While President Obama was visiting the UK a group of Anglia staff and students were experiencing the law on the other side of the Atlantic.

Nine Anglia Ruskin law students (selected from both Cambridge and Chelmsford campuses) spent two fascinating weeks over Easter in the Sunshine State. They were accompanied by law lecturers, Sheila Byrne, Andrew Gilbert and Sean Thomas. The students spent the first week experiencing life as American law students by attending classes, visiting courts (where Judge Levenson of Florida's 17th Circuit took questions from the students when his court adjourned for lunch) and attending a reception hosted by partner Scott Chitoff at the law firm of Brinkley Morgan. The group also toured the impressive library facilities and spent time with Nova law students and staff.

Sean Thomas, whose PhD was a comparative study of an aspect of US and English law, gave a couple of lectures relating to his PhD. Andrew Gilbert also gave a lecture on slavery past and present.

The second week was an opportunity to take a break from the law and students were free to explore southern Florida. Some visited Miami, while others headed to the Everglades or the Bahamas. All students spoke positively of the trip and some are planning to return in the summer to undertake legal work experience.

This is the second successive year this study visit has run and it has proved a huge success. Our hosts extended us another warm and generous welcome and the students came away with an insight into a legal system and culture which is similar to our own, yet distinctive in many ways.

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