• A 1L, 2L, or 3L law student in a graduate law program (i.e. JD, LLM)
• In good standing and currently enrolled in the 2007-2008 academic year and will be enrolled in the 2008-2009 academic year at a Washington state ABA-accredited law school
• A citizen or a permanent resident of the United States
• Eligible to work and study in Vietnam under any applicable visa requirements
In addition, the applicant should have a current or be able to obtain a valid U.S. Passport.
Application and Submission Materials. Each applicant must submit the following: (1) a completed application form; (2) a personal statement (1,000 words or less, or maximum 1 page); (3) a legal writing sample (5 page limit); (4) a recommendation letter from a legal employer or law professor; (5) a current resume; (6) the most recent law school transcript; and (7) a signed release form.
Applications and materials must be sent to VABAW Foundation at the address below and received by February 11, 2008.
Thuy Nguyen-Leeper
1015 Third Avenue, Floor 12
Seattle, WA 98104
Selection Procedure. The Selection Committee shall review the applicants on an individual, case-by-case basis, and take into consideration the student’s overall academic and professional work background, community involvement, professional interests, communication skills, references, personal statement, and writing sample. Finalists may be selected for a brief in person interview before one final award recipient is chosen.
The VABAW Foundation, in its sole discretion, shall make a final determination as to the award recipient selected for participation in the Clerkship. Alternates may be selected at the discretion of the VABAW Foundation in the event the award recipient declines the award for any reason. The VABAW Foundation, in its sole discretion, may decide not to award the Hồng Đức Clerkship to any applicant for 2008.
The participating law firms will also have an opportunity to review the award recipient’s materials. Although we anticipate that the award recipient will have a chance to pick among the law firms on our list, we cannot guarantee that a student will get their choice of firms as the participating law firms have changing needs that will dictate whether they can accommodate the award recipient for the summer.
The award recipient will not be allowed to split his/her summer 2008 with other law firms or another study abroad program.
Timeline
February 11, 2008: Deadline for Application Submission to VABAW Foundation Applications Must be Received by this Date
March 10, 2008: Announce Award Recipient/Match Award Recipient and Participating Law Firm
March 10, 2008: Send Information Packet to Award Recipient
May 19 – August 8: Clerkship Begins for a Student on a Gonzaga Schedule (Tentative)
May 26 – August 15: Clerkship Begins for a Student on a SU Schedule (Tentative)
June 23 – September 10: Clerkship Begins for a Student on a UW Schedule (Tentative)
2008 Participating Law Firms
Baker McKenzie
www.bakernet.com
One of the largest international law firms with offices in 38 countries including Vietnam with offices in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, Baker McKenzie was one of the first international law firms to establish representative offices in the country. The firm's offices in Vietnam provide on-the-ground liaison and support services to clients interested in investigating, negotiating, and implementing projects in the country.
Attorneys in the Vietnam Practice Group are able to guide clients through the legal and commercial risks inherent in Vietnam's evolving legal system and changing political-economic landscape. Baker McKenzie closely follows Vietnam's efforts to integrate with the regional and world economies as well as the country's developing relationships with the European Union, United States and regional neighbors, including Japan.
DLA Piper
www.dlapiper.com
DLA Piper is the second largest law firm in the world by number of attorneys and the only firm in the world with more than 1,500 lawyers on each side of the Atlantic. Together, the law firm boasts more than 3,600 lawyers in 25 countries and 64 offices throughout the world. In 2006, the firm had more than $1.8 billion in revenue, making it one of the highest grossing law firms in the world. Firm clients include local, national, and global companies across a wide range of sectors, ranging from emerging businesses to some of the leading national and multinational companies in areas such as commercial contracts, corporate, employment, finance, intellectual property, litigation, projects and infrastructure, real estate, government affairs, restructuring, tax, and technology. DLA Piper is opening a new office in Vietnam which will be ready by summer 2008.
Fraser Law Company
www.frasersvn.com
Fraser Law Company is the country’s third biggest law firm in Vietnam. Frasers Law Company was the first foreign law company licensed by the Ministry of Justice in Vietnam. Frasers provides legal advice in all areas of business and commerce in Vietnam, including foreign investment, commerce, finance, and industry to investors and businesses operating in and trading with Vietnam.
Frasers is an associated office of the international law firm Freehills, an Australian law firm with more than 1,000 lawyers across Australia and Southeast Asia, which first started advising on Vietnam in 1989. The firm’s main areas of practice are in the corporate, commercial, investment, banking and finance, taxation, property, manufacturing and construction, mining, intellectual property and employment fields.
Lovells
www.lovells.com
Lovell’s is one of the largest international business legal practices, with over 3,000 people operating from 26 offices in Europe, Asia and the United States. The firm advises many of the world's largest corporations, financial institutions and government organizations. They regularly act on complex, multi-jurisdictional transactions and commercial disputes. Lovell’s offers a broad range of legal expertise, including Intellectual Property, Real Estate, Construction & Engineering, Competition and Labour law. In Asia, the firm has offices in Beijing and Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City.
Phuoc & Partners
www.phuoc-partners.com
From its inception, Phuoc & Partners (P&P’s) expertise has stretched across international borders. In addition to three offices in Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Noi and Da Nang, P&P maintains liaison offices in Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Germany. To satisfy the international demand for advisory services, P&P maintains intensive relationships with prominent law and tax firms in Europe, the United States and various Asian countries. In this way, they offer their clients top-level advice worldwide and are capable of effectively structuring and supervising domestic or foreign legal and consulting matters.
VILAF-Hong Duc
www.vilaf.com
One of the first business law firms in Vietnam with offices in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. VILAF’s development is attributable to the contributions of its lawyers. From a small group of lawyers initially working with Clifford Chance in 2000, VILAF’s legal team has grown to 50 lawyers and legal experts. Many of their lawyers have been working with international law firms in Vietnam since the birth of Vietnamese investment law, and are recognized as the leading lawyers in Vietnam. Being Vietnamese and with extensive international experience and working relationships with several international law firms, their lawyers are in the best position to advise their clients on local law and the practice of Vietnam.
For Further Information. Please contact VABAW Foundation Hồng đức Clerkship and Selection Committee Members:
Denise P. Tran, VABAW Foundation Hồng Đức Clerkship Committee Chair
Email: trandenise@hotmail.com
Telephone: 206-334-2852
Peter Chu, VABAW Foundation Hồng Đức Clerkship Committee Member
Email: peter.chu@cojk.com
Telephone: 206-682-8100
Catherine Vuong, VABAW Foundation Hồng Đức Clerkship Committee Member
Email: clvuong@hotmail.com
Telephone: 206-292-1144
Brian Nguyen, VABAW Foundation Hồng Đức Clerkship Committee Member
Email: bdnuge@yahoo.com
Telephone: 206-280-8914