A delegation from Ukraine had been in Iowa this week learning about the U.S. law. Phil Latessa is with the Iowa Sister States program which sponsored the trip. He says they are all attorneys, except for one journalist, and they are here to get a perspective on various aspects of out country’s legal system.
Latessa says the members have already had several meetings with representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union, Iowa Attorney General’s office, the Iowa Citizen’s Ombudsman Office, Iowa Legal Aid, Drake University School of Law. They’re also visiting with a judge and representatives of the Iowa Bar Association’s International Law Section.
Latessa says they have had several questions and he believes they are people who will be the future of the legal system in the Ukraine, and some of what they’ve learned will likely be used to move their system forward. Latessa says there’s another aspect to the trip that may be even more important.
Latessa says that is the opportunity to interact with American families and overcome a lot of the stereotypes of the U.S. and get beyond the idea that American life is like it is in New York and Los Angeles as portrayed in the movies. Latessa says the host families will also get to learn about another culture as well.