Alumna Profile: HNC and Law School

Are you considering law school but also speak Chinese and want to improve your understanding of the Chinese and international legal systems?  The Hopkins-Nanjing Center certificate program is a one-year program that offers flexibility in course selection and is the perfect transition to law school for students interested in both China and a career in law.  International certificate students are required to take at least three courses per semester in Chinese though many choose to take or audit additional coursework in English or Chinese.  International Law courses taught in Chinese at the Center this year include Chinese Criminal Law, Chinese Economic and Commercial Law, Environmental Law, and many others.  Additional law courses are being taught in English including International Humanitarian Law, International Dispute Resolution, and Trial Advocacy. 

Now in Washington, D.C., third year GWU law student Lisa Lin (HNC '09) has been able to put her skills to work outside of the classroom both at an internship at the Congressional-Executive Commission on China and as an Editor to Stanford Law School's China Guiding Cases Project. Read on to see how the HNC prepared her for law school:

Lisa Lin, HNC Certificate '09

Hometown

San Francisco, CA

Undergraduate school and majors

UC Davis: History, Political Science, and Japanese

Current Study

3rd year law student at George Washington University Law School

How did the HNC prepare you for law school?

The diverse law curriculum offered by HNC helped me develop a solid foundation for pursuing a legal career in Chinese and international law.  The law courses that were taught by distinguished Chinese and American professors at HNC also sharpened my legal analytical skills in preparation for law school.

For those interested in law, another option is the Masters of Arts in International Studies (MAIS) with a concentration in Comparative and International Law which includes writing and defending a thesis in Chinese.  Check back later this week for a blog post on the experience of writing a thesis in Chinese!