Our Institute hosted California attorney Wendell Goddard
The Institute for Clinical Legal Education, Faculty of Law at Comenius University, has been pleased to host and welcome California attorney Wendell Goddard as a Fulbright Specialist for two weeks between October and November 2023. Wendell is a graduate of Yale University and Berkeley Law School at the University of California. He practiced law in California for over 40 years.
Dr. Mária Havelková oversaw Wendell's visit and was in charge of his activities here.
During his stay, Wendell gave several lectures and led discussions on various legal topics, including: (1) Truth, Free Speech, and Privacy, (2) Threats of Autocracy and Tyranny, (3) The War in Ukraine, (4) U.S. Politics including criminal and civil cases against Donald Trump, and (5) Partisan Divide and Gun Policy in the U.S. including discussions of the U.S. Supreme Court case of N.Y. State Rifle vs. Bruen and a 1989 concert with Joan Baez and Václav Havel in Bratislava. All of these lectures emphasized current news developments.
He led two class discussions on legal English and the use of English in legal matters. He also led discussions within the Legal Aid Studies course on the responsibility of lawyers in society, the importance of effective access to justice and legal aid, and the benefits of pro bono services for both individual lawyers and society at large. These classes were attended by home students and visiting students from 10 different countries.
During his visit, Wendell met with several law students and faculty to discuss their individual interests, concerns, and goals, including a consultation with a student writing his thesis on free speech. Wendell attended a lunch focused on the Fulbright program in Slovakia. In addition, he attended a meeting with members of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Slovakia regarding cooperation between UNHCR and the Institute for Clinical Legal Education.
The most important outcome of Wendell's visit was simply cultural exchange and internationalization. It is essential for people, including lawyers, to gain an understanding as to how other societies, and their legal systems, both differ and can also learn from each other. Wendell was able to transmit useful information to both students and faculty at Comenius, and to others from different countries who are studying here, as to how the U.S. legal system works and what are some significant issues and challenges facing the U.S., and the world, at this perilous time in global affairs. At the same time, Wendell gained valuable insights into the legacies of this country’s socialist history under communism.