On a spring break trip to Estonia, Michigan State University law professor Brian C. Kalt, a constitutional-law scholar, found that the small Baltic nation is very interested in American laws and values. The Baltic-American Freedom Foundation makes such important international exchanges possible.

 

The small Baltic nation of Estonia is not the first place that comes to mind for Michigan residents thinking of spring break destinations. But that’s where I found myself in early March.

Last July, I met with an exchange student from the University of Tartu in Estonia who visited MSU as part of a program sponsored by the U.S. State Department.

The student, Heiti Talvik, wanted to talk about comparative constitutional law with an American law professor, and our discussion that day resulted in an invitation for me to visit Estonia.

Talvik, in coordination with the Estonian Law Students’ Union, obtained a grant from the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation to take me to Estonia to participate in programs about U.S. constitutional law and the American legal system. (The foundation’s mission is to deepen ties between the United States and Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania through education and exchange programs focused on economic growth and democratic values.)

In one program, I answered questions about the U.S. and Estonian constitutions with Hent Kalmo, a legal scholar and legal advisor to Estonian President Alar Karis. In another, I discussed with Villu Kõve, chief justice of Estonia’s Supreme Court, the two countries’ contrasting civil-litigation systems.

A great thing about Estonia is that it is small enough that top officials like Kalmo and Kõve are very accessible to students and to visitors like me. This makes it very easy to have great programs and to make meaningful connections with current and future leaders.

I also had the opportunity to meet privately with senior officials in the Estonian ministries of education, justice, and financial regulation, and at the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn.

Michigan State University made a great impression on the student, Heiti Talvik, when he was here, and the University of Tartu and the country of Estonia made a great impression on me. It was a wonderful opportunity to build these bridges, precisely as the BAFF grant intended.

It also offered me an opportunity to reflect on the fact that the U.S. Constitution and our legal system is continually studied and respected by many countries around the world.