Western Legal Culture and Tradition as Drivers for Global Legal Reform—New Perspectives

In the past, Western countries have contributed to shaping the rest of the world in a vast array of domains, including the very foundations of a country, namely the legal system. In some cases, legal traditions found their way to other cultural-legal areas by the mere movement of people and goods and the tacit adoption of these traditions. In others, Western law and tradition served as a model for those countries’ legal endeavors, such as the German Civil and Criminal Codes. And sometimes, legal concepts and doctrines were strongly encouraged and even imposed by Western countries. This resulted in calls for the decolonization of comparative law. A modern approach to exporting legal standards can be seen in the Brussels Effect, which describes the phenomenon of the European Union’s regulations being adopted outside EU borders in order to access its single market.

In his new book “An Introduction to German Law and Legal Culture,” Professor Russell Miller (WLU School of Law) explores the growing prominence and influence of German law around the world. In the light of the book’s findings, the German Embassy is pleased to host a panel of highly qualified experts to discuss how state actors continue to impinge on the legal systems of other countries, e.g., by means of legal aid and development or the enforcement of regulations.

For the discussion, we will be joined by:

Nuno Garoupa, Antonin Scalia Law School

Sherally K Munshi, Georgetown Law Center

Natallia Karkanitsa, World Bank

Fernanda Nicola, Washington College of Law, American University (to be confirmed)

Moderator: Drew Bagley, CrowdStrike

We are looking forward to welcoming you to the discussion.