A Lecture in Myanmar

For 9 days this past July, Valerie Kua, an associate at Kelsey & Trask, P.C., had the opportunity to visit the Republic of the Union of Myanmar (formerly Burma) through the Seed of Hope Foundation. As part of this visit, on Friday, July 18, Valerie presented a lecture on the American legal system at the University of Mawlamyine.

Myanmar is the second largest country in Southeast Asia bordering Laos, Thailand, China, Bangladesh and India. Then known as Burma, Myanmar became an independent nation in 1948 and has spent much of that time in civil war. Today Myanmar is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia, though the recent lifting of economic sanctions has given the country new opportunities for growth.

The University of Mawlamyine is the third largest university in the country, with approximately 8,000 undergraduates. Two hundred University professors, lecturers and students attended Valerie's Introduction to the American Legal System lecture, where she explained the process for admission to legal practice in the US, the American court system, the American litigation process, and alternative dispute resolution.

This trip was a unique opportunity for Valerie to meet students and professionals from a very different legal system from ours and to share information about the American legal system.

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