Fall 2020
Message from the Associate Dean
Greetings from the University of Kansas School of Law and the International & Comparative Law Program!

During the past year, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have changed the way we teach, learn and connect with one another at KU Law and across borders. Barriers to travel and national responses to the crisis have affected many of our prospective international students and scholars, as well as those here on campus. What hasn’t changed is our commitment to international programs and to preparing students and scholars to be outstanding members of the legal profession, whether they’re learning the law on campus or remotely.

Both faculty and scholars at KU Law take on work with global reach. We train students with deep legal research and writing skills, so they are prepared to go on to careers in law practice, government and academia. Many of our international students on to contribute to the advancement of the international rule of law and the enhancement of legal education overseas.

In this edition of our International & Comparative Law newsletter, you'll learn about cutting-edge research; faculty service; three S.J.D. students who recently defended their doctoral dissertations; alumni news and more.

KU Law graduates live and work in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands and 25 foreign countries. If you share our passion for expanded horizons, we hope you'll take time to learn about the global impact made by Jayhawk faculty, students and alumni in the past year.

Best regards,

Virginia Harper Ho
Professor and Associate Dean, 
International and Comparative Law 
International and Comparative Law Faculty

Numerous KU Law faculty are involved in international and comparative law, including:
Degrees for international students at KU Law

The University of Kansas School of Law offers a first-class program in international and comparative law. At its core is a menu of courses in the areas most relevant to practice around the world, including international business and commercial law, intellectual property law, environmental law and international dispute resolution.

KU Law offers four degree programs, including the J.D., Two-Year J.D., LL.M. in American Legal Studies, and S.J.D.

Interested in learning more about the international and comparative law program at KU? Browse our program information and brochures.
Professor selected for Department of State speaker program
Raj Bhala, the Brenneisen Distinguished Professor at the KU School of Law, will offer expertise around the world on a variety of issues through the U.S. Speaker Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Bhala teaches international and comparative law courses, and is among the world's foremost authorities in international trade law. He was asked to join the program because of his scholarship, teaching and experience in areas including international trade law, Islamic law, and India, and on cross-cutting, vital issues of law and policy concerning China.

Raj was also recently honored as one of Ingram's Magazine’s “50 Kansans You Should Know.” Now in its 10th year, “50 Kansans You Should Know” recognizes Kansas area residents “for their over-sized contributions to business success, civic engagement, philanthropic zeal and shared interest in moving their communities forward.”

Raj was recognized for a teaching style that “brings to his students a blend of insight, experience, rhetoric and oratory (laced with references to Shakespeare) that helps them break down barriers erected by cultures, religions, economic systems and political structures,” according to the article. In 2017, Ingram's selected his wife, Dr. Kara Tan Bhala, who earned her Ph.D. in philosophy at KU in 2009, for the “50 Kansans” list, making Raj and Kara among the first KU Law couples to receive the award.
Legal English Program and Supplemental English Assistance
Beginning in summer 2021, the law school will offer a summer intensive Legal English Program for entering international students through KU’s Applied English Center. The program helps students develop specialized listening, presentation, legal research and legal writing skills to prepare them for degree coursework at the law school and for legal practice.

The program is available to students who have been admitted or provisionally admitted to the LL.M., S.J.D., Two-Year J.D. for Foreign-Trained Lawyers, or J.D. programs at KU Law.

The law school also enjoys access to the resources of KU’s Applied English Center. KU Law works with the Center to offer programming for international students, in addition to the personalized attention all our students receive from faculty and staff. More information is available at aec.ku.edu/legal-english-program.
(From left) Sarmad Ibrahim Majeed, Rakiba Nabi and Hussein Saeed Almansour defended their S.J.D. dissertations this summer. 
Three scholars defend S.J.D. dissertations

The University of Kansas School of Law is one of the few law schools in the United States to offer a Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.), a research doctorate in law. The S.J.D. program is designed for students interested in deep legal research and writing, and a career as a legal scholar or a senior public official.

