Week 7: Data Privacy, Judicial Exchange Network, and a trip to Poland
This past week CEELI finished its 'Month of Constant Programming' (11 programs in June alone!) with a program on data privacy law and a meeting with the Central and Eastern European Judicial Exchange group. I was able to sit in and participate in both programs - these were two of my favorite meetings of the summer.
The data privacy program was incredible. Most interesting to me was the talk given by an American data privacy lawyer - he highlighted American privacy law and the problems his firm has faced when countering the reach of the American government. He also spoke about the NSA and how it works inside American law to collect data without infringing on the right to privacy. I have a particular interest in the rights and freedoms granted to American citizens through the US Constitution, so it was very interesting to see these problems fleshed out in the modern digital age. The program participants had a lot of questions about US policy towards data privacy and the balance between the right to privacy and national security. The debate was pretty heated at times, but everyone was respectful and willing to learn as much as possible from one another.
The last meeting of the week was a continuation of the judicial exchange network started by CEELI a few years ago. I spoke briefly about the group in my last blog post. It was an honor to meet such accomplished and dedicated legal professionals from the region and hear them speak about their efforts to increase judicial independence and autonomy in their respective countries. Present at the meeting were judges from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Hungary, Kosovo, Romania, and Lithuania. As a group, they've decided to begin working on a new manual on effective jurisprudence. A majority of the meeting was spent outlining and researching for the new manual, including the best techniques and studies about jurisprudence practices around the globe.
Outside of work, I was able to visit a small town in Poland called Bolesławiec. This was my first trip to Poland and I was delighted to try the Polish cuisine and shop for beautiful Polish pottery. It was a wonderful experience!
~Coffee Spotlight~
Kavárna Pražírna http://kavarnaprazirna.cz/en/
This week I decided to try Kavárna Pražírna, another coffee shop in my home district of Vinohrady - I am incredibly lucky that CEELI is housed in the district with the best cafes! Kavárna Pražírna is known for roasting its own beans and brews right in the store - the smell inside is incredible! The coffee was equally delicious. Instead of my usual soy latte, I opted for an aeropress of their Brazilian roast. It was nice drinking drip coffee again, it reminded me of home!
