American March at the Faculty (1): Atty. Patrick J. McKinley’s Visit
The Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Gdańsk had the honor of hosting Atty. Patrick J. McKinley, former District Attorney from Santa Barbara, California, for a series of captivating lectures on American criminal law and criminal procedure.
Patrick conducted classes with students from our English-language program in Criminology and Criminal Justice and with international exchange students as part of our English-taught courses.
His lectures, “An Opening Statement in a Murder Case” and “Prosecuting in a Democracy,” were met with great interest and lively discussion. Patrick’s engaging personality, extensive knowledge, and decades of frontline experience in fighting crime in the U.S. left a lasting impression on our students.
Patrick also had the opportunity to visit our Forensic Science Museum at the Faculty. He carefully explored the exhibition, asking numerous questions and showing deep interest in the collection. Thanks to his visit, our rich collection of police patches and badges from around the world has gained a new exhibit — a Santa Barbara Police Department patch! This unique contribution is a valuable addition to our growing collection of international police memorabilia.
Patrick also surprised the students with thoughtful gifts – baseball caps embroidered with the Polish and American flags and the inscription “Prosecutor, Santa Barbara.” A fantastic and memorable token of his inspiring lectures!
Patrick’s visit was an extraordinary opportunity for our students to gain first-hand insights into the American criminal justice system and engage in meaningful discussions about the challenges and complexities of legal practice in a democratic society.
A special thanks to the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Wojciech Zalewski, for his kind support for our American Month and other international initiatives.
We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Prof. Marcin Michał Wiszowaty, Vice Dean for International Cooperation and Development, for organizing the visits of our distinguished guest and for ensuring he felt welcomed and well cared for during his stay. Our gratitude also goes to Dr Łukasz Cora (Department of Criminal Procedure and Criminalistics) and Dr Andrzej Lewna (Department of Substantive Criminal Law and Criminology) for hosting Atty. Patrick McKinley in their classes and facilitating valuable discussions with our students.
A big thank you to Atty. McKinley for his time, knowledge, and inspiration! We look forward to welcoming him back in the future.
Stay tuned for more exciting events at the Faculty of Law and Administration! 🌍📖