Saudi Arabian scholar Hussein Saeed Almansour defended his dissertation, “Protecting Corporations/ Businesses from Cyberhacking and Cyberespionage Responsibilities” in July 2020. He earned a Doctor of Juridical Science with distinction. Dr. Almansour’s dissertation will be used by the new Saudi Cyber Commission as a basis for discussion of their cyberlaws.

Iraqi scholar Sarmad Ibrahim Majeed defended his dissertation, “Stabilization Clauses and States' Sovereignty” in July 2020. He earned a Doctor of Juridical Science. Dr. Majeed returned to the Kurdistan region of Iraq to advocate for human rights and environmental matters associated with foreign investment in developing countries.

Bangladeshi scholar Rakiba Nabi defended her dissertation, “Examining the Selective Best Practices of Indigenous Land Claims to Remedy Existing Prolonged CHT Land Dispute Crisis Law” in July 2020. She earned a Doctor of Juridical Science. Dr. Nabi returned to Bangladesh to teach at the University of Chittagong as an associate professor.
Faculty notes
Raj Bhala, Brenneisen Distinguished Professor, is an active scholar, researcher, and expert in international and comparative law. Bhala is the author of the four-volume International Trade Law: A Comprehensive Textbook; the first treatise on GATT in nearly 50 years, Modern GATT Law; and a textbook on Islamic Law, Understanding Islamic Law (Sharī'a). Bhala writes a monthly "On Point" column, which is published by BloombergQuint (India). Bhala's recent work in international and comparative law includes:

  • Bhala has been named as a member of the U.S. State Department's Speaker Program, and designated by Ingram’s Business Magazine as one of “50 Kansans You Should Know.” 
  • Bhala is working on a new (3rd) edition of Understanding Islamic Law (Shari'a), a textbook Carolina Academic Press publishes, focusing on new chapters covering Iran's Constitution and the Afghan peace agreement. Six recent Bloomberg Quint columns, which are distributed to 2.9 million readers worldwide, plus an additional 400,000 through Bloomberg's financial market trading terminals, are:
  1. Are The U.S. And China In A “Cold War” Or Not?, 30 May 2020
  2. India-China Standoff: What Cards Does India Hold To Play? (Part One of Two Part Series), 22 June 2020
  3. India-China Standoff: PM Modi Should Use JFK’s Cuban Crisis Playbook (Part Two of Two Part Series), 22 June 2020
  4. India At 73 Needs A New Trade Legacy: Aggressive Regionalism, 14 August 2020
  5. Biden’s Trade Tools In A Trump-Altered World: Consensus and Integrity (Part One of a Trilogy), 7 September 2020
  6. Biden’s Trade Goals In A Trump-Altered World: Peace and Stability (Part Two of a Trilogy), 12 September 2020
Christopher Drahozal is the John M. Rounds Professor of Law at KU Law. Drahozal is the author of multiple books and numerous articles on commercial arbitration. He has given presentations on the subject in Europe, Asia, South America, Canada, Mexico, and the United States, and has testified before Congress and state legislatures on arbitration matters as well. His recent work in international and comparative law includes: 

  • Drahozal continues to serve as an Associate Reporter for the Restatement of the U.S. Law of International Commercial & Investor-State Arbitration. The American Law Institute approved the Proposed Final Draft of the Restatement in May 2019. The draft is currently being proofread and updated in preparation for its publication.
  • Drahozal has been invited to teach a special course at the Hague Academy of International Law, at the Peace Palace in The Hague, The Netherlands, in summer 2025. The materials for the course are to be published in the Academy’s Collected Courses.
  • Drahozal's book chapter entitled "Empirical Findings on International Arbitration: An Overview" appears in the Oxford Handbook on International Arbitration, which was published last month.
  • Drahozal and Professor Laura Hines presented “Class Actions and Arbitration in the U.S. and Brazil,” an online event sponsored by the Brazilian Center for Mediation and Arbitration (CBMA) and KU in August.
  • Drahozal is serving as a member of the Dissertation Committee for Jeremy Zell, a University of Stockholm Ph.D. candidate.
  • Drahozal served as a member of the Dissertation Committee for Sarmad Ibrahim Majeed, an S.J.D. candidate at KU Law who successfully defended his dissertation in July 2020.
  • For the past year, Drahozal has served as the faculty host for Professor Yang Hua, who was a visiting scholar at KU from Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China. 
Virginia Harper Ho is the Associate Dean for International & Comparative Law, Professor of Law, a past Docking Faculty Scholar, and the Director of the Polsinelli Transactional Law Center. She was named as an Earl B. Shurtz Research Professor in 2019. Her research focuses on the intersections of corporate governance, sustainability and finance from a comparative perspective. She has written recently on financial disclosure, shareholder activism, comparative corporate governance and China's green finance reforms. 

