Cuban Lawyers: Ten Years Later*
| Author | Raul Moncarz |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2435.1972.tb00891.x |
| Date | 01 July 1972 |
| Published date | 01 July 1972 |
Cuban
Lawyers:
Ten
Years
Later*
BY
RAUL
MONCARZ
This study analyzes the extent
of
utilization or underutilization
of
the education and
training brought by Cuban lawyers, describing the adaptation process and how much of
their
competences were transferable under conditions existing in the United States since
January
1,
1959.
Basic to the study
is
an
analysis
of
the readaptation of the human capital
involved in the skills brought by the Cuban lawyers to the United States. The objective is
to
discover
(1)
the types of individuals in terms of occupational or personal characteristics who
adjusted better to the new environment and
(2)
the barriers
to
absorption encountered by the Cuban lawyers who tried to remain
in
their same Cuban profession.
Educational
Requirements in Cuba
The entrance requirement for lawyers at the University of Habana was
a
Bachillerato
degree in letters from
a
public institute
(5
years
of
secondary education). The degree of
Doctor in Derecho (Doctor of Law) was granted upon the completion
of
a
five-year
curriculum.
[I]
(For curriculum see page
11
2).
Educational
Requirements
for
the
Foreign
Trained Lawyers
If a foreign trained lawyer wishes to pursue his profession in the United States, he is
required to study the system of law of this country.
His
foreign law degree is considered
roughly equivalent to a B.S. or B.A. degree in America. To gain admission to one
of
the
accredited law schools he has first to pass a comprehensive examination in English
language and the American Constitution. Next he has to submit to the Department
of
Education an application for a Law Qualifying Certificate for the state in which he wishes
to
attend law school.[2]
*
There have been several studies related
to
Cuban refugees
in
the
United States, such
as
the one
done
by the University of
Miami
on the Impact
of
Cuban Refugees to the Miami area,
also,
John Thomas,
‘u.s.A.
as
a
Country of First Asylum’, and others,
but
none
has
gone into
a
detailed
study
of
the professional adaptation of any specific group
of
refugees. This paper tends to
fill
the
gap. This paper was supported
by
a
grant frorr the Office of Manpower Policy, Evaluation
and
Research,
U.S.
Department of Labor pursuant to the provisions of the Manpower Develop-
ment
and Training Act of
1962.
109
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