Cuba Tours for US Lawyers and Judges
Cuba Legal Tours & Travel for Lawyers, Judges, Professors of Law, Legal Scholars and Professionals.
From August 9 to August 16, 2025.
Cost: $2,799 (all taxes included)
Referral Discount: $100
Invite 1 Friend and Pay $2,699 only
Invite 2 Friends and Pay $2,599 only
Invite 3 Friends and Pay $2,499 only
Invite 4 Friends and Pay $2,399 only
Invite 10 Friends and Pay $0
And remember every person you invite
will also receive a $100 discount!
The Cuban Judiciary is currently one of the three branches of the Cuban government, the others being the executive and the legislative branch.
After the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, hundreds of popular laws were enacted such as the First Agrarian Reform Law of May 1959, Urban Reform Law of October 1960, Nationalization Law of October 1960, Nationalization of Education Law of June 1961, and the Second Agrarian Reform Law of October 1963.
In 1973, the Cuban Council of Ministers approved a structure for the new
legal system, in which a court system was established with four levels of jurisdiction: Base, District, Provincial, and National (Supreme Court). The Supreme Court was given appellate jurisdiction over four distinct areas of law: civil/administrative, criminal, state security, and military.
The reforms of 1973 also saw the end of private legal practice, and all lawyers who continued to provide legal services were required to join legal collectives, known as bufetes colectivos. Also included in the reforms was the creation of "lay judges" who served on the bench alongside professional judges and kept alive the popular spirit of the People's Courts.
Cuba Legal Tours are licensable for U.S. lawyers, judges, legal scholars, law professors and legal system professionals interested in conducting professional research on the Cuban legal system.
Authentic Cuba Travel® is able to offer legal Cuba travel for US legal system professionals and staff because of a rare political opening in U.S. policy that allows professionals to go to the island as part of Cuba study tours.
The principle of socialist legality, as articulated by Cuban jurists, puts forth that the role of the law in a socialist society is to create social stability while simultaneously furthering the development of the socialist society through change in Cuban political culture.
In the late 1980s, with the downfall of the Soviet Union, starting with the pulling down of the Berlin wall in 1989 and its full collapse in 1991, the laws of Cuba changed again to respond to the new conditions of the Special Period.
The Constitutional amendments of 1992 recognized forms of non-socialist property (joint ventures, corporations, other economic associations) and provided for non-discrimination based on religious belief (for example, persons with religious belief may now join the Cuban Communist Party.
This Cuba study trip represents a unique opportunity for lawyers, judges, legal scholars, law professors and legal system professionals to learn about the Cuban system from the Cuban point of view.
During this Cuba educational tour you will learn the Cuban legal system, from the neighbourhoods to the National Assembly!
Notice to US Law Schools, US Universities Schools of Law, US Colleges of Law, US University Law Centers, and similars:
In January 2016, the US Government announced further enhancements to the 12 categories of authorized travel to Cuba that previously required a specific license (this is, lengthy applications to OFAC). Now travel to the Caribbean island is allowed under a general license (this is, self-completed paperwork with no application to OFAC needed).
After President
Biden’s policy change on USA Cuba travel on June 9, 2022, the General License for Educational Activities remains in place. Accredited U.S. graduate or under graduate degree-granting institutions; U.S. Academic Institutions; and U.S. Schools can organize and sponsor an educational trip to Cuba for their students, faculty and staff under the General License for Educational Activities, provided that the trip meets OFAC guidelines; and that an employee or other representative of the organization escorts the trip to make sure such guidelines are followed by all participants.
US Law Schools, US Universities Schools of Law, US Colleges of Law, US University Law Centers, and other Acadecmic Organizations from USA can organize and sponsor a trip to Cuba for educational activities. The purpose of the Cuba travel should be for:
_ the participation in a structured educational program offered for credit as part of a course of the sponsoring institution;
_ educational exchanges sponsored by Cuban or U.S. secondary schools involving secondary school students’ participation in a formal course of study or in a structured educational program offered by a secondary school or other academic institution, and led by a teacher or other secondary school official are authorized. This authorization allows for participation of a reasonable number of adult chaperones to accompany the secondary school students to Cuba.
_ attendance at non-commercial academic seminars, conferences and workshops related to Cuba sponsored or co-sponsored by U.S. academic institution.
