Newton, MA--A delegation of prominent Ukrainian judges visited Boston College Law School on Wednesday, September 29, as part of their trip to study the U.S. justice system and meet with their American counterparts and other civic leaders during the Library of Congress Open World Leadership exchange. The goal of the exchange is to promote judicial reform and rule of law.

Boston College professor Kathleen Bailey helped coordinate the program, which included visits to Boston-area courtrooms, meetings with prominent United States Judges and representatives of the US Department of Justice, and tours of local historic attractions. Activities at the Law School included observing a contracts class taught by BC Law Professor Ingrid Hillinger, and afternoon sessions directed by Professors Mary Bilder, George Brown, Vlad Perju, Kay Schlozman, and Ken Kersch, all of whom have extensive scholarship and experience in American government and politics. The delegates also had the opportunity to share a public presentation concerning their own professional background.

In Boston, the judges were invited to explore a variety of perspectives on American law. An array of subjects was detailed for professional discussion, including bankruptcy court procedure, the mediation of federal civic actions, and judicial ethics. After a meeting at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, the judges were invited to observe hearings of Judge Frank Bailey. Following their visit to BC Law, the judges met with Justice Stephen Breyer and Jeffrey Toobin to discuss their recent publications on American political law. Later this week they will be attending professional meetings with members of the United States District Court and the law firm Edwards, Angell, Palmer, & Dodge.

The Open World Leadership exchange began ten years ago as the Russian Leadership Program. The project emerged in a time of sweeping judicial reform in Russia under President Vladimir Putin, and was designed to provide firsthand exposure to American judicial practices. The goal of the program was to help further the progress of judicial reform in Russia, a crucial element in its transition to a democratic society.

“If [Russia’s] administration is to modernize the economy…and participate fully in the system of industrial democracies,” said former U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation James Collins, “then [Russia’s leaders will] have to ensure that rule of law is the principle of the future.”

Since its implementation, the program has experienced great success and has broadened in scope. It is sponsored by the Federal Judicial Center of the United States Courts, the United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Massachusetts, and the United States District Court, District of Massachusetts.