Responding to the devastation left behind by the recent tsunami, the School of Law is teaming with the law firm of Tilleke & Gibbins International, Inc. to adopt a Muslim fishing village in Ranong Province, north of Phuket, near Bangkok.
The small village was virtually wiped out, with over forty people dead, its fishing fleet severely damaged, and most of its dwellings destroyed. Survivors are being housed and cared for in the facilities of a nearby wild animal preserve. A working fishing village, it does not have tourist facilities and will likely not receive much national and international attention and funds. The funds donated by the School of Law and by Tilleke & Gibbins will go directly toward rebuilding homes, purchasing new fishing boats, and reconstructing and rehabilitating the village.
The School of Law has a long history with the Bangkok firm. The firm has worked closely with our students and faculty in our summer law studies abroad program in Bangkok. Donald Polden, Dean of the School of Law stated, in his memo to faculty and staff of the School of Law, “We are pleased to partner with the firm once again, this time to assist communities destroyed by the tsunami.” The law firm is the largest firm in Thailand, and has a significant presence throughout Asia. The firm has demonstrated a commitment to providing our students with quality internship opportunities, and to encouraging our presence in the Thailand legal community. Elizabeth Powers, the new Assistant Dean of the Institute of International and Comparative Law at the School of Law, expressed appreciation for “having this opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way to an area of the world that has been so welcoming to our students.”
The opportunity to partner with Tilleke & Gibbins in adopting the village was facilitated by Professor Philip Jimenez, Deputy Director of the Institute of International and Comparative Law.