_ non- commercial academic research related to Cuba for the purpose of obtaining a graduate or undergraduate degree;
_ the participation in a formal course of study at a Cuban academic institution provided that credits will be accepted toward the student’s graduate or undergraduate degree;
_ participation in a 10-week structured educational program in Cuba as part of a course offered at the U.S. institution;
_ participation in a formal 10-week course of study at a Cuban academic institution, provided the formal course of study in Cuba will be accepted for credit toward the student’s undergraduate or graduate degree at the U.S. institution;
We take care of all details both in North America and in Cuba, including VISA and flight arrangements to Cuba's main destinations via USA ports (Miami, Tampa, New York, Los Angeles, or other) or through third countries like Canada and Mexico. Authorized US organizations can travel through a third country subject to the same restrictions and requirements as those flying directly from USA.
At Authentic Cuba Travel®, we have been organizing such educational and cultural travel experiences from the United States of America for years with great success.
Notice to American Bar Associations, American Law Institutes, US Lawyers and Judges Associations, and US Associations of Law Schools:
American Bar Associations, American Law Institutes, US Lawyers and Judges Associations, US Associations of Law Schools, and other US organizations can organize a trip to Cuba under the provisions of the General License for Educational Activities, the General License for Support for the Cuban People, the General License for Professional Research, the General License for Semi-Professional & Amateur International Sports Competition, among others. Certain conditions are to be met to comply with OFAC General License requirements for each category of
USA Cuba travel though.
The mission of your organization and the objective of your trip to Cuba determine under what general license you can travel to Cuba legally. In general, most trips should consist of a full-time schedule of activities intended to promote the exchange with the ordinary citizens of Cuba. This full-time schedule must also include educational activities that result in meaningful interaction in between U.S and Cuban nationals. Free time in excess or regular tourists' activities are not permitted.
We take care of all details both in North America and in Cuba, including VISA and flight arrangements to Cuba's main destinations via USA ports (Miami, Tampa, New York, Los Angeles, or other) or through third countries like Canada and Mexico. Authorized US organizations can travel through a third country subject to the same restrictions and requirements as those flying directly from USA.
At Authentic Cuba Travel®, we have been organizing such educational and cultural travel experiences from the United States of America for years with great success. Call us and let us know more about your organization and we will provide guidance and assistance.
Exploration of
Vinales Valley, containing the most spectacular scenery in Cuba and some of the most interesting and varied geological formations on the island. The valley is particularly famous for its great freestanding rock formations called
mogotes.
Visit to
Partagas Cigar Factory, founded in 1845 by Spaniard Don Jaime Partagas. Don Jaime owned many of the best
plantations in the Vuelta Abajo tobacco-growing region of Cuba and being able to choose from among the finest tobaccos on the
island made the brand Partagas incredibly successful.
Every night a
cannon shoot rumbles at 9pm so called
"El Cañonazo de las 9", a custom, kept from colonial times, signaling the closure of the city wall doors. Night after night
hundreds of people attend to this tradition of
Havana.
With the possible exceptions of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro, Cuba has had no more famous former resident than author Ernest Hemingway. The hard drinking, womanising, American author fell in love with Cuba after visiting it several times. He lived on Cuba from 1940 until 1960, shortly before his death. Known affectionately as "Ernesto" or "Papa", Hemingway is still beloved by the Cuban people.
Habana Cafe, a great opportunity to Salsa dancing with
Cubans and your tour
companions to live music of Cuban best salsa bands such as Los Van Van, Paulito FG, La Charanga Habanera,
Adalberto Alvarez, and many others.
Baseball game at
Latino americano Stadium, popularly known in Cuba as "The Colossus of Cerro”
is home of Ciudad Habana Industriales. The stadium holds 55,000 people. In 1999, it hosted an exhibition series
between Cuban National Team and the Baltimore Orioles.
Day 1. Saturday 9 August 2025.
Hello Cuba
Arrival at "Jose Marti" International Airport in
Havana City.
You are welcomed by your Authentic Cuba Travel® tour guide.
Transfer to your
Luxury Casa Particular,
located at
Vedado Neighbourhood, the cultural center of Havana City.
Private group check-in.
Breakfast is complimentary from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Day 2. Sunday 10 August 2025.
Explore Cuba's Legal System
Morning: visit to
International Lawyers and Consultants (CONABI), a Cuban business law firm created in 2006 by the strategic merger
of a number of Cuban legal entities that boasts a highly committed and experienced group of lawyers. The Havana-based team assists
international clients and Cuba-based joint ventures with a range of services, including mainstream corporate work, labour,
litigation and shipping finance.