  • Harper Ho was recently elected to serve as the secretary of the American Society of Comparative Law and to continue her service on its executive committee. 
  • Harper Ho serves as an associate editor of the American Journal of Comparative Law.
  • Harper Ho published an article, "Non-financial Reporting & Corporate Governance: Explaining American Divergence and Its Implications for Disclosure Reform," in the Journal of Accounting, Economics, and Law: A Convivium's symposium volume "Non-Financial Reporting for a Sustainable Circular Economy: Towards Greater Policy Coherence."
  • Invited guest blogs based on these publications are available at: 
  • Invited guest blog, Non-Financial Reporting & Corporate Governance: Explaining American Divergence & Its Implications for Disclosure Reform, Columbia Law School Blue Sky Blog - Columbia Law School’s blog on Corporations and the Capital Markets.
  • Invited guest blog, Beyond Board Duties: A Comparative Look at Monitoring, Risk Management & Compliance, Duke Law School FinReg Blog.
  • Harper Ho's chapter, Board Duties: Monitoring, Risk Management & Compliance, will be published in the forthcoming Handbook of Comparative Corporate Governance.
  • Harper Ho served as the S.J.D. committee chair for Sarmad Majeed and his dissertation on “Stabilization Clauses & States' Sovereignty."
  • Harper Ho also gave the following presentations: 
  • "Accelerating Transnational Regulatory Innovation: A Network Production Model,” American Society of Comparative Law Works-in-Progress Workshop, Mar. 28-29, 2020, University of Pennsylvania School of Law, June 15-16, 2020. 
  • “Modernizing ESG Disclosure,” Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (CVM) (Securities & Exchange Commission of Brazil), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Dec. 8, 2020. 
  • “What’s Going on in Hong Kong?” Robert J. Dole Institute for Politics, University of Kansas, Nov. 13, 2020. 
  • Harper Ho also contributed to the University of Kansas International Affairs Office's Comment to the Department of Homeland Security Proposed Rule on “Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of Foreign Media,” 85 Fed. Reg. 60526 (Sept. 25, 2020), Oct. 26, 2020.
John Head's scholarly books and articles focus mainly on international and comparative law, with emphasis on the legal aspects of international business, international environmental protection and international economic relations. He has also authored or co-authored several books on Chinese law. His current research projects revolve around international agricultural law and policy. Head is the Robert W. Wagstaff Distinguished Professor at KU Law. His recent work in international and comparative law includes: 

  • Head recently completed the third and final book in a three-book series lying at the intersection of international law, agricultural reform and ecological restoration. The first two books, published by Routledge in 2017 and 2019, focused on the legal reforms and the institutional reforms Head considers essential at the global level to address the agricultural crisis and the climate crisis. This book focuses on cultural reforms Head favors, and it draws heavily from the Homeric epics for that purpose. Its release is expected before the end of 2020 under the title Deep Agroecology and the Homeric Epics: Global cultural reform for a natural-systems agriculture. 
  • After a few years’ break, Head is working again on Chinese law, with a book-chapter completed (and awaiting publication) regarding dynastic Chinese law & morality.
  • Head also recently completed an article titled “Cosmopolitan Constitutionalism in an Age of Global Crises,” in a festschrift for Professor Roberto Toniatti of the University of Trento. It, too, is awaiting publication.  
  • Head has recently given presentations online for organizations based out of Istanbul (on international commercial law) and Washington, D.C. (on global institutional reform).   
  • Head is currently in the process of launching something to be called the “Global RESTORATION Project” for building networks of scholars and advocates active in legal, institutional, agroecological and cultural reform. It will be largely in online format and serve as a platform for continuing his legal and policy research into agricultural and environmental issues at the global level.
  • Head organized a pair of international law roundtable discussions on the topic of Legal Responses to Global Pandemics in early November for the KU Law community.
  • Lastly, and as usual for this time of year, Head is organizing and advising the Jessup international law moot court team for what promises to be a challenging year. But we have an experienced team, with four returning team members.
Laura Hines' scholarship examines the intersection of procedure and tort law, with a particular focus on aggregate litigation. Hines is the Centennial Teaching Professor and director of the Shook, Hardy & Bacon Center for Excellence in Advocacy at KU Law.

