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Stewart Fellows for 2011.

Building the global rule of law in India and Brazil

“India is a democracy, and the rule of law prevails. There’s no better environment for students to experience globalization.”
—Jay Krishnan, Professor of Law, Charles L. Whistler Faculty Fellow, and Director of the Center on the Global Legal Profession’s India Program

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It’s no secret that the world is shrinking. Technology, mobility, and population growth are all contributing to a society that is fast becoming global in every sense. And as the world shrinks, lawyers need to be prepared to meet an entirely new set of client demands and challenges.

To help students become better prepared in today’s global environment, the Maurer School of Law offers programs to introduce students to career options around the world. In the summer of 2011, nine students spent the summer in India as Milton Stewart Fellows working at highly reputed law firms, corporations, and non-governmental organizations. The four NGO interns were also named Holdeen Scholars in honor of the Unitarian Universalist Holdeen India Program. Two additional Stewart Fellows served internships in Brazil. In 2010, six students served in similar roles in India.

Why India? “That’s a good question, given that it’s a huge, poor, crowded country with a cumbersome civil service,” said Jay Krishnan, Professor of Law, Charles L. Whistler Faculty Fellow, and Director of the Center on the Global Legal Profession’s India Program. “Despite these challenges, India is growing quickly, with savvy entrepreneurs and several hundred million English-speaking residents. Most of all,” he continued, “India is a democracy, and the rule of law prevails. There’s no better environment for students to experience globalization.”

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The Stewart Fellows blended their first-year law school experience with insights into the culture of the world’s largest democracy. Danny Thiemann, who worked as an intern at the Delhi-based full-service law firm Trilegal, says the experience enabled him to improve his legal skills while linking theory and practice. "Delhi helped me see the world in a new way," he said. "The internship not only sharpened my legal research and writing skills, but also let me see first hand some of India's top lawyers work through problems and respond on their feet to tough questions."

Meanwhile, halfway across the globe, two students spent eight weeks in São Paolo, Brazil, gaining first-hand experience in both law firm and in-house settings. Viviana Gonzalez and Eli Roberts divided their time between Demarest & Almeida Advogados, one of Brazil's largest law firms, and Votorantim Group, a diversified industrial conglomerate.

The six students were named Stewart Fellows because of the role of Milton Stewart, JD’71, who committed both his time and resources in framing and executing the India Program. The four interns who worked in the non-profit sector were also named Holdeen Scholars in honor of the Unitarian Universalist Holdeen India Program, which provided scholarships under the leadership of its director, Kathy Sreedhar.