New Year, New Home

I have recently moved to Melbourne, Australia to attend law school!  I packed up my things and left the cold of Washington, D.C. to enter into the beautiful summer weather here Down Under.  Starting in February, I will begin the JD program at the University of Melbourne.  A lot of people have asked me why I came to Australia to study law.  After all, shouldn't I be studying American law?  I am American, after all.  Will the degree be valid in the states?  Do I plan on moving back or staying here and practicing in Australia?  Fair questions, all of them.  It certainly seems like a bold move, and some even may say that it's risky.  This is true.  But at the same time, right now is the best time to be bold and take risks.  I'm young and have an insatiable wanderlust, and have always wanted to see Australia.  And ridiculously hot accents aside, there were many factors that appealed to me about going to law school here.

1. The University of Melbourne ranks number 9 in the WORLD for law school.  Yep, that's right.  Number 9.  So I know that I'm getting a high quality education that is globally known for being awesome. QS World University Rankings: Law
2. Close proximity to Southeast Asia.  Australia is perfectly positioned for potential research in Southeast Asia, which is my region of focus.  Not only will it be super cheap to fly to Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, etc., but because of my geographic advantage, I have more options of Asia centered research. 
3.  The Melbourne JD can be used as a basis for seeking admission in many law jurisdictions overseas including in the USA. The eligibility criteria for graduates to take the bar examination in the US  will vary from state to state.  For instance, in New York, the University of Melbourne sits under Foreign Legal Education and therefore doesn't need ABA accreditation to sit the New York Bar Examination.

     4.  A picture is worth a thousand words.  Here are three:

More to come!  So far, being here has been an adventure.  I'm looking forward to what's next and will share my experiences here.