newsletter - Bucerius Law School

NEWSLETTER
Inhouse News for Alumni and Friends of the Bucerius Law School
Dezember 2007 page 1
EDITORIAL
Dear friends of Bucerius Law School,
Before we all get caught up in the season's festivities, I
am eager to share some information with you about recent
happenings at your law school. For the first time, the
Hamburg Days of Foundation and Non-Profit Law have
taken place under the direction of Professor Birgit Weitemeyer,
continuing the positive trend of previous years
with 140 participants. Bucerius Law School is establishing
itself as a center for non-profit law in Germany. On this
occasion, the impressive memorial publication for Prof.
Dr. W. Rainer Walz, titled “Between Market and State”
was presented at a ceremony.
Our international standing has improved as well: The
American Bar Association inspected the International
Program; a representative of Stanford University's Law
School visited us and acknowledged that we would be an
interesting partner; and John Podesta, former Chief-of-
Staff of President Bill Clinton's administration as well as a
campaign aid for Hillary Clinton, visited our campus to
talk about transatlantic partnership with our students. But
not only have we found new friends of our school – both
nationally and internationally – we also acquired new
sponsors to further our University's development.
With all these activities, we are looking confidently towards
the end of this and the beginning of the new year.
We wish you a happy holiday season and hope you enjoy
the newsletter.
Yours,
Prof. Dr. Dres. h.c. Karsten Schmidt
President
Dr. Hariolf Wenzler
CEO / Provost
RESEARCH AND ACADEMIA
INSTITUTE FOR FOUNDATION LAW
Hamburg Days for Foundation Law and Non-
Profit celebrated
Directed by Professor Birgit Weitemeyer, the Hamburg
Days of Foundation and Non-Profit Law at Bucerius
Law School took place for the seventh time. As every
year, this joint effort between the University and Carl
Heymanns Publishing was an important meeting point for
scientists and practitioners in the non-profit sector.
Professor Birgit Weitemeyer and Florian Langenscheidt
There was particularly great interest in this year's conference,
with 140 participants attending, greatly exceeding
previous numbers of attendees. Florian Langenscheidt
opened the meeting with his “Hamburg Speech”. He was
followed by other high-profile speakers with experience in
the reform of not-for profit law, corporate governance in
the tertiary sector, and latest developments in turnover
tax law. Among the speakers: Rainer Huettemann (University
of Bonn), Ulrich Segna (University of Frankfurt/Main),
Wolfgang Teske (Diakonie/Protestant Church
of Germany), and Professor Manfred Orth (Ernst&Young).
Their presentations were followed by lively discussions.
The conference ended with an interesting roundtable
discussion “Tertiary Sector – Where State and Market

NEWSLETTER
Inhouse News for Alumni and Friends of the Bucerius Law School
Dezember 2007 page 2
Fail?” amongst participants Werner Ballhausen, Professor
Karl-Heinz Paqué, Professor Wolfram Richter, Rupert Graf
Strachwitz, and Wolfgang Teske.
REMEMBERING W. RAINER WALZ
Presentation of Memorial Publication
is friends remember Professor Rainer Walz as a
“H“homme de letters”, a lively discussant, and as an
overall cheerful character. In the year of the publication of
this manuscript, he would have turned 65.” These are the
last lines of the introduction presenting the memorial
publication for Professor Walz, which was given to his
widow Elisabeth Velleuer on November 10, 2007, during
the Hamburg Days of Foundation and Non-Profit Law.
From left to right: Professor Helmut Kohl, Professor Claus Ott,
Professor Karsten Schmidt, Elisabeth Velleuer, Martin W. Huff,
Professor Friedrich Kübler
Before 150 guests at the main auditorium of Bucerius Law
School, the publishers of the script – professors Kohl,
Kuebler, Ott, and Schmidt – honored the life and work
achievements of Rainer Walz, who died in an accident last
summer. Touched by the presentation, Elisabeth Velleuer
expressed her gratitude, and assured the audience that
her husband would have been very pleased by this honor.
The impressive work is called “Between Market and
State”, and contains a total of 829 pages of contributions
from friends and colleagues. In these, the wide range of
Rainer Walz's scientific work is represented, thereby
honoring the deceased.
DISSERTATION COMPLETED ON SOCIAL
SECURITY LAW
On October, 18, 2007, Jan-Erik Schenkel successfully
defended his doctoral dissertation on the law-writing
responsibilities for social security law. From 2003 to 2006,
Schenkel was an assistant in the department of Public
Law IV of the Bucerius Law School.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE COMMUNICATION
French Legal Certificate
Again this year, first-year students (third trimester),
have successfully passed the exam for the “Certificat
de français juridique”. This exam is accepted by the
French Chamber of Commerce, and takes place every
June at the Bucerius Law School, in cooperation with the
Institut Français, Hamburg. All participants passed with
flying colors, some even with distinction.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
STUDY TRIP TO BERLIN
40 international Students explore the Capital
We began our four-day tour of German history in Potsdam
on October 15, 2007 by making a tour through Germany’s
Prussian era on a perfect fall day – crisp air, sunny skies,
and resplendent autumn leaves. Our tour guide led us
through a few of Frederick the Great’s palaces and their
grounds, the most famous being Sanssouci.
Our group was then hurtled through time to the House of

