Visiting European scholar eager for partnership with UC College of Law

When Stefan Storr visited the University of Cincinnati College of Law one year ago, he left feeling remarkably motivated and hopeful for the future of his school, the University of Graz. As UC welcomed him back again this month, the Austrian dean was thrilled to bring his team along to strengthen the partnership between Cincinnati Law and the University of Graz.

This year, Storr brought law faculty and staff, hoping to motivate and inspire them after exploring what UC Law has to offer. He explained that once he is “home in Graz, I am very motivated to do new things, and they must be motivated, too, so I brought them here so they can learn more and think about their role in the Austrian administration.” He hoped this trip would expose his team to the differences between his university’s legal studies system and Cincinnati Law's.

During his visit last year, Storr learned about some of the law school’s clinics and was so impressed that he brought the idea back home, establishing a practical professorship to provide an opportunity for law students to gain hands-on experience while helping start-up companies in Graz. This initiative can be compared to the Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic here at Cincinnati Law. The dean explained that the legal education system in Europe can be more theoretical than practical, and this new venture is an important one for students to gain practical experience while in school.

The collaboration between the law school and Graz presents many opportunities for law students hoping to experience a foreign legal system. Student exchanges are fairly normal in Europe, and Storr hopes that more student exchanges can lead to a higher number of faculty exchanges as well.

The dean explained that partnerships among universities create networks, and through “a network, or any form of collaboration, people can learn new ideas and new programs, which is the idea of this collaboration between UC and Graz.”

Recognizing that Cincinnati has more to offer than the university, Storr enjoyed local and campus tours and spending time in Over the Rhine, sampling local beers, and, of course, Graeter’s ice cream.