Diana Mazloum (LLM’16) Finds Common Ground in Diverse Legal Systems
Hailing from Syria and having studied law in Lebanon, Mazloum has immersed herself in BU Law’s LLM in American Law program.
Diana Mazloum (LLM in American Law’16) is a truly international citizen. Fluent in four languages (French, Arabic, English, and Spanish) and four legal systems (Syrian, French, Lebanese, and American), she has a passion for finding common ground in diverse ways of thought.
Born in Montreal, Canada, Mazloum, 22, grew up in Aleppo, Syria, where she attended the French School of Aleppo (Lycée Français d’Alep). She moved to Beirut, Lebanon for law school, learning French and Lebanese law at the same time in French and Arabic, at the Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth. Her interest in international legal systems led her to represent her school in the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Court Competition in Vienna, Austria, in her fourth year. Following law school, she joined the summer program at the Hague Academy of International Law, studying international private law in the Netherlands.
“Because I grew up in one country, but went to law school in another to learn two legal systems at the same time, I wanted to understand the common ground that might unite the systems,” she says. “Some people think of international law as a homogenous thing, but it’s a set of legal systems from different countries; the challenge is to understand how different judicial systems can work together to resolve conflict in the laws.”
To add to her experience, Mazloum decided to pursue an advanced legal degree in American law. “I’ve always known I wanted to introduce American education in my life,” she says, “I wanted to learn more about how American law is created, the judicial system and how judges are appointed. It’s a very different point of view and says so much about how America is as a country.”
As she was applying to schools, she looked at LLM programs in intellectual property law. Boston University School of Law’s highly ranked IP law program, and the opportunity to pursue either an LLM in IP Law or an LLM in American Law with an IP law concentration, made the School a natural choice. “I’m still young, and I wanted to keep my options open rather than specialize so heavily in one area,” she says, “so I opted for the broader American law program, with a concentration in IP”
Now only a few months from graduation, Mazloum is making the most of her time at BU Law, taking classes and participating in opportunities for hands-on, practical learning. Along with the support of the staff, she notes the diversity of the students in the American law program as a distinct benefit. “The LLM students come from all over the world,” she says. “Taking classes with not only these students, but with the JDs, I am exposed to people with different backgrounds, who think in different ways,” she says. “I’ve found this to be the most enriching part of the program; I am completely immersed.”
This semester, she is interning with the Irish International Immigrant Center (IIIC), providing legal advice and help with visa applications to immigrants from around the world. While the first goal for the internship was to gain hands-on experience working with an American organization, the center’s mission of helping immigrants integrate into a new society moved her. “I speak several languages, and I knew that could be helpful,” she says. “But in addition, the people in my home country [of Syria] are trying to escape all the horrible things happening there, and not all of them can afford lawyers and legal aid. With the IIIC, I may not be helping them directly, but I am helping people in similar situations.”
Going forward, Mazloum plans to sit for the New York Bar exam in July, and will be looking for a permanent position in the United States. True to her desire to keep her options open after graduation, she is interested in diverse opportunities. “Working with the IIIC has been eye opening for me,” she says. “I never thought I was interested in immigration law, but I’m considering it now. The internship has been important on a practical level, but very touching on a humanitarian level. I’m helping people move on with their lives.”
Updated June 2016: Diana Mazloum delivered the LLM student address at BU Law’s Commencement 2016. Watch her inspiring speech below.
