Monday, November 29, 2010

Asian Pacific Leadership Program Fellowships

The Asia Pacific Leadership Program (APLP) is an innovative graduate level certificate program that combines the development of regional expertise with the enhancement of individual leadership skills. The APLP is a nine-month program (mid-August to mid-May) with a minimum five-month residency requirement. All APLP participants receive an APLP Entry Fellowship upon acceptance into the program.


Scholarship Worth
APLP Entry Fellowship is valued at approximately $15,000. In addition to the APLP Entry Fellowship granted to all participants, a sizeable number of East-West Center funding opportunities are available.

Course of Study:
Interdisciplinary analysis of emergent regional issues with experiential leadership learning.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria:
The fellowship program is open for Early- to mid-career professionals; currently enrolled graduate students; and recent university graduates from all countries.
* Bachelor's Degree - applicants must have a 4-year bachelor's degree or its equivalent from an accredited U.S. College or University or from a recognized institution of higher learning abroad. Equivalency is determined by the University of Hawaii. Generally, an equivalent could be a 3-year bachelor's degree plus a 1-year master's degree, or a 2-year bachelor's degree plus a 2-year master's degree.
* TOEFL is a requirement for all international students (unless automatically exempt). Your TOEFL test result can be no more than two years old. The International English language Testing System (IELTS) may be substituted for TOEFL. It is recommended that you take the TOEFL test as soon as possible.
* Professional work experience and achievement
* Leadership track record in professional, public, and/or personal realms
* International experience and aptitude, including overseas residence, language skills, intercultural and diversity exposure
* Volunteer and community service experience
* Asia Pacific engagement: evidence of interest in and knowledge of the region, as well as commitment to its future prosperity. This might include employment in the region, classes taken at University, languages spoken, memberships and fellowships, specific projects, field studies, and areas of research interest
* Experience of cohort learning, working collaboratively in small teams or in large groups.

Application Deadline: 1 December (annual) 2010.
Next course starts August 2011

For more details on how to apply for scholarship, the APLP 2011-2013 Application Booklet can be downloaded at the scholarship website.

Call for Papers - Amity Law School Delhi's ALSD Student Journal

The Student Journal Society of Amity Law School, Delhi is starting a bi-annual student-edited, peer-reviewed law journal titled The ALSD Student Journal.

The journal aims to cater to the needs of the legal fraternity by providing inter-disciplinary knowledge on legal issues. The student journal will focus on contemporary legal issues through manuscripts primarily submitted by students. Further, guest articles by eminent scholars and legal luminaries shall also be a regular feature of the journal. Though the journal shall be multi-disciplinary in approach, a certain section shall be dedicated to a specific law discipline for each issue of the journal.
The journal welcomes submissions for Volume I Issue I to be published in April 2011. Though the issue shall be multi-disciplinary, it shall have a special focus on Public International Law. Though Public International Law shall remain the main focus for the first issue, it in no way discourages the authors to focus on contemporary law issues. Co-authorship is allowed upto a maximum of two authors. Manuscripts can be in the form of articles, essays, notes and case comments. The last date for submission is February 28, 2011. Submissions made after the last date shall be considered for the subsequent issues.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Fascination Europe - Fascination America Essay Competition

Images of American and European Culture

What ideas do young people today have about culture on this side of the Atlantic and on the other? Does America still fascinate young Europeans? What do young Americans know about European culture? Does it interest them at all? 

We want your opinion!

Are you between 18 and 25 years of age and a German, French, Polish, Czech or American citizen? 

Then enter our Essay Competition and take this opportunity to talk about these and related issues with young people from the USA, France, Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany in Berlin! 

The project Fascinating America – Fascinating Europe? Images of American and European Culture is supported by the Goethe-Instituts in Poland, the Czech Republic, France and the USA. The Goethe-Institut seeks to contribute to mutual understanding among young people from both sides of the Atlantic.



