Student Memoir: Lessons from Across the Pond
Although the cosmopolitan city of London
is vastly different from the sandy beaches of Malibu, I now call it home. This would not be
the case if not for the Pepperdine School of Law.
After a first glimpse of London during a brief backpacking sojourn in 2000, I was instantly enamored of the British way of life and promised myself I would return. In 2004, my dream became a reality when I participated in Pepperdine Law’s study abroad program in South Kensington, London.
Aside from being adjacent to Hyde Park and the world-famous Harrods department store, Pepperdine’s building itself is a historical beauty. Taking law classes in a room that once served as the formal drawing room to Parliament member Sir Bernard Samuelson and later Count Antoine Seilern of Austria was a surreal experience. The building is now registered as a Grade Two historic site and will undergo a massive renovation next summer.
Throughout the semester we had many unforgettable experiences, from seeing the reigning Queen Elizabeth II arrive across the street, to touring the legal temples and Inns of Court. At Middle Temple we were invited to a dinner and moot court argument. At Chatham House we observed a debate on the legalities of the Bush Administration using Guantanamo Bay to house suspected terrorists. Watching another country discuss the international aversion toward the American government on this topic was an eye-opening experience for us. We saw our laws from an outside view.
So, here I am: a California attorney living in London. I love the opportunities the city affords, from the West End theatre district, to citywide events such as Ascot, Wimbledon, and Trooping the Colour. To me, moving to London was taking a risk. I had always lived in Southern California and knew I would be an attorney—I just didn’t know I would take the tube to work.
Pepperdine Law School’s International Program in London has been approved by the American Bar Association since its inception in 1981. The summer semester offers four courses, and the fall semester offers nine courses. For almost 25 years, students from Pepperdine and other American law schools have enjoyed what is often referred to as “their best law school experience,” studying law in London. For more information, visit the London Program.
by Amy Klausman Ransford
