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September 24,
2014 | |
Greetings,
This
week we focus on Arizona Law's growing global
presence by introducing the new co-director of our
International Trade and Business Law Program,
Professor Sergio Puig, and featuring LLM candidate
Miriam Matinda and JD/LLM candidate Yahya
Yüksel.
Until
the footnotes,
Marc
|
|
Sergio and Negar |
Sergio Puig comes to
Arizona Law from Stanford Law School. He teaches
in the area of international economic law,
including international trade and investment law,
international arbitration, and transnational
litigation. He joins Professor David Gantz
as the co-director of the International Trade and
Business Law Program.
The
program they lead is both deep and broad. Students
in the JD and specialty LLM, MLS, and SJD programs
are drawn from around the country and the world.
They come to learn from the cutting-edge
scholarship of Professor Boris
Kozolchyk in trade
and commercial law, and to work on projects
at the National Law
Center on Inter-American Free Trade. They come
to study commercial law with Professor Marek
Dubovec, and international trade and business
law with regular and practice-based faculty.
Sergio
brings a wealth of experience in both the teaching
and practice of law. Before joining
us, he taught international investment law and
international trade law at Duke Law and Stanford
Law School. In his prior position at Stanford,
Sergio also directed a masters program for lawyers
with interests in pursuing interdisciplinary legal
scholarship.
Sergio
also worked for over three years in the young
professionals program for lawyers at the World
Bank Group and the International Centre for
Settlement of Investment Disputes, and has
practiced at Von
Wobeser & Sierra in Mexico City,
where he is from, and Miller
& Chevalier in Washington,
DC.
"I decided to come to
Arizona to be involved with its excellent program
in International Trade and Business Law. Professor
Gantz has been a pioneer in the field and has
placed Tucson on the map of international trade
and economic law. With the recent developments at
the College, I believe we can serve as an
important hub for understanding the legal aspects
of globalization and the new forms of global
trade. In my research and writing, I focus on how
regional trade agreements are becoming the main
alternative to global negotiations and are
adapting to the ways commerce, innovation,
intellectual property and logistics are
transforming international trade. As I like to put
it, long gone are the days where trade was limited
to England and Portugal trading wool and wine. I
am happy to have the opportunity to cement Tucson
as the place to study how regional trade
agreements are transforming the
world."
Sergio got more than great
practice experience in DC: he met his wife,
Negar Katirai, who directs the new Public Interest
Law Group initiative at the law school.
Sergio and Negar are enjoying their first
experience living in the Southwest and exploring
the art and music scene. They are particular
fans of the Rialto
Theatre and the music offerings at the Hotel
Congress, especially the gypsy jazz trio that
plays on Sundays.
|
Water Polo at the UA Rec
Center |
Both
Sergio and his wife have found something familiar
in Tucson as Sergio was born and raised in Mexico
City and Negar was born in Iran. They both enjoy
the unique border culture of the city and are
consulting with Negar's father (who is from
Shiraz) about the various (I hope non-invasive!)
plants that will thrive in the mid-altitude desert
climate.
Sergio
and his wife are also looking forward to becoming
parents in late November. As
I see it, the College of Law got two great
professors, and a future law student...
In
his spare time Sergio enjoys hiking and playing
water polo. He is particularly happy to be playing
outdoors with the University's club and masters
teams.
"I think water polo is the
second best way to exercise. It is fun, intense,
and if you don't play with sharks, generally fair.
Being in the water up to your neck is especially
refreshing on hot days. The only thing better is
surfing without sharks."
|
|
Miriam |
From
Tanzania, Miriam Matinda joins the Indigenous
Peoples Law and Policy LLM Program. She received
her bachelor's degree in Law from the University
Dar-es-salaam, a postgraduate diploma in legal
practice from the Law School of Tanzania, and is
currently licensed to practice law in
Tanzania.
Before
joining Arizona Law, Miriam worked with the East
African Law Society Secretariat and Advocates
Without Borders (ASF). She helped managed a
project involving human rights advocates in five
countries: Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and
Democratic Republic of Congo.
Prior
to that, she worked with the Legal
and Human Rights Center (LHRC), the leading
human rights organization in Tanzania, where she
was in charge of the gender and family desk. She
provided legal assistance to indigent women and
children across a wide range of areas including
probate, child rights, divorce, and custody of
children.
Miriam
envisions working on issues at the intersection of
human rights and business.
"My
career goal is to be able to assist communities
and multinational companies operating in Africa
reach win-win solutions in the myriad of
challenges facing them both. I also have a dream
of working with the African Court of Human and
Peoples Rights based in my home town, Arusha. I
would be humbled and proud to be associated with
this institution, which is a hallmark of Africa's
long walk to promoting justice in the
continent."
|
Her children,
Eben and Nase |
She
is the proud mother of two children, Eben (6 years
old) and Nase (2 years old), who are with her
during her course of study. Eben goes to Drachman
Montessori magnet school and Nase attends
Imagination Tree day care. The two have been
bursting with energy as they explore the Tucson
community and all its treasures.
When
she isn't tackling international issues or
studying, Miriam loves to engage with people from
different cultures, watch movies and
documentaries, go swimming, travel to new places,
and read a good book.
|
|
Yahya |
Arizona Law endeavors to
break down barriers in the study of the law. On
the forefront of this mission is Yahya
Yüksel.
Yahya
is a Persian-Turkish-American, born and raised in
Tucson, who is currently studying law in China at
Tsinghua University.
