Law school is allowing 3L Kaitlyn Eder to achieve many of her goals, including a visit to Europe, which she accomplished this summer on a study abroad trip. Eder studied international and European Union law at Nantes University in France.
“I never studied abroad in undergrad and never had been out of the country before,” she said. “So when I found out you could study abroad in law school, I was so excited to have the opportunity.”
Eder’s experience lived up to her expectations. She took six courses at Nantes Université, which is near France’s western coast, and says that learning about the legal systems of other countries while visiting them and being immersed in their cultures was impactful.
“One of my classes was European Migration Law,” she said. “It was a very interesting and informative class with everything going on in Ukraine.”
In addition, she took classes on corporate and criminal law and civil litigation, among others. As part of the program, she was also paired with a Nantes Université undergraduate student.
“We got to ask our ‘French buddy’ about life in France and they could ask us about life in America,” Eder said. “It was fun to see how different out living styles are.”
On the weekends, Eder traveled with students in her program to other countries where she was able to explore as a tourist, but also observe firsthand some of the things she was learning about in class. Among the countries Eder visited were Italy, Spain and Portugal.
Eder’s trip was coordinated by Drake University Law School. Most of the participants attend the school, but Eder says she was welcomed by her classmates and developed several new friendships.
“I talk to one of the girls I met every day. We’ve become really close friends,” she said. “I’ll actually be going to Des Moines in a few weeks to visit all of them.”
