International business, economic, and political relationships are increasingly crucial to many areas of law. With graduates living and working in 103 countries, and faculty and students contributing to high-profile international scholarship and service, Berkeley Law is making a big imprint on the global legal profession.
The school houses many projects with far-reaching impact. The Korea Law Center works with overseas partners to examine and improve the legal, constitutional, and political systems in South Korea. The International Refugee Assistance Project— recently honored with a UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Award for Public Service—provides legal assistance for clients in life-or-death situations, including Iraqis and Afghans at risk for their work as interpreters with the U.S. military. Nare Aleksanyan ’17 and Carla Gharibian ’17 organized Irava-Tech, the first law and technology conference in Armenia. And that’s just a sampling.
Beyond Berkeley lies a vast network of alumni who are leading judges, attorneys, and legal professionals in their countries. For more than 60 years, Berkeley Law has trained lawyers from across the world in its Master of Laws (LL.M.) program. With the launch of the Professional Track LL.M. program in 2009, students from abroad now surpass U.S. students in graduate numbers each year.
It can be difficult for alumni, especially those far away from the school, to remain connected to their alma mater. That’s why the Alumni Center has redoubled efforts to engage with Boalt’s international community.
In December, Interim Dean Melissa Murray attended the Boalt Hall Alumni Association of Japan’s annual meeting, spent an afternoon with alums at Latham & Watkins in Hong Kong, and delivered the keynote at the Berkeley Club’s alumni gala in Seoul.
Then in January, the International Association of Boalt Alumni celebrated its 50th anniversary in Berlin. And in April, Berkeley Law faculty hosted an alumni and admitted-student reception in Mexico City.
But this covers just a tiny fraction of the school’s international community, which is why the Alumni Center hopes graduates far and wide will join Berkeley Law’s new alumni portal, B-LINK (see details).
“B-LINK is an amazing asset for our international alumni,” says Assistant Dean of Advancement Amy Ambrose. “Not only will they be able to connect with fellow alumni in their country, but they can also organize regional events for networking and socializing with other Boalties and remain up to date on all of the wonderful things happening at the law school.”
—Rachel DeLetto