Hines and Professor Christopher Drahozal presented “Class Actions and Arbitration in the U.S. and Brazil,” an online event sponsored by the Brazilian Center for Mediation and Arbitration (CBMA) in August.
Uma Outka works at the intersection of energy law and environmental law. Outka is the associate dean for faculty and a William R. Scott Law Professor. Her scholarship explores the legal context for the low-carbon energy transition, with particular interests in energy and environmental justice, renewable energy, and electricity regulation as it evolves to advance a clean, modern electric grid. Outka's recent work in international and comparative law includes:

  • Outka published an article, "Accelerating Energy Transition in India: A Comparative Perspective," in the Environmental Law Reporter.
  • Outka remotely presented "Ethical Drivers to Overcoming Barriers to Renewable Energy” in the Energy Law and Ethics Research Workshop, which was hosted by the Energy Law Institute/Centre for Commercial Law Studies at the University of London in June 2020.
  • Outka’s chapter, “Ethical Drivers in the Renewable Energy Transition, will be included in a forthcoming international volume of Energy Law and Ethics (Edgar Elgar, publication anticipated 2021).
Najarian Peters’ work and scholarship focuses on privacy law, technology policy and governance. Peters is an associate professor at KU Law and a faculty associate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School.

Peters participated in Seton Hall Law Review's Annual Symposium on November 6, 2020. The symposium "Privacy, Healthcare, and Artificial Intelligence" brought together distinguished lawyers, legal scholars, and academics across multiple disciplines to address major issues stemming from the realm of privacy, healthcare, and artificial intelligence. Peters presented "Pandemic Parallels in the U.S., U.K., and France: How Anti-enforcement and Healthcare Inequity Created Rational Distrust Of Operation Warp Speed and Contact Tracing" and participated in a panel on "Regulatory Regimes: How the E.U. and U.S. Approach the Regulation of Privacy, Healthcare, and AI and Issues with Enforcement."
Alumni news

Christopher Studebaker, L’04, moved to Tokyo and joined Tokyo International Law Office. Studebaker is a partner overseeing the dispute resolution and arbitration practice. He serves as director for two Japanese companies and teaches periodically at Japanese law schools.

Devin Sikes, L'08, and Professor Raj Bhala presented a webinar about "International Trade in a Time of Crisis” in September. The webinar was hosted by the Inter-Pacific Bar Association. Sikes serves as international trade counsel at Akin Gump in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Mücahit Aydin, SJD'14, is the deputy secretary general of the Constitutional Court of Turkey. Aydin was one of six featured speakers for a webinar, “Judicial Independence in an Era of Political Turmoil,” sponsored by the International Institute for Justice Excellence, located at The Hague.

Dr. Vivek Sehrawat, SJD'17, published his first book, Drones and the Law: International Responses to Rapid Drone Proliferation. Sehrawat is an associate professor at BML Munjal University in India.

Elliott Brewer, L’19, accepted a position with the Department of Commerce. He will be working in Washington, D.C. as an international trade specialist with the International Trade Administration.  

Report your alumni news and update your contact and employment information at law.ku.edu/keep-touch. Have a story of interest to fellow alumni? Contact Margaret Hair at [email protected].