’s American LawCertificate Program at the university.Wortham has also taught comparativelegal ethics in CUA’s summerprogram in Cracow.Despite her deep engagementwith Jagiellonian University, she wasnonetheless taken by surprise by herselection as the 2008 recipient of itshighest individual honor.“I must say I’m a little stunnedbecause I had no idea,” saidWortham. She was notified of theuniversity’s selection by herJagiellonian University counterpartand co-administrator of the LL.M.program, Filip Wejman. The medal isawarded by the university’s senate onthe rector's initiative. It is intended torecognize people who have actedwith “extreme merit” on behalf of thevenerable Polish University, one of theoldest in Europe. The award of themedal is recorded in the university’sBook of Merits.Often working with faculty fromJagiellonian University, and with thebacking of several legal andnongovernmental organizations, shehas trained dozens of lawteachers and studentsoutside the United Statesin the intricacies of legalethics, clinical educationand legal educationreform. Since 2003, shehas been a member ofthe advisory board to thePolish Legal ClinicsFoundation and since2006 has served in thesame role to the Russian ClinicalEducation Foundation.Ralph Rohner — TricentennialMedal of AppreciationSuccessful collaborations beginwith someone who sees possibilities.For the University of Wroclaw, thatsomeone was Catholic University lawschool professor and former deanRalph Rohner, who pushed hard toensure that the central European lawschool was not shut out from the benefitsof the collegial relationships thatbloomed between law schools of theEast and West following the fall of theSoviet Empire.In the early 1990s, the ColumbusSchool of Law was among the veryfirst American law schools to participatein the Central and East EuropeanLaw Initiative, which became possiblein the wake of the rollback of communism.Under the guidance of the ABA,CEELI arranged and supported newsister-school relationships betweenAmerican and Polish law schools.Catholic University was officiallypartnered with the University of Lodz.But when then-Dean Rohner visitedPoland in 1992 to co-found CUA’ssummer program in Cracow and meetwith University of Lodz officials, a thirdgoal was added to the trip’s agenda.CEELI officials asked the CatholicUniversity delegation to pay a visit tothe University of Wroclaw as well, tohelp assess its potential for participatingin the new CEELI program exchanges.“We first met Dean Bojarski onthat trip, and visited with his faculty.We recommended heartily to CEELIthat the University of Wroclaw shouldbe invited in the next round ofexchanges,” recalls Rohner.For his invaluable help in opening the door for increased professionalcollaboration with the West, and for his long history of working tostrengthen ties between Polish and American legal educators in general,Rohner was awarded the Tricentennial Medal of Appreciation.The two deans have been friendsever since, even visiting each others’homes. Bojarski has since beennamed president of the University ofWroclaw.For his invaluable help in openingthe door for increased professionalcollaboration with the West, and forhis long history of working tostrengthen ties between Polishand American legal educators in general,Rohner was awarded theTricentennial Medal of Appreciation bythe University of Wroclaw on Jan. 6,2008. Recognizing his “involvementin strengthening American-Polish educationalcollaboration,” the medal wasawarded to Rohner at a CUA lawalumni reception held in conjunctionwith the Annual Meeting of theAssociation of American LawSchools. It was presented by noneother than his old friend, MarekBojarski.Spring–Summer 2008 / C UALAWYER 27