Essay Competition

Your essay should answer the following three questions in your native language, with a summary in German or English:

Questions for the European participants:

  • WHO personifies American culture to you, in connection with an important aspect of your life?
  • WHAT is specifically American about this person?
  • WHY is this so important to you?
Questions for the US participants:
  • WHO personifies European culture to you, in connection with an important aspect of your life?
  • WHAT is specifically European about this person?
  • WHY is this so important to you?
Please send us your essay electronically. Please use this
Online Form.
Submission Deadline: December 10, 2010.

International Law Competition "Youth for Peace" Sponsored by the Belarus International Affairs Department


International Law Competition “Youth for Peace is an annual contest for law students from different countries.  The participants are expected to demonstrate good knowledge of international humanitarian law, international public law, human rights law and ability to adapt to and orient in the changing environment. In previous five years the Competition has seen student teams from more then 30 countries around the world.  

Participation in the Competition 

Working language of the Competition is English.  Participating team should consist of three students (3) under the age of 31 who have not participated in the Competition before. Participation of mixed teams (students from different universities) is allowed. 
Selection of the teams-participants of the Competition is made by the Organizational Committee (OC) based on the results of the Preliminary Round. Applications for participation in the Competition and completed task for the Preliminary Round (essay) should be sent to the OC  via e-mail at  international@mitso.by

Important dates 

2 February 2011 – deadline for application submission. 
16 February 2011 – deadline for announcement of the Preliminary Round results (selected teams that will be invited to participate in the Competition in Minsk, Belarus). 
9 March, 2011 – deadline for conformation of participation by the selected teams and payment of registration fee.  Selected teams, who do not confirm their participation until this date or do not pay the registration fee, will be not allowed to participate. 
17-21 May, 2011  – International Law Competition "Youth for Peace" in Minsk, Belarus.

Article on the Internationalization of Law School Curricula and Programs

Globalization: Law schools get serious
Karen Sloan
November 29, 2010
Michele DeStefano Beardslee was not overflowing with enthusiasm when her law dean suggested last year that she organize an academic conference on globalization. An assistant professor at the University of Miami School of Law, Beardslee wasn't sure how yet another series of panels would provide her students with practical skills in dealing with global business issues.


She hit upon the idea of bringing law students from different continents together to work on problems within legal education or the profession — say, the way judges interact across national borders, or how to pay for international litigation. The program, Law Without Walls, will start in January with students from Miami; Peking University School of Transnational Law in Shenzhen, China; Harvard Law School; Fordham University School of Law; New York Law School; and University College London.


"Today's world is no longer contained by country boundaries. The lawyers of tomorrow, if they want to be successful, are going to have to interact with businesspeople from around the world," Beardslee said.


Many law schools recognize that the profession has gone global and that young lawyers need more than just a solid foundation of U.S. law. They are starting to move beyond theoretical discussions of globalization to focus on the real-world skills students need to succeed in that environment. That transition is still in the early stages.


Nearly 130 of the 200 American Bar Association-approved law schools already offer ABA-sanctioned programs in foreign countries during breaks in the regular school year, and now the organization is weighing whether to offer accreditation to overseas law schools. At least two relatively new foreign law schools — Jindal Global Law School near Delhi, India, and Peking University School of Transnational Law — have announced plans to seek accreditation should the ABA move forward with that initiative.


In the meantime, schools are launching their own programs intended to add international opportunities. Jindal has forged partnerships with three U.S. law schools during the past two months. The University of Wisconsin Law School announced in October that it is launching a new executive LL.M. with the East China University of Political Science and Law in Shanghai, making it the school's third such partnership with an Asian institution this year.


Indiana University Maurer School of Law – Bloomington has added opportunities for faculty to collaborate with foreign law professors and for students to study and intern abroad since the launch of its Center on the Global Legal Profession in 2009. The University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 2012 will start requiring all juris doctor students to take at least one international or comparative law course during their second of third year.


'I THINK WE'RE DOING BETTER'
"I think we're doing better than we did even a decade ago," said University of Michigan Law School Professor Vikram aditya Khanna. "I think in some respects the need to do more is quite pressing, but what we're doing right now are good first steps."