NEWSLETTER
Inhouse News for Alumni and Friends of the Bucerius Law School
Dezember 2007 page 3
the Wannsee Conference, where several secretaries of
the Third Reich took the decision to exterminate the
European Jews. The house is sombering and many of us
thought that a place that has seen so much evil should be
razed to the ground. But in this house our group engaged
in a discussion about the roots and aftermaths of such a
decision, which is perhaps one of the best ways to prevent
the same harm from happening in the future.
The following day was free and the activities ranged from
riding S-Bahn trains through East Berlin, bike tours
through the whole city, shopping, touring museums, to
attending a modern interpretation of Marriage of Figaro.
No one ever said our group was not diverse.
Our tour through time began again on Wednesday at the
Deutsches Historisches Museum, where the group got a
glimpse of the differences between East and West Germany
during the time after World War II. In the afternoon,
however, our understanding of what it meant to be East
German was clarified as we took a tour of a STASI detention
center, led by a West Berliner who was imprisoned
for seven years by the STASI. Walking around the prison
felt like walking around the set of the movie “The Life of
others” and one could feel the fear, loneliness, and terror
that the prisoners must have felt in such a cold, calculating,
and oppressive institution.
Karen Lee (Australia), Katherine Wilson (New Zealand), Markella
Papadouli (Greece), Alex Watkins (UK) on the cupola of the
Reichtsag in Berlin.
The group ended the tour through time on top of the
Reichstag. In the morning we all sat down in a conference
room with Hans-Ulrich Klose, one of the Bundestag
members and former mayor of Hamburg to listen to him
discuss foreign policy issues from Germany’s perspective.
From there we were led to the glass cupola to end our
trip atop the Reichstag to take in the view of today’s very
dynamic and ever-changing Berlin.
(Sharada Devarassety, University of Minnesota)
FAREWELL TO 69 EXCHANGE STUDENTS
International Exchange Program ended
On December 14 time came to say goodbye to 69
exchange students from 37 partner universities in 16
countries. The program which started on August 30, 2007
brought students from all over the world to study law
from a comparative perspective at Bucerius Law School.
In addition to a total of 14 law courses offered in English,
students were able to take part in a broad extracurricular
program including a visit of the International Tribunal for
the Law of the Sea, guided tours of Hamburg’s city and
museums, visit to historic sites such as the former concentration
camp Neuengamme and Hamburg’s Storage
Houses and movie nights with German movies such as
“The life of others” and “Goodbye Lenin” .
Aaron Rathmell (Australia), Meghna Rajadhyaksha (India), Ilana
Frenkel (Israel), Victoria Sviggum (UK)

