Student Post - Chris Davault

One of the reasons why I chose to do the Legal Globalization Australia trip was that I wanted to see and experience some of what Australia has to offer. The past few days in Sydney have been fantastic. Our group met new people and we were exposed to careers in the legal system involving White Collar Crime. We went to several museums and attractions and all have been great. The day trip to the Blue Mountains was great, you just have to go there to experience the beauty of the mountains.

Along with this, one of my other favorite experiences was going to the U.S. Consulate and learning about the different roles the consulate plays.  The time we spent talking to several people has allowed for a better understanding of relations the U.S. has with other countries. We learned the U.S. has had a presence with Australia since the 1830s and it shows. Coming here seems like one is not in another country mostly. Sydney feels more like New York.

I am glad I decided to be apart of this opportunity.

Student Post - Kathleen Boles

Today we took a tour to the Blue Mountains. The first stop was to the Featherdale Wildlife Park where we were able to pet a koala and kangaroos. We were also able to observe a variety of indigenous animals such as the wombat, the dingo and the wallaby, among others. In addition to the animals we saw, I was surprised at how many different birds were indigenous to Australia. My favorite was being able to feed and interact with the kangaroos. They were very tame and friendly and seemed to really enjoy ice cream cones.

After the zoo and a quick lunch, we drove to the Blue Mountains and were able to see a variety of Aboriginal tribal dances and were introduced to the Aboriginal culture. The dances were very interesting to watch and many of them involved mimicking the movements of indigenous animals like the kangaroo and the emu. I was reminded very much of the Native American culture in the United States.

After the tribal dances, we took cable cars further into the mountains and got better views of the landscape and a rock formation called the Three Sisters. I was surprised to find out that the Blue Mountains are called such because the Eucalyptus trees emit a lot of oil, which creates a haze around the mountains, giving them a blue color. It was also interesting to be in the rainforest in the Blue Mountains, on a day like today because it was such a brisk day. I always picture a rainforest as a very humid and tropical place, but today it was rather chilly and damp.

Student Post - Natalie Kase

Today we visited Ernst & Young.  I really enjoyed hearing the speaker from the firm because of the experience I had in the FCPA class.  The content of the presentation reinforced many of the themes I learned in my dedicated FCPA course and the International White Collar Crime component of this course.  The speaker tied in a lot of themes, such as the mentality and attitudes of the white collar criminal and the efforts of compliance departments.  Particularly,  I found it useful to hear what large international firms look for in hiring international candidates and how to break into the enforcement field of work. 

Picture with U.S. Consul General

Many thanks to the U.S. Consulate in Sydney for providing us with the below picture of the students with U.S. Consul General Llorens.  He gave a wonderful presentation to the students.

Thursday - Ernst & Young and Whale Watching

On Thursday, the students spent the morning learning about international fraud investigations from Rob Locke at Ernst & Young in Sydney.  The students thoroughly enjoyed the discussion and learned a great deal about this evolving and complex field.

In the afternoon, the group went whale watching off the Australian coast.

Student Post - Amelia Finch

The day that stood out the most to me was Tuesday, June 2. We visited the U.S. Consulate and heard from a few different individuals who shared different views of their respective perspectives of international white collar crime, corruption, and terrorism. We heard from the U.S. Consulate General, an individual from the U.S. Department of state, and an individual from the F.B.I. Going into this trip, I knew I wanted to be in the investigation field of white collar crime, but hearing from all of these individuals really opened my eyes to many different career paths that I had never before thought of. After hearing from these individuals, I found a new excitement about my future.

Student Post - Justin Nollau

I was somewhat surprised by Sydney’s real estate prices. I knew they were expensive, but not that high. Much like any large city, real estate prices tend to rise the closer you get to downtown. $3.5 million for a one-bedroom apartment in the historic district caught me off guard. I was surprised to learn that rent was calculated on a weekly scale. This seems like an excessive system. I see the benefit of a potential shorter time to learn of a renter’s intent to default, but there is also the burden of trying to collect rent every week. I would be interested to learn more about how often wages are paid to employees. When it comes to government subsidized housing, the system seems odd as it seems to create a dependency on receiving government money. Having to report income seems fair, but demanding payment of almost all one’s income appears to create a cycle of poverty. How are individuals going to break out of the system under current constraints?