The Duke Experience
Southern Justice Spring Break Mission Trip
Two LLM students joined the JD students for the annual Southern Justice Mission Trip to work on public interest and pro bono projects. The annual mission trip takes students throughout the south, including New Orleans, where students do hurricane-related work such as filing FEMA claims, researching aspects of the New Orleans Justice System, and gutting houses destroyed by the storm. Below are their reactions to the trip:
"During the Spring Break, I joined a group of students in the much-anticipated Southern Justice Spring Break Trip to New Orleans, Louisiana. In search of a different but rewarding experience, I chose to work in the manual labor section coordinated by the Louisiana Green Corps. We helped with the deconstruction of buildings affected by Hurricane Katrina, dismantled school tables and chairs for recycling, and painted a house in the Lower 9th Ward. These tasks were physically strenuous, but at the end of the day nothing beats the satisfaction of helping to restore the area. I am especially touched by the resilience of some of the victims in rebuilding their lives, as well as their appreciation and kindness towards the volunteers. I have always taken great pleasure from helping people, and I came to law school with the aim of serving the community. This experience has been rejuvenating and truly meaningful in that sense, and has definitely enriched my time here at Duke Law." - Dian Diana Abdul Hamed Shah LLM '09
"Participating in Southern Justice Mission Trip to New Orleans is definitely one of the most unforgettable memories I had while studying at Duke. I not only gained hands-on legal experience and improved my understanding toward American law, but also had the opportunity to dedicate my time and legal skills to a commitment that everyone who studies law shall always uphold: devoting ourselves and our profession to serve the people, the community, and the society.
In this mission trip I worked at New Orleans Legal Assistance (NOLA) and assisted my supervising attorney in a family law case involving visitation rights. I had the opportunity to interview the client and draft two motions to appoint curator. Moreover, I also drafted a memorandum and reported my work in the weekly case review meeting of family law section attorneys at NOLA. Volunteering at NOLA has provided me with an opportunity to participate in real practice in the United States and gain practical experience." - Yen-Chia Chen LLM '09
Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot
Fulbright Visiting Scholar Mingchao Fan represented Duke team with three JD students in the annual Willem C. Vis Moot international arbitration competition in Vienna, Austria this April. His comments on the experience are below.
"Being a member of the Duke Law International Arbitration team, I competed along with my teammates in the Willem C. Vis Moot in Vienna, which included over 240 universities from 58 countries. It was a dreamlike experience that I will never forget: It was Duke Law's first time to take part in this exciting huge party for [the] international commercial arbitration community and I was so fortunate to live the history!
[We] received many compliments for our oral and written arguments from judges who sat on the panel during the competition. ... More importantly, during social events which took place every night, we got to know many leading arbitrators, practicing attorneys and participants from other universities. The lasting contacts will be very much helpful.
Concerning the preparation, I was so impressed by the efforts that the coaches, Professor Holton and Dean Maher, had made. Practice rounds were arranged for every week since the beginning of this semester. Many professors, practicing arbitrators and lawyers were invited to serve as arbitrators to help the preparation. The insight comments were so valuable not only for the competition, but also for the future careers of the team members.
I was really proud of representing Duke and I will go to Vienna next spring to cheer for the Duke team in the next year's Moot!" - Mingchao Fan