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Five ������Ƶ students recently traveled to Rome for a first-hand opportunity to see international law making in progress as part of an innovative internship opportunity for fellows of the school’s Global Business Law Institute.

The first cohort of GBLI international interns are Roman Hill, Ida Knox, Erik Martes, Njood Bafarat and Faye Wang.

“The program enabled our students to see first-hand how model laws are negotiated and created,” said GBLI co-director Scott Schumacher. “Watching the ‘sausage being made’ is an invaluable experience for law students.”

The inaugural cohort spent one week at UNIDROIT, where they participated in expert working sessions related to projects led by the UW School of Law’s Global Business Law Institute. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that would not have been possible without funding from Boeing, Schumacher said.

UNIDROIT is an independent intergovernmental organization based in Rome. It studies needs and methods for modernizing, harmonizing and coordinating private and commercial law to formulate uniform law instruments, principles and rules to achieve those objectives.

The Global Business Law Institute builds on ������Ƶ’s strengths in comparative law and international programs, its established global network and the active involvement of world leaders from the business community. The institute compliments robust programs within the law school — including intellectual property, tax, sustainable international development and law and entrepreneurship — and across UW, providing a strong interdisciplinary foundation. It aims to help a new generation of lawyers gain the skills needed to work in a global marketplace.

Learn about the impact of this life-changing trip from several of our fellows, in their own words.

Roman Hill, LL.M.

I am extremely grateful to Boeing. The experience of learning from the many business law scholars at UNIDROIT during discussions and lectures (and more importantly the connections I made) were invaluable. It was a wonderful opportunity.

Ida Knox, 2L

Getting to attend UNIDROIT meetings in Rome with the Global Business Institute was an amazing experience. Boeing's funding allowed me this opportunity and without it, I would not have been able to attend.

My background is working in law and development, so I was particularly interested in the discussions that surrounded theories of commercial law reform and economics as they relate to developing countries. Another invaluable experience on the trip was the insight into the interdisciplinary nature of conversations surrounding law reform.

Plus, getting to know the other students in the program was so fun and we all had a really lovely trip. Thanks, Boeing!

Erik Martes, LL.M.

Visiting Unidroit in Rome was a great opportunity to see firsthand many of the challenges involved in drafting rules to govern international commercial transactions. The chance to sit in on panels made up of international law experts and other stakeholders as they evaluated the merits of various proposals was a unique learning experience that would be impossible to replicate in a law school classroom.

Outside of the working sessions, exploring the city with the other Global Business Law Fellows gave us a chance to get to know each other and learn more about our respective research areas in more depth than the regular hustle and bustle of the school year would allow. Many thanks to Boeing for making this trip possible!

Njood Bafarat, Ph.D.

During two workshops, I got the unique opportunity to meet experts in the fields of law, economic, and banking. It was powerful to hear all these people discussing their thoughts and ideas and how they navigate these issues in their own work.

Another feature to our trip was a visit to the office of Pierallini Law Firm. The trip ended with sessions dedicated to UNIDROIT projects and contributions in the areas of international Commercial Law Reform and Sustainable Development.

Thanks to my colleagues for making the trip so enjoyable. Thanks to the professors for all their effort, kindness and consideration in planning and hosting the trip. Thank you very much to Boeing for sponsoring the trip. And of course, grazie mille Rome!