Welcome Lunch: a new wave of paladares (privately-owned restaurants) has recently swept the Cuban dining scene offering excellent food and charming ambient. Today we’ll enjoy a welcome lunch at the stylish
Paladar San Cristobal, one of Havana's top ten private restaurants.
Afternoon: guided walking tour of
Old Havana,
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Old Havana is a 528 acre area that contains approximately 4000 buildings in a variety of styles including Spanish Baroque,
Neocolonial, Beaux Arts, and Moorish. Since the 1990s, development efforts in Havana include extensive historic preservation,
architectural renewal, and modernization of infrastructure.
Free time in the famous
handicraft market of Old Havana, located inside the Almacenes de Depósito San José, an old warehouse on
the harbourside where you can purchase all sorts of crafts and souvenirs by local artisans.
Return to your private rental accomodation.
Evening: visit to
Tropicana, spectacular cabarets to open sky. A unique place in the world to enjoy the music and the
Cuban and Caribbean folklore in all their color, musicality and rhythm. An art extravaganza to multiply the Cuban happiness of a
true tropical night.
Day 3. Monday 11 August 2025.
Day Excursion to Vinales Valley
Morning: meeting with the president and representatives of the Commission for Constitutional,
Administrative and Legal Matters of the
National Assembly of People's Power (Asamblea Nacional del Poder Popular, ANPP).
The ANPP has 609 members elected from single-member electoral districts for five-year terms. Each is accountable and can be
recalled at any time.
The theme of the encounter is threefold:
Cuba's Government System, Analysis of Cuba's Constitution, and Cuba's Electoral System.
The format is a presentation and discussion.
Lunch on your own (not included in costs).
Afternoon: free.
Evening venue: visit to
Habana Cafe. A great opportunity to Salsa dancing with Cubans and your tour companions to live music
of Cuban best salsa bands such as Los Van Van, Paulito FG, La Charanga Habanera, Adalberto Alvarez, and many others (entrance fee not included).
Day 4. Tuesday 12 August 2025.
Havana
Morning: meeting with members of the
Cuban National Society of Social Sciences and
representatives of the
Cuban National Union of Lawyers (UNJC). The UNJC holds special consultative status on the United Nations
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), a body facilitating international cooperation on standards making and problem solving in
economic and social issues. Introduction to
Cuba's Penal and Justice System.
As part of our
Support for the Cuban People tours to Cuba, we put emphasis on the cultural exchange with ordinary Cubans and Cuban entrepreneurs. We will enjoy a complimentary lunch at a family run restaurant,
Paladar El Litoral.
Afternoon: visit to
Partagas Cigar Factory, founded in 1845 by Spaniard Don Jaime Partagas.
Don Jaime owned many of the best plantations in the Vuelta Abajo tobacco-growing region of Cuba and being able to choose from among
the finest tobaccos on the island made the brand Partagas incredibly successful.
Don Jaime is also believed to have experimented with various methods of fermenting and aging tobacco and is legendarily credited
with hiring the first lector to read to and entertain the cigar rollers as they worked. Before and after the Revolution,
the Cuban-produced
Partagás has been one of the most revered and highest-selling brands of cigars in the world.
Followed by panoramic air conditioned coach tour of the most important historical sites in the
Modern Havana neighbourhoods of
Vedado and Miramar including the
Revolution Square,
University of Havana,
Habana Libre Hotel, Coppelia Ice Cream Park, Plaza
José Martí (in front of U.S. Interests Section), Monument to the Battleship Maine, Malecón seawall, Prado promenade, Central Park,
The Great Theatre and the Capitol building.
Evening: attend one of the most traditional and popular ceremonies in Cuba, the
Fire of the Cannon of 9 O'Clock at the
Fortress of San Carlos de La Cabana.
Followed by visit to
Casa del Habano “La Triada”.
Day 5. Wednesday 13 August 2025.
Havana
Morning: visit to
Bufete de Servicios Especializados, providing services for foreign clients and joint ventures seeking advice
on mainstream commercial work. The Havana-based team is noted for its academic background, availability and client service in
general commercial matters, with an emphasis on foreign investment and litigation. Armanda Nuris Piñero Sierra is the firm's
leading light. She continues to represent the families of the Miami Five, the Cuban citizens imprisoned in the USA under
alleged charges of espionage.
Lunch in Cojimar fishing village (optional/ not included).
