Newark, N.J. - Seton Hall University School of Law Alumna Elizabeth Dawson, who graduated this past May, has been accepted into the prestigious Dean Acheson Legal Stage Program. Drawing on her knowledge of law and on her fluency in French, Ms. Dawson, formerly of Barnesville, Georgia, will serve as a stagiaire to Judge Jean-Pierre Puissochet of Luxembourg at the Court of Justice of the European Communities. She will commence her position in April, 2006. 

The Dean Acheson Legal Stage Program at the Court of Justice of the European Communities offers traineeships for students from U.S. law schools at the Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance. These positions are offered for three months or more during the spring and fall terms of the Court.

The European Court of Justice is the highest court of the European Community (EC). The EC unites 15 sovereign countries in an effort to reduce economic and social barriers and to create economic development, balanced trade, and fair competition opportunities among the member states. One of the major challenges for the EC is to establish a rule of law to apply and prevail uniformly over member states.

One of the most sought-after internships in the European Union, the Legal Stage Program is an extraordinary opportunity for law school graduates to engage in substantive research and work with leading European judges and advocates-general from the Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance. Seven Seton Hall Law students are former stagiaires.

The program consists of four types of stages, each lasting a minimum of three months. A stagiaire with the Court of Justice works in the chambers of a judge in association with the legal referendaires (law clerks), gaining insight into the collegial judicial process characteristic of the European Court. A stage with an advocate-general of the Court of Justice involves research and writing of the advocate-general’s opinions—an experience similar to the traditional U.S. clerkship. The stagiaire with the Court of First Instance works in the chambers of a particular judge, assisting with cases (dealing primarily with antitrust/competition law) before the Court. In the stage with the Research and Documentation Division, stagiaires work under the guidance of a judge or advocate-general on a research project of the participant’s own choosing.

The only private law school in New Jersey, Seton Hall University School of Law was founded in 1951, and is located in the city of Newark.  Seton Hall Law School offers both day and evening programs leading to the Juris Doctor (J.D.), Master of Laws (LL.M.) and Master of Science in Jurisprudence (M.S.J.) degrees.  For more information on Seton Hall Law School, visit law.shu.edu. 

For nearly 150 years, Seton Hall University has been a crucible for leadership, developing the whole student, mind, heart and spirit. Seton Hall combines the resources of a large university with the personal attention of a small liberal arts college. Its attractive suburban campus is only 14 miles by train, bus or car to New York City, with the wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities the city offers. Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top 125 universities in the country, Seton Hall is a Catholic university that embraces students of all races and religions, challenging each to better the world through integrity, compassion and a commitment to serving others.  For more information, see www.shu.edu.