Amicus Partners

As most readers know by now, First Person Accounts (FPA’s) are meant to provide a first-hand account of Indian law graduates who have pursued, or are currently pursuing, a post-graduate course (be it an LLM or otherwise) from different schools across the world.

The FPA (International) is meant to broaden this scope somewhat, getting non-Indian law graduates to discuss their LLM experiences in different law schools across the world. 

Eugene Cheigh is currently an SJD candidate at American University Washington College of Law, where her focus is on international environmental law. Eugene pursued an LLM from Georgetown University Law Centre, her second master’s degree in law after one from Sookmyung Women’s University in South Korea. In this FPA, she discusses life as an SJD candidate, her decision to study in the US, and a whole lot more. 

Slightly off topic but what got you interested in environmental law? Was this an interest which stemmed from childhood? 

I was interested in this field of study because global environmental issues are those whose severity I can experience most directly.

What prompted you to pursue a second master’s after your time at the Sookmyung Women’s University? What were some of the experiences that you were looking for while deciding to apply for the second LLM? And how did you narrow down on Georgetown University Law Centre? 

My ultimate academic goal was pursuing a doctoral degree (SJD degree) in the US. To apply for the SJD program, I needed an LLM degree from a US school. I decided to choose Georgetown University Law Center because it is ranked in the top 5 of the US law schools for international law.

I expected to learn high quality international law classes from renowned professors. In addition, the fact that there are many Korean LLM alumni, and that it is located in D.C. was attractive.

At that point in time, was a doctoral degree already on the cards? Or was this something you decided to do during your time at Georgetown? 

I had already decided to pursue a doctoral degree before I started studying at the GULC. I’d like to work as a researcher or professor in my home country, and these positions would prefer a doctoral degree from a foreign school.

It has been a few years since the Georgetown LLM, but looking back, what were some of the most challenging aspects of the course? As a foreign trained lawyer, were there any cultural aspects that you took time to get used to? 

The most challenging aspect was language. Although English is a required language in the Korean curriculum, it is not my first language and we don’t use it in daily life. Since I went to summer (language) camp in the US when I was young, I didn’t have much trouble with daily conversation in English, but I needed time to understand legal English.

In addition, Korea is a civil law country, whereas the U.S. is a common law country. Thus, it was difficult for me to follow the vast amount of case law.

I am always curious to know how one identifies a thesis supervisor and topic – how did you go about this process? How long did you spend on this, and what attracted you to American University Washington College of Law? 

Compared to the LLM program, many law schools don’t have an SJD program. Due to the lack of information, I spent my time searching schools and application requirements for a couple of months. Most of the schools which have an SJD program do not allow applicants to contact a supervisor beforehand (I think the admission office would match a student with an advisor).

Thankfully, I had already decided my thesis subject while writing my master’s dissertation in Korea, so based on my interest, I listed about 10 law schools. I had known that my advisor I matched with at the American University Washington College of Law is a famous professor in my field of study, so I happily accepted the admission offer.

The WCL is also ranked in the top 5 of the US law schools for international law and located in D.C. These are attractive factors, too. I was more satisfied to find that the WCL’s SJD program is well organized and helps students focus on their research from the beginning of the program as directed by the program director. 

What have been some of the substantial differences between life as a graduate student, and then a doctoral candidate? What does a typical week look like? 

[It is a ] research-oriented life.

I spend most days pondering and searching about what to write and whether there is any material that supports the answers to the questions in my dissertation.

Quite a broad question, but any advice on how law students and graduates can build on their research and writing skills? 

Take a research and writing class. I took it at the GULC, and it was really helpful. I also highly recommend visiting the writing center in the law school and asking questions often.

Lastly, any advice you would have for foreign trained lawyers looking to pursue higher studies in the United States?

Having a clear goal from the start helps ensure commitment and prevents giving up along the way.