DIVERSITY AT PENN LAW

Anita Choi '09

Diversity at Penn Law is defined in many ways. I have had the pleasure within my first year to explore both cultural and intellectual diversity at the Law School.

As a member of APALSA (Asian Pacific American Law School Association), I had the privilege of attending the annual conference that was organized by my 2L and 3L peers. The theme this year was "Focus: Rethinking the Role of the Asian-American Lawyer." During this daylong event, participants reflected on the meaning of being a successful Asian Pacific American lawyer beyond life in a large law firm. Students explored opportunities for leadership positions in private practice, government, business, and the judiciary. For me, the most memorable panel was entitled "Beyond Our Borders: Working for the International Cause," where Asian-American attorneys spoke about the ways in which they utilized their mixed roots and cultural background to make significant contributions to the international community.

As an international student from Canada with a background in science, Penn Law has also been very welcoming to my interests. This year, I was fortunate enough to be chosen as a 1L to attend the Waseda Law School Intellectual Property Conference in Tokyo, Japan, during spring break. This was an amazing opportunity to combine both my interests in intellectual property and international law, and gave me a chance to interact with students, professors, practitioners and judges from Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Experiences like this are not uncommon at Penn Law as the school continually strives to support the intellectual diversity among the students.