Santa Clara Law students give overviews of their externships at the China partnership of McDermott Will & Emery in Shanghai, and the Headquarters of the World Health Organization in Geneva, respectively.
Huechi Wong
Law Firm: MWE China Law Offices
Location: Shanghai, China
I began my international law journey as a 1L taking summer classes in Shanghai through SCU’s study abroad program. As part of the program, I interned at one of China’s premier law firms, Jun He, in Guangzhou. The unique experience of assimilating into a foreign place was extremely educational. Although the culture was different, I found the practice of law to be quite universal. It was through this experience that my interest in becoming an international lawyer was affirmed and I set my career goals to return to China.
This year I have been fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to finish my last semester of law school in Shanghai at MWE China Law Offices (MWE). MWE is the China partnership of McDermott Will & Emery and a leading law firm in China for regulatory compliance services. A large part of MWE’s work involves assisting companies with internal investigations to prevent or minimize its liability under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and other anti-corruption laws, including China’s own.
So far, I have been exposed to many different aspects of the practice of law in China. What I find most enjoyable is being privy to conference calls involving multiple partners from various McDermott Will & Emery offices and interviews with company employees about bribery payments in the form of gift cards. I have been able to gain practical insight into how one of the leading law firms handles complex compliance matters.
Name: Sabeena Bali-Dingra
Organization: World Health Organization
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
This spring, I am externing at the Headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO), a specialized agency of the United Nations. Only one treaty has been negotiated under the auspices of WHO, but it was ratified into force by 180 Member States, making it one of the most embraced treaties in the history of the United Nations. The treaty is called the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and it is this treaty around which my work revolves. My team is called National Capacity. We help countries implement domestic law and policy surrounding tobacco control. In my short time here, my most rewarding project has been drafting a small piece of legislation on tobacco product regulation – specifically mandatory disclosures – for a Member State.
With my American perspective, initially, I was skeptical of tobacco control for two reasons. The first is that, while the tobacco industry is undeniably insidious, people who use tobacco have an addiction and should not be stigmatized. Second, and relatedly, in the United States policies that make illegal or criminal any substance use are suspect because – either by design or by enforcement – they disparately impact lower-income and minority populations. However, I have come to feel proud of the tobacco control achievements of WHO. The organization aims for #zerodiscrimination in their policies and takes care to approach addiction as the health condition that it is. With these variables in mind, legislation places the burden on the tobacco industry and achieves accountability and transparency.
Working at WHO, I write on a daily basis, and am a legal voice amongst multidisciplinary professionals. Living in Switzerland, I am learning not only about international and European perspectives, but by comparison, also more about our own American politics and values. Although I miss my academic student life, the work in the United Nations system and the people I have met in Switzerland are invaluable to my development as a lawyer and a person.
