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Institute FAQs

In addition to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) below, please search our website or contact us for more information about the Institute.

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Registration

Register Online Now or Request a registration packet from The Public Law Center.
The Public Law Center
6329 Freret Street, Suite 216
New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 USA

Phone: 504-862-8850
E-mail:tplc@law.tulane.edu

Payment

1. You may pay by check made payable to "The Public Law Center."
2. You may pay by Master Card or Visa. We cannot process other credit cards. For instructions on how to pay by credit card, contact us directly.
3. You may pay by wire transfer. For instructions on how to pay by wire transfer, contact us directly.

What information will I receive after I register?

Each registered participant will receive a pre-arrival packet containing information to ensure a safe and pleasant arrival in New Orleans, including information about ground transportation from the airport to the hotel and weather conditions in June.

Tuition

Tuition for the two-week training is $4000 (US), which covers the cost of all lectures, reading materials, drafting exercises, a welcoming lunch, instructional site visits, and a graduation reception. The Public Law Center recognizes that tuition and travel costs may present a challenge to some applicants. We have identified various funding sources that may assist applicants in attending the Institute.

Each year, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) includes in its e-mail news bulletin to its field offices information about the Institute encouraging them to consider financial assistance for potential registrants. For information about possible funding, we recommend contacting the local USAID Mission Office directly. If you have difficulty locating the appropriate USAID Mission Office, please contact us for assistance.

Course Language and Materials

Instruction is in English, but non-English speaking delegations have successfully participated in the Institute with translated materials and simultaneous interpretation of lecturer’s remarks. If interested, contact The Public Law Center (TPLC), which organizes the Institute and numerous other international training events each year. TPLC has conducted training through interpreters of Bulgarian, Georgian, Mongolian, Russian, Spanish, and other languages. The Center has conducted tailored training programs in the United States and distant training events in Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Facilities

Institute participants have full access to state-of-the-art classroom, video, and computer facilities at Tulane Law School.  In addition, participants can draw upon the Tulane Law Library's collection of more than 560,000 volumes in print and other equivalents, including standard sources on U.S. federal and state law, foreign, international, and comparative law, legal commentary on a variety of topics, civil law, maritime materials, and resources of other disciplines of interest to legal researchers.

Accommodations

Institute participants will be housed at the Homewood Suites by Hilton New Orleans, 901 Poydras St. Their one-bedroom suites offer all the comforts of home. The separate master bedroom offers a king-sized bed (or two queen-size beds), full bathroom, and television. A separate living area features a full-sized sofa bed, lounge chair, and television. There is also a granite kitchen equipped with a full-sized refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher and two-burner stove. 

The special daily rate is $136 US per night (plus 16.20% sales tax and $1.00 occupancy fee).  Included in the rate is Wi-Fi, a full hot breakfast buffet daily, and a complimentary evening social that consists of beer, wine, beverages, and light food fare on Wednesday evenings.  The special rate is guaranteed only until May 15th.  After that date, the rate may be subject to increased charges.  Reservations may be made directly with the hotel at https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/msyhwhw-tul-50ae4760-f7de-40f2-8b4a-c58616ef738b/   Please be sure to state that the reservation is for The Public Law Center’s International Legislative Drafting Institute.

More information on the Homewood Suites by Hilton New Orleans is available at https://www.neworleans.com/listing/homewood-suites-by-hilton-new-orleans/5199/

Visa Applications

Participants should apply for a Business Visitor Visa (B-1) for travel to the United States.  Contact the United States Embassy located in your country to learn about visa requirements. We recommend that you begin the visa application process immediately, even if you are still waiting for approval of tuition and travel expenses to attend the Institute. Applicants who were fully funded have been unable to attend the Institute because of delays in securing visa approval.  Our recommendation is, “Start early!”

For participants who need a visa to travel to the United States, more information is available at the following site: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/business.html 

Participants traveling to the United States on behalf of their national government to engage solely in official activities for that government may qualify for a Diplomatic Visa. 

Please see the site below for additional information:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/other-visa-categories/visas-diplomats.html

About New Orleans

New Orleans is located near the mouth of the Mississippi River.  The flags of three different nations have flown over the city―France, Spain, and the United States.  New Orleans is a fascinating mix of multi-cultural influences including French, Spanish, Italian, African, Caribbean, Latin American, Irish, English, and other nationalities.  Its Creole and Cajun cultures provide a unique flavor to South Louisiana.

The city offers a host of activities from a streetcar ride down beautiful oak-lined St. Charles Avenue to a visit to the New Orleans Museum of Art in City Park. New Orleans is the only city with a zoo and aquarium (Audubon Zoo and the Aquarium of the Americas) that are both ranked in the top ten in the nation. In addition, visitors can tour pre-Civil War plantation homes or cruise down a bayou. New Orleans offers music to please any ear (jazz, Latin, Cajun, classical, zydeco, reggae, gospel, and the blues) and food to satisfy any palate―crawfish, gumbo, etoufee, grillades and grits, jambalaya, beignets, and muffulettas, just to name a few. 

For more information about New Orleans, please visit: http://www.neworleansonline.com.

Thanks for your interest in the 2023 Institute, and we hope to see you here in New Orleans during June!