ABA President Steve Zack makes a point of speaking with law students when he travels overseas and is always impressed with their knowledge of the American legal system. On a recent trip to China, law students asked several pointed questions about race relations in the United States and notable court cases.


"I doubt that any similar questions could be asked if the president of the Chinese bar or even the English bar came here," Zack said. "Whether lawyers want it or not, clients will insist on the global practice of law. We need to train our young lawyers for that."


Zack has asked several law school deans about the possibility of making a study-abroad semester mandatory for U.S. law students. He figures that living overseas is the best way to produce young attorneys who are comfortable working on international matters. The deans have countered that a mandatory semester abroad would be too costly.


The point of Law Without Walls, which starts in Jan uary, is for students to work across borders while learning the basics of business and entrepreneurship, Beardslee said. Each student will be assigned both a practicing attorney and an entrepreneur as mentors, and lectures will cover topics including developing new business ideas and the future of legal services in the digital age. Four students from each of the six schools will participate; they will all meet in person during a two-day kickoff conference in London in January. The participants will meet again to present their final projects in Miami in April.


"We can't teach globalization the way we have traditionally taught law," Beardslee said. "That doesn't work when it comes to teaching the skills you need to be successful in an international world."


Jindal — which opened last year and follows the U.S. law school model by emphasizing research and faculty credentials — has been aggressive in finding international partner institutions. It has signed agreements with University of Michigan Law School, Indiana University Maurer School of Law – Bloomington and Yale University, and is in talks with additional U.S. and Canadian schools.


Khanna will teach a course at Jindal next semester. Half the students will be in Michigan; half will be in India. Lectures will be broadcast in real time via the Internet and the students in both countries will be able to interact with each other. Jindal's partnership with Indiana will include student exchanges in which Indian students come to the United States and intern at U.S. firms, while American students intern at Indian firms.


"This is an evolving perspective at U.S. law schools, but I think it's gaining in momentum," said Jindal president and law dean Raj Kumar. "Increasingly, it's being driven by the law firms. Now that business operators and functions have moved to China and India, the clients want expertise in those countries."


CULTURAL SENSITIVITY
Erica Oppenheimer, a 2L at Indiana, hopes that the 10 weeks she spent interning in India last summer will set her apart in the eye of employers. Oppenheimer was one of six Indiana students working in India; she spent seven weeks in Delhi at Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff & Co. — one of India's largest and most prestigious law firms — before working for three weeks in the Indian solicitor general's office.


"There's something very unique about working side-by-side with colleagues who went through a different legal education and legal system, rather than just being in a classroom with other Americans," she said. "It's very important to have cultural sensitivity when you are conducting business in a new place. You need to be aware that things are done differently."


That said, such programs can be tricky to monitor and endorse. "The issue, of course, is quality," Khanna said. "You don't want to send your students someplace where you don't know what they're doing and what they're learning. The way law is taught in other countries doesn't always coalesce."


Even law schools that have had a strong international focus for years are boosting their offerings with new programs and partnerships. For example, the University of Wisconsin Law School launched two executive LL.M. programs in collaboration with law schools in Thailand and Japan during the past year. Students spend one semester abroad and one semester in Wisconsin.


The school is adding a similar degree program in Shanghai. It has a variety of academic partnerships with law schools throughout Asia and sends J.D. students overseas on summer internships with law firms in Bangkok, Thailand, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. "If you spend your summer at a Madison or Milwaukee firm, you're not going to see anything international," said John Ohnesorge, director of Wisconsin's East Asian Legal Studies Center.


Integrating foreign LL.M. students into the fabric of law school life is another way to create a more international atmosphere on campus, said Andrew Guzman, director of graduate programs and associate dean for international and executive education at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. Berkeley offers a course on international business transactions that pairs American J.D. students with foreign LL.M. students to work on international legal issues.


There is no shortage of foreign LL.M students to bring into the mix; U.S. law schools have rushed to add those programs during the past decade. The number of LL.M. students at U.S. law schools grew by 65% between 1999 and 2009, and most of them were from overseas.


