December 04, 2007
International Development is an emerging field; presently, the only comparable programs specializing in International Development are at Columbia, Harvard, MIT, Tufts, and Johns Hopkins. The Tulane Payson Center for International Development will be, however, the first such program affiliated with a law school. Following a year of discussion, negotiation, and due diligence, a Memorandum of Understanding between the Law School and the Payson Center setting forth the terms of this new arrangement was approved by the Law faculty, the Executive Committee of the Payson Center, subject only to final approval by the Tulane University Senate which was recently conferred.
With its new organizational structure, the Payson Center will gradually shift both its curricular focus and its field work to further emphasize the core legal aspects of International Development. Moreover, the Payson Center will fund an additional faculty line in the Law School, involving a traditional law faculty member to interface with the Payson Center, but also qualified and available to teach one or two courses in the Law School’s regular J.D. curriculum. Thus, J.D. teaching resources will actually be enhanced under this proposal.
To learn more about the Payson Center’s background and future benefits, click here.