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Inhouse News for Alumni and Friends of the Bucerius Law School
Dezember 2007 page 4
During the four-day study trip to Berlin, students could
experience Germany’s dynamic capital while exploring
the history of the country (see article above).
We wish all our international students a safe trip back to
their home countries, a merry Christmas and a happy
new year. And we hope to see you all again soon!
Saroja Kuruganty (Canada), Veronique Gaumond-Carignan (Canada),
Karen Lee (Australia), Michael Maier (USA)
STUDIUM GENERALE
REVITALIZING THE TRANSATLANTIC RE-
LATIONSHIP
John Podesta at Bucerius Law School
What are the political challenges of the 21st century
for the transatlantic partnership? How can we deal
with the threats presented by current international terrorism
and the conflict in the Middle East?
These were some of the questions posed by John Podesta,
director of the Center for American Progress and
former Chief-of-Staff for President Clinton, on November
14, 2007 during this year’s transatlantic lectures series.
Podesta is a strategic advisor for the Democratic party
and is a candidate for nomination to an administrative
post should Hillary Clinton win the 2008 presidential election.
From left to right: Markus Baumanns, Executive Vice-President of
the Zeit-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius, Ulrike Pluscke, Director
of Studium generale, Michael Werz, John Podesta, Hariolf
Wenzler, Roland Freudenstein, Director of Hanse Office in Brussels.
The evening was moderated by Michael Werz, Transatlantic
Fellow of the German Marshall Fund in Washington,
D.C. Podesta called the politics of George W. Bush, “a
tragic mistake” that have been extremely damaging to
the US’s image abroad. In order to establish peaceful and
stable democracies, it is necessary to focus less on the
use of military force and more on the complexity of diplomatic
relations as well as the need to keep America’s
partners close. Roland Freudenstein, head of the Hanse
Office in Brussels, agreed with Podesta’s assessment and
also called for strengthening ties between the US and the
EU.
LAWYERS AND POETS AT THE SAME
TIME
A Lecture Series
T he number of poet-lawyers is higher than you might
think – which is why the ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin and Gerd
Bucerius together with the Bucerius Law School have
presented the lecture series “Lawyers and Poets at the
same time”. It was kicked off by remarks by Ulrich Raulff,
Director of the German Literature Archive in Marbach
who spoke about “poetry in law and the laws of poetry.”

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Inhouse News for Alumni and Friends of the Bucerius Law School
Dezember 2007 page 5
Lawyers and poets – did they not invent reality? Was the
longing for justice not the central motivation to write?
And didn’t dealing with law save poets from poetic meandering?
The series continued with topics such as E.T.A
Hoffmann and Franz Kafka. Tending to deviate from the
norm, Hoffmann remained outside social rules, said Germanist
Wulf Segebrecht. Klaus Wagenbach went on to
discuss the work of lawyer Franz Kafka for the Prague
Workers’ Accident Insurance Company.
Frauke Hamann, Zeit-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius, Klaus
Wagenbach, Editor, Ulrike Pluschke, Studium generale
Georg M. Oswald and Heiko Michael Hartmann talked
about their double lives as lawyers and poets. “I consider
my judicial training and practice as a prerequisite for my
literary work,” said the Munich lawyer and author
Oswald. Hartmann then asked whether the profession
was responsible for who we are – after all, ones life can
take numerous directions. He, as a result, works in two
spheres – as an administration lawyer and a poet.
BUCERIUS LAW JOURNAL
THIRD JUDICIAL DEBATE
Can specialized unions strike for their own tariff contracts?
This was one of the questions that the participants
heatedly discussed at the third judicial debate
on October 1, 2007. The debate was organized by the
Bucerius Law Journal under the title “Competing for Tariff
Contracts – the End of One Tariff for all?” Discussants
were: Klaus Bepler, Chief Justice at the Federal Labor
Court, lawyer Ulrich Fischer, representative of the Train
Conductors Union (GDL) in the recent dispute with the
Deutsche Bahn and Thomas Ubber, representing
Deutsche Bahn. In front of 100 visitors and students, they
discussed the legislative difficulties of the current stalemate
between the two contending sides - the Union and
German Rail.
The discussion will be published in the 3/2007 issue of
the Bucerius Law Journal, which may be downloaded for
free at www.law-journal.de.
BUCERIUS LAW JOURNAL
Third Edition out now
As of November, the latest edition of the Bucerius Law
Journal can be downloaded for free as a PDF from
the website www.law-journal.de. The journal is a publication
founded by law students earlier this year. Students,
scholars and practicing lawyers publish in the Journal. The
highlight of this third edition is a reproduction of the debate
about the current strike of the Deutsche Bahn. Other
interesting articles include: Lars Kettner’s (class of 2003)
article on the legal implications of tourists purchasing
cheap knock-offs of well-known brands and goods
abroad; Hans Kudlich’s essay on the meaning of trial protocols
during current federal court decisions. All issues
include reviews of current and classic legal literature.
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
INSURANCE GROUP VOLKSFÜRSORGE
T he Insurance group Volksfürsorge, member of the
AMB Generali group, is a new supporter of Bucerius
Law School. With over nine million insurance policies, it is