"I don't think that law schools, collectively, have figured out what it is they should be doing," Guzman said. "A lot of schools are trying different things with the word 'international' in them. I think the dilemma is that we know our students will be dealing with cross-border matters, but they'll probably be sitting in a law firm office in the U.S. It's still a work in progress."


Karen Sloan can be contacted at ksloan@alm.com.

Women for Women International - Internship in Washington D.C.


Women for Women International’s Washington office seeks a Policy and External Relations intern for a minimum of 12 weeks, with possibility to extend up to one year.

Project Description:

The Policy and External Relations Interns will support research, policy, advocacy and communications processes, reporting to the Senior Policy Analyst and External Relations Officer in the Executive Department.  This is an excellent opportunity for students and graduates with a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university who are looking to obtain experience in these arenas. We have two, unpaid, full-time internships available during the spring term and prefer candidates that can commit to a two semester internship. Academic credit is available for this internship experience.

Duties and Responsibilities:

   1. Assisting Policy Analyst with research and analysis such as legislative tracking and review/synthesis of relevant articles, surveys and reports
   2. Researching and reporting on various outreach and media opportunities
   3. Editing, proofreading and assisting with departmental reports, website content and publications as needed
   4. Helping research and draft outlines and drafts of relevant articles, talking points, policy briefs and other written materials that promote WfWI programs and recommendations to external audiences.
   5. Occasional administrative updates of database information and other tracking processes
   6. Other duties as assigned

Qualifications and Skills:

   1. Exceptional attention to detail
   2. Exceptional writing skills for a variety of different audiences
   3. Strong research/analytical skills with an ability to synthesize depth of content into concise summary
   4. Ability to balance multiple deadlines and complete tasks assigned on short but reasonable notice.
   5. Ability to work independently, to take initiative, and exercise reasonable judgment.
   6. A commitment to Women for Women International's mission and vision.
   7. Strong organizational skills and ability to meet deadlines
   8. Strong computer skills, including working knowledge of Microsoft Office
   9. Interest/familiarity in issues related to gender and development, U.S. and international policy/process, and/or communications

Compensation:

Internships available at Women for Women International (WfWi) are currently unpaid positions. Academic credit is available for this internship experience.

Application Instructions:

We encourage all interested applicants to submit the following application materials:
   1. Up-to-date resume
   2. Cover letter
   3. 3 – 5 Page writing sample

through our online application system
We do not accept resume/applications sent to our human resources email box.
Only short listed applicants will be invited to interview. No telephone inquiries please
Interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis. The position will remain open until filled. Applicants will be contacted directly to schedule an interview.

Please respect our “no phone calls” policy.

Non-US citizens applying for regular positions based in the U.S. must possess work authorization which does not require sponsorship by the employer for a visa.

Women for Women International provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation.


