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SKILL SHARPENER
Cornell Law Student Experiencing International Law Firsthand [by Erica Winter] As many students of foreign languages know, it is one thing to order dinner speaking in your second language. It is another thing to study law in it.
Christopher Ahn, a third-year Cornell Law
a master’s degree in philosophy, and also
Ahn’s study of Asia and involvement in law
student, is just finishing up the fall semes-
worked as a web developer and network
will continue well past law school. He is cur-
ter studying law at Waseda University in
administrator. When at Cornell, Ahn became
rently applying to Ph.D. programs in Asian
Tokyo as part of Cornell’s Clarke Program
involved with the Clarke program from the
studies and will also take the New York State
of East Asian Law and Culture. The ex-
start.
Bar Exam this summer. In his future studies,
change between Waseda and Cornell is one
Ahn says he hopes to “critically examine
of two programs that allow students from
In the summer of 2003, Ahn was a research
current legal and political frameworks for
the United States to study law in Japanese
assistant to Professor Annalise Riles, head
globalization, with an emphasis on how they
classrooms alongside Japanese students.
of the program at Cornell. He did legal re-
affect subordinated groups in U.S. and Asian
As part of the exchange, a law student from
search and also “helped to develop informa-
contexts.”
Waseda can come to Cornell to study in its
tional materials for the newly established
LL.M. program.
(program),” he says. Ahn has maintained his
Overall, the Clarke program has served as
involvement, taking the core course in the
the framework for Ahn’s future pursuits. The
Ahn is studying in the regular law curricu-
program and attending the speakers’ series
program, Ahn says, “reinforced my view that
lum at Waseda, taking classes in Japanese
and program conferences.
interdisciplinary study of Asia is necessary for making progress on some of the more
Legal History and Finance Law…in Japanese. Overall, “the semester has been incredibly
The Clarke program seeks to integrate
difficult legal questions facing the region
rewarding,” Ahn says via email from Japan.
Cornell’s top East Asian Studies Program
today; for example, in areas such as immi-
“Waseda has treated the exchange students
with the law school to bring fresh ideas into
grant and refugee rights, human rights, and
the study of international law.
international humanitarian law.”
very well,” Ahn says. “We’ve been exposed to a variety of experiences, in addition to
“One of the program’s greatest strengths is
coursework. For example, my advisor and
its strongly interdisciplinary perspective,”
I spent about four hours every Thursday
says Ahn. The chance to learn about a coun-
afternoon in one-on-one sessions discussing
try’s law and also its legal culture--which
Japanese law and politics. This past week
touches on issues such as the place of law
another professor and I observed the oral
in a society, its value in the society, and what
arguments in a case presented to the Grand
might be considered “law” in that country--is
Bench of the Supreme Court of Japan.
emphasized in the Clarke program. Ahn says that “the Clarke Program’s approach gives
“The dual task of learning about law and
Cornell law students a more sophisticated
learning about it in Japanese has been both
understanding of this area of the world.”
a gift and an affliction. A gift because I can’t think of a better way to study Japanese, and
“Asia is so dynamic and complex and dif-
an affliction because I rarely went to bed
ferent enough from the U.S. that studying it
before 4 a.m.! My only regret is that I can’t
constantly challenges me to articulate and
stay for the whole year,” Ahn says.
rethink my assumptions about the world,” Ahn says.
Prior to coming to Cornell, Ahn received
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