This year, his third year, he enrolled as a LLM
student studying Chinese Corporate Law with a
Certificate in International Arbitration and
Dispute Settlement.
Tsinghua
University is known nationally and internationally
as one of the top universities in China. Yahya is
able to use his experience there with his core
international business training he received from
Arizona Law. He will return to the US and graduate
with his JD in the centennial class of
2015.
Due
to his academic standing and demonstrated interest
in international law, the Chinese government
provided him with a tuition scholarship, monthly
stipend, and free room and board.
|
Representing Arizona Law in
China |
Yahya
loves the Tsinghua campus, remarking on its
beautiful artwork and sculptures, exceptional gym,
and low-cost but abundant sources of
food.
Most
importantly, he wrote, "Believe it or not China
also has American football! I was recruited to
join Tsinghua's flag football team, and we won the
first game of the season against another
university."
At
Tsinghua,
he is taking international arbitration and
transaction classes, taught by renowned
practitioners like former Arizona Law Professor of
Practice Gary Born, and Randell
Rader, former Chief Judge of the United States
Court of Appeals for the Federal
Circuit.
His
fellow students come from all walks of life and
from around the globe -- Tucson joins Cambridge
joins Georgetown joins Palo Alto. Practicing
lawyers from top international law firms in Hong
Kong and London are also studying in the LLM
program because of the high demand for Chinese law
expertise.
|
Yahya with the winning flag football
team |
Yahya's
international focus began long before applying to
law school. In fact, he is the youngest-ever
chairman of the City of Tucson Human Relations
Commission, where he led community efforts to
increase religious, racial, and marital tolerance.
He also participated in a field study on the
progress of the United Nations Millennium
Development Goals (MDG) in the Bahamas,
Trinidad, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Honduras,
and Belize.
Before
moving to China, he was a law clerk at Lewis Roca
Rothgerber, participated in the Entrepreneurship
Program at Eller Business School, and assisted
Professor Leslye
Obiora on International Public Policy
projects, World Bank Grant proposals, and a
Central Bank of Nigeria consulting proposal.
Yahya
says "Arizona Law runs in my blood." His father,
Edip Yüksel ('89) and his aunt, Naghmeh Bashar
('90) are both ardent Arizona Law Alums!
Learn
more and connect with Yahya.
|
2014
Recent Graduate Arizona Law
Fellows |
This
week we shine a spotlight on the many ways that
Arizona Law is transcending national and academic
boundaries. I want to offer a separate and special
thanks to the recent alumni who have joined our
educational mission as Arizona Law Fellows with a
donation of $500 or more. The recent graduates are
building connections that last a lifetime, while
supporting our efforts to have an impact from the
four corners of Arizona to the four corners of the
globe.
Alison
S. and Benjamin Bachus
Brian
J. and Jennifer R. Cosper
Darcy
D. Elgin
Jessica
E. Feingold
Chris
L. Hering
Rory
J. Juneman
Carlene
Y. Lowry
Scott
D. McDonald
Christina
Noz
Ryan
S. and Nicole Patterson
Angela
L. Perez
Jill
H. Perrella
Elizabeth
N. Rollings
|
|
Gabe
Galanda |
Congratulations to Gabriel Galanda
('00),
who received the Washington State Bar
Association's 2014 Excellence in Diversity Award,
in recognition of his leadership in advocating for
religious rights for Native American prisoners and
indigenous peoples. Gabe has built an
extraordinary practice and continues to mentor
(and hire!) Arizona Law students.
***
Congratulations to Judge
James L. Conlogue ('86),
Presiding Judge of the Superior Court in Cochise
County his recent recognition as the 2014 Arizona
Capitol Times Leader Of The Year in Public Policy
For Public Safety.
---
Coming
soon! Join Us - "The Mind
& the Law" Lecture Series: And
If Your Friends Jumped Off a Bridge, Would You Do
It? Translating Juvenile Developmental
Neuroscience into
Law
Wednesday,
October 1, 2014 7
pm Ares
Auditorium (Room 164)
Professor
Amanda Pustilnik of the University of Maryland
will explore what contemporary developmental
neuroscience is teaching us about the specific,
legally relevant differences between adolescents
and adults. No
RSVP required.
Future dates in the series:
October 22, November 5, November 19, and December
3. Click here to learn
more.
*
* *
SAVE
THE DATE - Centennial Homecoming
Weekend
November
7-9, 2014 For
more information, visit our Homecoming 2014
website. For
assistance with hotels or game tickets, please
contact the alumni
office.
*
* *
|
Alison Bachus ('05) [left], Jessica Post
('05) [right], and their partners
at the Maricopa County Bar Association Hall of Fame
Centennial Dinner |
---
Our
international enterprise comes from our inherent
curiosity and aspiration to connect diverse groups
and explore transnational issues. Whether we are
bringing Arizona Law to Mongolia or Hong Kong or
Shanghai or Quindao -- where I'm off to next week
to visit existing and potential global partners,
open employment opportunities for our students
with an interest in global practice, and
participate in a rule-of-law initiative -- or
Maricopa County, we try to influence the legal
community, and the larger social order, one
professor, one student, and one alum at a
time.
Warmly,
Marc
L. Miller Dean & Ralph W.
Bilby Professor of Law James E.
Rogers College of Law
alumni@law.arizona.edu
Looking for a way to make an
impact?
Make a donation to our student
scholarship fund. Every dollar invested
produces a solid return and helps to alleviate the
burden of educational debt for a student.
| |
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Giving | law.arizona.edu/give | Link | | | |
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