Merida, Mexico

Study Law In Mexico with MC Law

December 26, 2024 – January 7, 2025

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Mississippi College School of Law will host the popular Merida program during winter intersession this year. The program is approximately two weeks long and students will earn two credit hours in Comparative Law. Merida is the capital city of the Yucatan and an excellent base to explore the Mexican culture through Mayan ruin sites and ecological wonders. The program will include excursions relevant to the course material.

Space is limited, and applications should be submitted as soon as possible. Deposits must be
received by October 28, 2024. All programs require a $250 nonrefundable deposit.

Who Can Participate

Full-time and part-time J.D. and LL.M students at ABA-accredited law schools
Students must currently be in good standing and have attended law school for at least one year
Current second- and third-year students J.D. students or LL.M. students
For MC Law students, see MC Law policies regarding academic standing and eligibility to participate in intersession courses.

Visiting Students

Visiting students must have written approval from the Dean of their home school to be eligible to participate and are advised to consult with their home school’s Dean or Registrar prior to application to ensure acceptance of credit for the program. Transcript request information will be provided to visiting students upon completion of the program. Visiting students are responsible for submitting their own transcript requests following the program. Acceptance of any credit or grade for any course taken in the program is subject to determination by the home institution.

The course offered during the program is Comparative Law taught by Professor Milton "MJ" Hernandez.

Course Description LAW 521 - Comparative Law (2 semester hours)

Credits, 2 sem. hrs. This course provides a survey of Comparative Law with a focus on the Civil Law and Common Law legal traditions. Topics covered include the history of each tradition, the structures of government and court systems, legal education, the roles played by legal actors, civil and criminal procedure, and sources of law as well as interpretive practices. The course also considers selected problems in comparative constitutional law. Among the topics discussed are: comparative individual rights and liberties, including the rights of the accused, constitutional entrenchment, the structure and procedure used by constitutional courts, foundational case narratives, separation of powers in comparative perspective, and federalism in comparative perspective.
In the Summer Legal Studies in Merida program, special attention will be given to these doctrines and procedures in Mexico, especially in the State of Yucatán.

Cancellation Policy

MC Law does not anticipate that the program will be canceled. However, in the unfortunate
event that cancellation occurs, MC Law will refund all tuition and registration fees within 30 days of cancellation. We will also refund any portion of the administrative fee that has not been irrevocably committed to a third party.
If there are any changes to significant aspects of the program (classes offered, teachers, dates,
etc.), after a student has signed up to the program, these will be communicated promptly, and students will be permitted to withdraw from the program and obtain a full refund of monies paid to MC Law for the program with the exception of those funds that have been irrevocably committed to a third party.

Access for Persons with Disabilities

Merida is a developed modern city and is generally accessible to individuals with disabilities. MC Law will ensure that students with disabilities of any kind who participate in the program are provided with special accommodations to the extent possible. However, students requiring special accommodations should contact the program coordinator prior to applying.

ESTIMATED EXPENSES

The following is an estimate of student expenses for the program. This includes both payments to MC Law and anticipated out-of-pocket expenses. Please note that these are only estimates and are subject to change.

MC Law Student tuition at student’s tuition rate for 2 credit hours
Visiting Student Tuition: $1,266
Lodging/Admin Fees:~$2,600
Miscellaneous/personal expenses: $300-$400
Round Trip Travel to Merida: ~$1100
Trip health insurance: $100 – $200

GETTING TO AND FROM MERIDA

Students are advised to arrange flights to the Merida airport.
The U.S. Department of State recommends (but does not require) U.S. citizens to register trips abroad with the Department of State. MC Law will register all program participants with the Department of State prior to the program. U.S. Department of State consular information sheets for Mexico are available on the Department of State’s Website (www.travel.state.gov). Please check it periodically for updates. In the unlikely event that Mexico is declared an “area of instability” by the U.S. government before or during the trip, or if the U.S. issues a “travel warning,” students will be permitted to withdraw from the program and will receive a full refund of monies paid to MC Law that have not been irrevocably committed to a third party. The U.S. Department of the State recommends
(but does not require) U.S. citizens to register trips with them. MC Law will register all
participants with the State Department prior to the program.

For students who are considering international travel and who do not have a current passport or whose passport may need to be renewed, it is important to allow a minimum of six weeks to process your passport application or passport renewal application. Demand for passport renewals and applications is currently very high so that early application is very important.
Travel and health insurance is strongly recommended for students participating in the Mexico program. There are various providers with the cost, depending on the coverage purchased, ranging from approximately $100 to $200. Travel Guard http://www.travelguard.com) is one such provider, as is iNext (www.inext.com). Your policy should, at a minimum, cover medical expenses, travel interruption/cancellation and repatriation.
Health information and recommendations regarding vaccines and medicines for travel to Mexico can be found at https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/mexico.

QUESTIONS AND APPLICATION

Please direct questions to:

Professor Milton “MJ” Hernandez
Mississippi College School of Law
151 E. Griffith Street
Jackson, MS 39201
Email: mhernandez@mc.edu

MC Law students and Visiting law students should submit their applications to Professor MJ Hernandez (either via email or physical delivery).

DROP/ADD POLICY

Last day to add: 12/09/2024

Last day to drop with 100% tuition refund: 12/09/2024

Last day to drop with a "W" grade: 12/22/2024

Deposits are non-refundable.

Admin fees are refundable only if they have not been paid out to a 3rd party at the time of the drop.

Last day to drop with no tuition refund and get a W grade is 3 days before the program is scheduled to start.

Application for Current Students

Application for Visiting Students