Afternoon: Tour around
Cojimar fishing village , where
Hemingway kept his boat Pilar. The writer is remembered by the town with a small gazebo that encircles a commemorative bust, sculpted from the melted down propellers donated by local fishermen.
Followed by visit to
Finca Vigia, a hilltop villa 20 kilometers east of Havana, where famed author Ernest Hemingway lived from 1939 to 1960. It is here where the writer completed some of his greatest works, including The Old Man and the Sea, Across the River and into the Trees, and Islands in the Stream.
The villa has been maintained as a museum for the past 49 years. It contains original book and short story manuscripts, letters, over 3000 photographs, Hemingway’s fishing tackle and gun collections, furniture, priceless art collection, and a 9000 volume library that contains rare first editions of his books and those of other famous writers.
Day 6. Thursday 14 August 2025.
Havana
Morning: visit to
Bufetes Colectivos, collective law offices, first established by the Ministry of Justice after the
private practice of law was abolished, and currently under the oversight of the National Organization of Bufetes Colectivos (ONBC).
In order to practice in a bufete, one must graduate from law school in Cuba or a foreign country with Cuban validation.
Exceptions to this can be made under extraordinary circumstances. Once in a bufete, lawyers may practice anywhere in the country.
Currently, approximately 2,000 lawyers practice in some 250 bufetes throughout Cuba, collectively handling some 200,000 cases per
year.
Lunch hosted by Jose Fuster, one of the most important Cuban ceramists and painters today.
Afternoon: visit to
Lex S.A. Servicos Juridicos. Operating out of its Havana headquarters, the team regularly acts for international
and domestic clients seeking counsel on registration and protection of trademarks, patents and related litigation. The group's
growing case load also involves anti-counterfeiting, web domain registration and copyright issues.
Late afternoon:
cocktail party at Club Habana. Opportunity to exchange with some of our Cuban counterparts
in a relaxed atmosphere.
Evening: attend
baseball game at Latinoamericano Stadium, popularly known in Cuba as "The Colossus of Cerro” is home of Ciudad Habana
Industriales. The stadium holds 55,000 people. In 1999, it hosted an exhibition series between Cuban National Team and the
Baltimore Orioles.
Day 7. Friday 15 August 2025.
Explore Cuba's Legal System
Today we will explore Cuba's famous
Vinales Valley, containing the most spectacular scenery in Cuba
and some of the most interesting and varied geological formations on the island. The valley is particularly famous for its great
freestanding rock formations called
mogotes.
Meet with
local farmers that have been passing from generation to generation the secrets of growing the best
tobacco in the world.
Visit to
Mural de la Prehistoria, a huge painting on the side of a Mogote.
Explore
Viñales town at your leisure: its open-air craft market, Parque Marti, town church, and other interesting sites of this
charming colonial hamlet.
Our tours to Cuba for Americans feature a delicious traditional lunch at the privately-owned bar-restaurant
Paladar Yuri & Nino, El Campesino. Yuri is a young woman entrepreneur who started this small restaurant that has expanded into a large establishment. Yuri and her family work hard to create delicious and plentiful food that comes with a beautiful mountain view.
After lunch we will visit the
Cueva del Indio, used by the Guanahatabey Amerindians as a burial site in ancient time, and as refuge
from the Spaniards for both Indians and Black slaves alike. We’ll take a short boat ride on the
subterranean river running through
the cave.
Visit Carmen and Caridad Miranda’s botanical garden, called the
Viñales Botanical Garden. The two widows maintain a garden
full of fruits, orchids and medicinal plants.
Farewell dinner at
Paladar La Cocina de Liliam where ex- president James Carter dinned in his last visit to Cuba.
Day 8. Saturday 16 August 2025.
Departure
Early morning departure to Havana City
International Airport for departure.
Cuba is a paradise in the Caribbean, just 90 miles off Key West. In fact, Cuba is so close that swimmers have made it from coast to coast, even without a shark cage! Yet Cuba is the forbidden fruit for most American travelers due to the US travel restrictions and the frozen diplomatic relations in between the two countries. The discerning travelers are taken off guard when joining our people-to-people tours to Cuba. They are surprised to find a bubbly atmosphere charged with the smoke of Cuban cigars, the loud music that pours out of the windows of 1950’s vintage cars, the lively salsa dancing in every corner, and the entrepreneurial spirit of the Cuban people. Not what they have anticipated for sure! Absorb it all in a short time by the hand of the USA Cuba travel experts!
