The East Asian Legal Studies Center is excited to offer UW Law students the unique opportunities below to advance their learning beyond the classroom.
The East Asian Legal Studies Center offers opportunities for first and second year UW Law School students to intern in locations throughout East and Southeast Asia. It, along with the Office of Carreer and Profesional Development (OCPD), reviews applications, and interviews and recommends candidates. Please reach out to OCPD for further information.
Successful applicants will be reimbursed by the EALSC for the cost of their travel.
Internships
Why Apply?
- Gain international legal experience
- Have a unique talking point on your resume
- Live in a fast developing country
- Work in areas such as contract litigation, securities corporate and finance law, international investment
- Potentially work with Fortune 100 clients and review documents as an English proof-reader
Bangkok, Thailand
Wat Phra Kaew (Ancient Grand Palace)
The EALSC works with Thammasat University Faculty of Law to place UW Law students at international law firms in Bangkok. Firms typically have six week long internships, anytime between June and mid-August and sometimes pay a small stipend or pay for accommodation.
The program accepts three to four JD applicants each year and you do not need Thai language skills for the internship. Thammasat University provides one to two days of lecture and field trips that introduce Thai law before internships begin. Thammasat also provides guidance on housing, visas, and living in Bangkok.
What do previous interns say about their experience?
"Working in a completely different country was an amazing experience and I highly recommend it to everyone. I was able to write OEM contracts, affidavits for Thailand's highest intellectual property court, and respond to clients complex questions about Thai law. My favorite part of living in Thailand was working with the ten Thai interns at my law firm." -Jared Dakovich, Satyapon & Partners, 2018
Hanoi, Vietnam
The Huc Bridge and Turtle Tower at Hoan Kiem Lake- the historical center of Hanoi.
Intern at the widely respected Vietnamese law firm YKVN Lawyers. Internships typically last eight weeks during the summer. You do not need Vietnamese language skills, but you should have a basic familiarity and interest in contracts, finance, and corporate law.
YKVN will provide guidance on housing, visas, and work assignments. YKVN also provides a small stipend and reimburses students for the cost of their visa. YKVN Lawyers makes the final decision on which applicants they will accept.
What do previous interns say about their experience?
I explored my areas of interest in business law and learned about a significantly different legal system. The attorneys I worked with went out of their way to make me feel at home while introducing me to many aspects of Vietnam's culture. We frequently went out for food and drinks, and they even let me play on the firm's soccer (football) team. I also had time to travel to many beautiful areas of Vietnam and other countries in South-East Asia. -Clifford Bartholomew, 2017
Apply for an internship in Thailand or Vietnam by submitting your application package through Symplicity on the Office of Career and Professional Development's website.
Taipei, Taiwan
Winkler Partners is looking for a current 1L or 2L law student intern for summer 2020. Duties would include writing updates on legal topics and light casework for 30-40 hours per week. The internship is (very) modestly paid but the EALSC will cover travel costs to Taipei provided they adhere to UW policy.
Basic qualifications include good analytic, research, and writing skills. The successful candidate will probably be a native English speaker or someone primarily educated in English and likely able to speak Mandarin Chinese but MUST be able to read traditional Chinese with reasonable proficiency. Candidates who speak other Chinese languages will be considered provided they can read traditional Chinese.
Offers to successful candidates will be conditioned on Winkler Partner's ability to receive work authorizations for you. Taiwan's laws preclude them from obtaining work authorizations for candidates with Chinese citizenship (including Hong Kong and Macau) unless the candidate is a dual national.
What do previous interns say?
This is an incredible opportunity! The work was interesting and rewarding; the people were talented and passionate about the law; above all, the culture-one of inclusion, compassion, and collegiality- is top-notch. -2018
Please send your resume, a brief writing sample, and cover letter explaining your interest in the internship to: personnel@winklerpartners.com.
Willem C. Vis (East) International Commercial Arbitration Moot
Interested in international law? Consider competing in the prestigious
Willem C. Vis (East) International Commercial Arbitration Moot. The Moot is an international competition that promotes the study and practice of international commercial law and arbitration. Each year students from law schools across the globe compete in Hong Kong, China. The competition consists of written submissions on behalf of a claimant and respondent in a realistic hypothetical international business dispute, and oral arguments presented before high-level practicing international lawyers. The Vis East is the only moot of its kind that focuses on a business dispute between two established companies in two separate countries where the companies have decided to submit themselves to arbitration.
In addition to competing in the Moot, UW teams often attend arbitration conferences and networking events held throughout Hong Kong to meet and speak with attorneys from all over the world who practice in international dispute resolution. The East Asian Legal Studies Center sponsors the UW Law School's Vis East team.
If you want to join the UW Vis East team you must take International Commercial Arbitration during the fall semester and practice in a competitive try-out directed by the current Vis East team. You are also encouraged to take Contracts II and /or International Business Transactions. Please contact Professor Jason Yackee for more information.
Research, Conference, and Event Funding
The East Asian Legal Studies Center is happy to provide financial support to students for research and events related to law or legal institutions in East or Southeast. Please visit the Faculty and Student Funding Opportunities webpage for more information.
Questions?
Send your questions to career@law.wisc.edu
