Professor Schima’s course on ‘European Union Law’ was an excellent introduction to Union Law, values and legal thought. I undertook his course with little to no background knowledge on European Union Law, after completing my first year of law school in the United Kingdom. In the short span of two weeks, students stand to gain a better appreciation of the legal forces that underpin EU integration, along with the mechanisms available to EU institutions and member states to preserve and develop the uniformity of EU law. 

The course is tactfully divided into two themes. First, the freedom of movement of goods and persons are examined, allowing students to understand the legal effects of economic integration. Secondly, substantive CJEU procedure is studied, shedding light on how Union law is enforced, and the uniform application of Union law is upheld.

Given the inherent time limitations on this course, I retrospectively have come to appreciate this division in content. While the argument can be made for the sole focus on all four freedoms within the internal market, or the sole focus on all the different proceedings that reach the CJEU, I now understand that knowledge of solely law or procedure per se presents a grossly incomplete picture. Rather, there is greater in value in understanding what law exists, then how they are preserved and enforced.

I enjoyed the abundance of literature Professor Schima shared in his reading lists. Rather than basing the entire course on a single textbook, we were encouraged to read from a variety of literature sources, such as the Legal Service Commission’s own reference on how the Treaty provisions and case-law has developed.