JD/LLM students sweep prize for best comparative law paper a second time
Jane Tien JD/LLM '22 received the 2021 Phanor J. Eder prize from the Young Comparativists Committee of the American Society of Comparative Law, while Robin Liu JD/LLM '22 received the honorable mention.
For the second year in a row, students in Duke Law School’s JD/LLM in International and Comparative Law dual-degree program swept the honors in an annual competition recognizing the best student paper on comparative law.
Jane Tien JD/LLM ’22 was awarded the 2021 Phanor J. Eder Prize by the American Society of Comparative Law at the annual meeting of the organization’s Young Comparativists Committee on Oct. 23. Robin Liu JD/LLM ’22 received the honorable mention, which is presented to one student only.
Hayley Lawrence JD/LLM '21 was the winner of the 2020 Eder Prize, and Alexander Bednar JD/LLM '21 received the honorable mention.
“Teaching these fantastic students and their classmates in Duke's JD/LLM program was an enriching and rewarding experience,” said Holning Lau, a University of North Carolina law professor who taught Comparative Constitutional Law at Duke in 2019 and 2020.
Tien’s paper, "Fighting Words: Catalonia at the Language Instruction Crossroads," examined comparative constitutional language education rights in Spain and Canada. Tien currently works in the International Human Rights Clinic and is a submissions editor for the American Journal of International Law. She will join Debevoise & Plimpton in New York following graduation.
“It is a great honor to be recognized by the Younger Comparativists Committee in the American Society of Comparative Law,” she said. “I'd like to thank Professor Lau for his guidance and support during the research and writing process.”
Liu’s paper, “Giving the People a Voice Where it Counts: A Presumption in Favor of Allowing Permanent Residents to Vote in Local Elections,” proposes extending voting rights in local elections to permanent residents. Liu works in the Immigrant Rights Clinic and is a member of the board of the Duke Journal of International and Comparative Law and a submissions editor for the American Journal of International Law. She will join White & Case in Washington, D.C., following graduation.
“I am grateful for receiving an honorable mention from the American Society of Comparative Law,” she said. “I hope my paper highlights the value in taking a comparative approach to solving shared problems. Although each place has a unique legal history, we can still learn greatly from other legal systems.”
The JD/LLM in International and Comparative Law is an integrated three-year program that combines rigorous legal training with in-depth study of global issues, opportunities to work and study abroad, and focused mentoring, networking, and career development. In the summer after the first year, students take upper-level classes at the Duke-Leiden Institute in Global and Transnational Law and also intern with a foreign law firm or legal organization.
Andrew Park is associate dean for communications, marketing, and events at Duke Law School. Reach him at andrew.park@law.duke.edu.