NEWSLETTER
Inhouse News for Alumni and Friends of the Bucerius Law School
Dezember 2007 page 6
one of the biggest and most successful insurance companies
in Germany, offering the full spectrum of insurance
coverage. Volksfuersorge has long had ties to Bucerius
Law School and has now decided to become a permanent
sponsor with an enduring engagement.
KRUGE KROEMER LAW FIRM
The Bucerius Law School is happy to announce that the
Hamburg based law firm Ruge Kroemer will continue
its engagement with the University. The firm specializes
in labor law and represents public as well as private companies
of all sizes. With 13 lawyers and five assistants
(Bucerius Law School alumni among those), it is one of
the biggest firms for labor law in Germany.
FOUNDATION FOUNDED
Financial Basis secured for the Institute for
Corporate and Capital Markets Law
Bucerius Law School now has permanent support for
the field of business and market law thanks to Dr.
Christoph Seibt, partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.
He founded the “Foundation for the Support of the
Institute for Corporate and Capital Markets Law”, which
already has seven members: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer;
Latham & Watkins; Deloitte & Touche; Aon Jauch &
Huebener; C.A.T. Oil AG, Edel AG; and D+S Europe. Altogether
already they have contributed more than 500,000
Euros. More funding has been promised by supporters
such as Evotec, Hamburger Volksbank, Norddeutsche
Affinerie and a few notaries. The end goal is a solid financial
base of two million Euros. The funds will be used for
staffing, dissertation seminars, visiting professors, a
yearly symposium and bi-monthly forums.
STUDENT AFFAIRS
CHEERLEADING
Victory at the Euromasters 2007
The cheerleading team of Bucerius Law School took
first place in the 2007 Euromasters sport competition
for private universities. Judges gave the 10-minute performance
marks for choreography, music selection, originality
and audience enthusiasm. Congratulations!
DISTINGUISHED VISITOR
Roman Herzog Inn Meets its Namesake
O n Tuesday, November 6, 2007 a special lunch was
held for members of Phi Delta Phi’s Roman Herzog
Inn. Former Federal President of Germany, Professor
Roman Herzog was the guest of honor. He had given his
name for the founding of the group in 2006 and wished to
return to check up on its progress. In a very cosy and
personal atmosphere, he candidly answered questions
about his own student life and his time as president. Both
sides enjoyed the meeting so much that Herzog announced
he would return to speak on the topic “How to
Give a Good Speech.” Events at Phi Delta Phi Roman

NEWSLETTER
Inhouse News for Alumni and Friends of the Bucerius Law School
Dezember 2007 page 7
Herzog iIn are open to the entire Bucerius community.
Please write to PhiDeltaPhi@law-school.de for more information.
SMALL AND BIG FISH
Bucerius Students Organize Exhibit
Together with 10 students from other Hamburg universities,
14 of our students participated in the competition,
“Challenges of Entrepreneurship”, initiated by the
Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft (Foundation of the
German Industry) and the Heinz Nixdorf Foundation. Their
entry, “Creation of Value”, was under the patronage of
Hamburg's First Mayor Ole von Beust, and was one of
four projects which the foundations supported with
30,000 euros this year. The team set the goal of combining
arts and entreprenuership. Hamburg art students tried
to depict entrepreneurship in the port of Hamburg in
pieces of art. They selected 19 exemplary companies -
from an individual to major international firms - and tried
to convert their impressions of those companies into
various forms of art. Amongst those were a graffiti about
the shipping company Rickmers, oil paintings of the
miniature train-world Wonderland, and prints of the Hamburg
Fish-Market. Without doubt, the highlight of this
combined effort was the ensuing exhibit "Small and Big
Fish", in which all the pieces were displayed at
Gruner+Jahr publishing house from November 17 until
December 2, 2007.
Editorial
Bucerius Law School
Hochschule für Rechtswissenschaft
Law School Management
Karsten Schmidt, President
Hariolf Wenzler, CEO
Thomas Rönnau, Vice President
Jungiusstraße 6
20355 Hamburg
Editing and Contact:
Birte Gall, Director
Clifford Chance International Office
birte.gall@law-school.de
Translation:
Jiffer Bourguignon