Some of the top members of Liberia’s legal community are in First State to learn more about how the law and courts operate here.

Members of Liberian Supreme Court and the country’s solicitor general are among those spending four days studying Delaware and U.S. federal courts.

Widener University Delaware Law School professor Lawrence Hammermesh says much of the conversation will focus corporate law and how judiciary can facilitate and promote commercial and economic development.

“So they’re focusing on the concept of the rule of law, particularly the rile of law as it relates to governing commercial relations and how the courts help promote that kind of predictability and regularity of relationships that help economies grow,” Hammermesh said.

Hammermesh says Delaware’s reputation for expertise in this area is what drew the Liberian delegation to visit.

Liberian Supreme Court Associate Justice Jamesetta Wolokolie agrees.  She says as efforts to bring more foreign investment to Liberia increase, the judiciary there is seeing more business-related cases.

“All these corporate entities are sending people [to Liberia] to explore and we have cases come before us regarding conflicts with their agreements, their concession agreements and all that," said Justice Wolokolie. So it is good to see how to deal with those issues here.”

Widener University Delaware Law School and Wilmington law firm Potter Anderson & Corroon are hosting the program for the Liberian delegation.

Speakers this week include Delaware Attorney General Matt Denn, Delaware Supreme Court Justice Randy Holland, former Delaware Chief Justice Myron Steele, and Court of Chancery Vice Chancellor Sam Glasscock.