ONU Law prepares its graduates for today’s globalized practice of law. The latest evidence of this came recently when Haxhi Xhemajli, LLM, ’17, was one of 15 judges sworn into office by the President of the Republic of Kosovo.
“I think it is a great accomplishment not only for me, but for every legal professional who aspires to make a real difference in their societies by improving the rule of law and protecting human rights,” says Xhemajli.
After graduation, Xhemajli returned home to Kosovo and continued his work with the Assembly of Kosova as part of the Legal Department. He credits ONU Law with giving him the foundation he needed to be successful in his country. “Legal education in the U.S. is different than the majority of systems in other parts of the world. By applying the techniques aimed at developing students’ critical thinking, it has definitely helped me to be more prepared in my career as a lawyer,” he says.
Law students from across the globe came to ONU Law to receive practical training in how to establish rule of law in their home countries that were emerging from conflict and dictatorship. Some of the alumni in the LLM program are now leaders and champions in building rule of law and fighting corruption in their countries.
“Our approach to the LLM program was always different,” says Bryan Ward, Associate Dean. “Our objective was to empower students to return to their home countries and help to develop the rule of law.” says Ward. “Graduates like Xhemajli have done just that and are striving to make a transformative difference in their country.”