Helton Fellowship Program - Summer and Post Graduate Funding

The Arthur C. Helton Fellowship Program, established in 2004 on the recommendation of the ASIL Honors Committee, recognizes the legacy of Arthur Helton, a remarkable ASIL member who died in the August 19, 2003 bombing of the UN mission in Baghdad along with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Sergio Viera de Mello and 20 others.
Funded in part by contributions from ASIL members and private foundations, Helton Fellowships provide financial assistance in the form of “micro-grants” for law students and young professionals to pursue field work and research on significant issues involving international law, human rights, humanitarian affairs, and related areas.
Helton Fellowship micro-grants are intended to ensure that these individuals have access to modest amounts of funding that can often stand between them and their first professional opportunities to become effective practitioners, experts, and scholars of international law.
Helton Fellowship micro-grants are intended to contribute to paying for logistics, housing and living expenses, and other costs related to the Fellow’s international law fieldwork and research in affiliation with the sponsoring organization.
Eligibility/Qualifications
Fellows must undertake their fieldwork between April 2011 and September 2011 in association with an established educational institution, international organization, or non-governmental organization working in areas related to international law, human rights, and humanitarian affairs.
The Helton Fellowship Program seeks applicants in the early stages of their academic and professional careers who demonstrate the potential to make significant contributions to the use and study of international law around the world.
Law students, practicing lawyers, human rights professionals, scholars, and other individuals seeking assistance in conducting international fieldwork and law-related research are encouraged to apply.
Applicants can be of any nationality but must be current law students or have graduated from law school (at either the undergraduate or graduate levels) no earlier than December 2008.
As mentioned above, applicants must also be sponsored or affiliated, for purposes of completing their project, in some way with an educational institution, international organization, or non-governmental organization working in international law, human rights, humanitarian affairs, or related areas.
Applicants should have contacted the sponsoring organization to discuss their proposal prior to applying for the Helton Fellowship. The name of the sponsoring organization and contact information for its representatives must be included in the application.
Individuals pursuing independent research or fieldwork are not eligible for Helton Fellowships.
Applicants should also identify other potential sources of funding, including their own, to cover costs related to their fieldwork. ASIL does not assist in securing organizational sponsoring or alternative funding for Fellows.
In acknowledgement of Arthur Helton’s commitment to human rights and humanitarian affairs in the field, preferential consideration may be given to applications demonstrating a significant fieldwork component as well as those involving the human rights of refugees, internally displaced persons, and other vulnerable populations. Applications for fieldwork in the area of international criminal law and international humanitarian law are also encouraged.
Application Materials
Completed applications will consist of the following materials:
  • Online application form, including description of intended project, career statement, and funding sources
  • Writing Sample
  • Current CV or resume
  • Confirmation of law student status and/or date of graduation from a law school
  • Two letters of recommendation/support, including one from sponsoring organization

Writing Sample: The writing sample may take the form of any published or unpublished document which demonstrates in-depth research, critical thinking, and analysis of a topic related to international law. Excerpts of more lengthy documents may also be submitted. However, writing samples should be no longer than 10 pages.
Current CV or Resume: All applicants must submit an updated curriculum vitae or resume, which includes contact information, education, professional employment or volunteer history, and special skills and interests.
Student Status/Date of Graduation: Applicants are required to provide documentation indicating current status or date of graduation. The following documentation will be accepted: photocopy of valid student identification; photocopy or facsimile of current official or unofficial transcript indicating student status; photocopy or facsimile of official or unofficial transcript indicating graduation date; photocopy or facsimile of diploma.
Letters of Recommendation/Support: One letter of recommendation should come from any individual who is in a position to assess academic performance, professional skills and expertise, and any other qualifications for selection as a Helton Fellow (e.g. current or former professor or supervisor). The second should be a letter of support or sponsorship from the educational institution, international organization, or non-governmental organization that has agreed to sponsor the project.
The writing sample, current curriculum vitae or resume, and documentation confirming student status or graduation date should be submitted as a package if possible. Letters of recommendation and support may be submitted separately if necessary.
Applicants will be considered by the Helton Fellowship Selection Committee on the basis of the written materials included in the application package. No interviews, or any other communications with applicants, will be conducted.
Deadlines and Announcement Schedule
Applicants may submit application materials beginning Monday, September 13, 2010. All applications must be received no later than Monday, January 10, 2011.
Incomplete applications and those received after January 10, 2011 will not be reviewed under any circumstances.
ASIL will acknowledge receipt of application materials, and the date they are received, in a timely fashion by email.
Due to administrative constraints, only the first 50 completed applications, submitted on-line, and received in full by the submission deadline will be reviewed. A notice that the application process has closed will be posted on the ASIL website once 50 completed applications have been received.
Awards will be announced by February 18, 2011. The Fellowship Selection Committee is unable to respond to individual requests for information about the status of applications prior to this date.
Applicants are required to complete an online application form and submit related materials in a timely fashion to the Helton Fellowship Program at fellowship@asil.org. Materials that can not be transmitted electronically may be faxed to the ASIL Helton Fellowship Program at + 1 202 797 7133.
Online Application: An online application is made available at http://www.asil.org/helton-application.cfm. Applicants are asked to provide basic biographical information and brief descriptions of intended projects and career statements. Emailed or faxed applications forms will not be accepted without prior written approval. The online application should be completed before other application materials are submitted.