International Food Fair Offers Taste of Home

Students serve up native dishes

--By Sheila Grady

On the evening of September 22, the office of Graduate and International Programs (G&IP) hosted what is one of the law school’s most eagerly anticipated events: the annual International Food Fair.  

With Crocker Plaza arranged into 11 different regions, hundreds of students, staff, and faculty had the opportunity to taste dishes native to countries as diverse as Ethiopia, Japan and India. 

With assistance from the law school’s 135 international students, diners eagerly loaded their plates with dishes such as Korean BBQ beef, Cuban fried plantains, Italian penne primavera, Middle-eastern hummus, Greek tzatziki,Indian samosas and Chinese dim sum. In the spirit of inclusion, the North American students provided dessert: mini cupcakes.  

Organized by representatives from each class, the Student Bar Association, and the social chairs from G&IP, the event allows for both U.S. and international students to meet and mingle.     
 

While there are a handful of international students pursuing a J.D, the majority are enrolled in the Master of Laws (LL.M.), Master of Comparative Law (M.C.L.), or Visiting International Program (V.I.P.) ; others are part of a study abroad exchange from either the University of Hong Kong or the London School of Economics. 

“The entire law school community is invited,” said Misa Shimotsu-Kim, director of Graduate & International Programs. “The event was initially intended to bridge our international LL.M. students with the J.D. students. In addition to our J.D./LL.M. Partnership Program, it is the main event for our G&IP students to invite the J.D.s.”