White & Case has helped the Kingdom of Bhutan open its first-ever law school.
The Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law (JSW Law), which is charted by the current king, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, formally opened at the end of July, marking a milestone in the nine-year collaboration of the elite Wall Street firm and the South Asian country.
JSW Law is named after the current king’s father, Jigme Singye Wangchuck. Princess Sonam Dechan Wangchuck, the king’s sister and a Harvard LLM graduate, has been appointed as president. The school’s governing council is chaired by the country’s chief justice, Tshering Wangchuk, while respected educator Sangay Dorjee has been appointed dean.
“This day has been many years in the making,” said Hugh Verrier, White & Case chair. “We are honoured to have worked together with the Royal Government of Bhutan. The firm’s involvement stems from our ongoing commitment to legal education around the world. This law school will play a crucial part in advancing Bhutan’s inspiring transition to democracy.”
White & Case first began collaborating with Bhutan in 2008, with the firm fielding a cross-border team to establish the country’s first law library with Princess Sonam. White & Case has been providing pro bono legal as well as administrative and fundraising assistance for the new law school.
The BigLaw firm also recruited two American scholars, Michael Peil and Judy Stark, who have been appointed vice dean and associate dean of the school, respectively. The new school has 13 faculty members, eight of whom are from Bhutan and four from the US.
The school has accepted 25 Bhutanese students after a competitive application process over the past year. The students, who will pay no tuition to study, will need to complete five years of study to earn a Bhutanese law degree.
The first Bhutanese Law School Admission Test was taken by 132 students who were selected from a pool of nearly 500 high school graduates. The 13 women and 12 men who make up the school’s first class were selected from 50 finalists who were interviewed by JSW Law’s admissions committee.
“These law students will benefit from a carefully constructed curriculum that keeps Bhutan’s proud history and traditions at the forefront,” said Jacquelyn MacLennan, White & Case partner and global pro bono practice leader. “We hope they will become lawyers who can play a leading role in Bhutan’s continuing development, through their understanding of international legal practice and principles as well as Bhutan’s particular position.”
JSW Law is also supported by India, the Austrian Development Agency, and the US-based Karuna Foundation.
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