Dakar, Senegal was Professor George Edwards’ first stop on his July 2015 4-nation African visit to present on U.S. legal education for African students. After Senegal, the author of LL.M. Roadmap traveled to South Africa (Cape Town), Kingdom of Swaziland (Mbabane), and Mozambique (Maputo). 

Professor Edwards had meetings / presentations at 3 U.S. Embassies and 1 U.S. Consulate in Africa, sharing information with EducationUSA Advisers who are responsible for providing information to local students about studying in the U.S. He also met students, law teachers, advisors, judges, and other legal professionals.

US Embassy - Dakar, Senegal
At the U.S. Embassy in Dakar, Professor Edwards presented an extensive powerpoint to Mr. Adama Dieng, who is the EducationUSA Advisor based at the Embassy. During this presentation, they meticulously discussed the pros and cons of doing a law degree in the U.S., how to get admitted and be successful in a U.S. law school program, and how to get appropriate and sufficient funding for the U.S. educational experience. Mr. Dieng operates the Embassy’s EducationUSA Advising Center that Senegalese students may visit to learn about study opportunities in the U.S., and he shares information such as this with student advisees.

When Professor Edwards walked into the Embassy, he was met by Mr. Dieng who was carrying a copy of Professor Edwards' book LL.M. Roadmap: An International Student's Guide to U.S. Law School Programs. Professor Edwards said "I was thrilled that Mr. Dieng had a copy of LL.M. Roadmap in the Embassy's EducationUSA Advising Center Library. That is further demonstration of the seriousness nature of the interest of Senegal students in studying law in the U.S., and the serious nature of the resources that Mr. Dieng makes available to students. It's flattering that the Embassy bought my book. But what is more important is that information sources are being made available to students from Senegal who want to study law in the U.S.".

While at the Embassy, Professor Edwards also met Ms. Fatou Kine Kiakhate, who is the Embassy’s Exchange Program Specialist. Furthermore, he met Robert Post, the Embassy’s Public Affairs Officer.

Video Conferencing about U.S. legal study
Professor Edwards agreed to participate in video-conferences (DVCs) with students, law professors, career counsellors, and others interested in the study of law in the U.S.  Professor Edwards said “I can be in a classroom in Indiana and present to students in Senegal. My students and staff in Indiana can join us on our end, just as advisors, professor and even parents can join the video conversation on the Senegal side. I look forward to our video conferences about how students from Senegal can study law in the U.S.”

Conclusion
Professor Edwards said “I have not met too many Senegalese law students in the U.S. I believe that there are many opportunities for more students from Senegal to come to the U.S. for a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree program. Mr. Dieng and others I met at the Embassy in Dakar are a testament to the many resources available to students from Senegal who have an interest in U.S. study.”

Thanks to Mr. Adama Dieng from the U.S. Embassy - Dakar for providing this opportunity to share. Thanks also to Ms. Clara Priester & Ms. Nancy Keteku, both of whom have responsibilities for EducationUSA in different African countries.  Thanks also to Mr. Post and Ms. Kiakhate from the U.S. Embassy - Dakar.

Professor George Edwards, who authored LL.M. Roadmap, traveled to Cape Town, South Africa to talk about legal education in the U.S. for South African students.

Professor Edwards presented an extensive powerpoint to Ms. Alice A.K. King, EducationUSA Advisor at the U.S. Consulate in Cape Town. Ms. King operates at the Consulate’s EducationUSA Advising Center that South African students may visit to learn about study opportunities in the U.S.

Co-presenting at EducationUSA was Ms. Joane Theodule, who is a Juris Doctor students at Indiana University McKinney School of Law. Under the direction of Professor Edwards, Ms. Theodule is working as an intern for a group based at the University of Cape Town Faculty of Law (with Dr. Kelley Moult), which is a faculty to be led by incoming Dean Penelope (Penny) Andrews.

Ms. Theodule was born in Haiti and studied in the U.S. as an international students. She was able to share experiences similar to those of South African students who wish to study in the U.S., a country in which they were not born.

Professor George Edwards, the author of LL.M. Roadmap, traveled to Mbabane, Kingdom of Swaziland to talk about legal education in the U.S. for students from Swaziland.

Professor Edwards began his stay in Mbabane with a lengthy discussion at the U.S. Embassy with Ambassador Makila James, who represents the U.S. in Swaziland. Ambassador James spoke about a wide range of joint programs and projects between the U.S. and Swaziland, about the reciprocal benefits from the two countries working together, and about the general positive relationship that the two countries enjoy with each other.

Ambassador James is a career diplomat, having served at the main U.S. State Department in Washington, DC, and in many countries including Nigeria, Jamaica and Zimbabwe. She is also a trained lawyer with a Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School in New York. Ambassador James’ commitment to the people of the Kingdom of Swaziland, and her many accomplishments over her three years on post, are strongly evidenced by words of praise heard throughout the Kingdom.

Joining Professor Edwards’ discussions with Ambassador James was Mr. Ntsika Fakudze, who is the Director of Legal Affairs for the Office of the King in Swaziland. Mr. Fakudze received his Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from Indiana University McKinney School of Law, under the direction of Professor Edwards.

Also participating was Mrs. Marjorie Balarin, from EducationUSA, which is a U.S. State Department affiliate, based at the Embassy in Swaziland. Mrs. Balarin is responsible for the Fulbright and other programs that offer students scholarships to study in the U.S., and that facilitates exchanges of students, scholars, professors and others from the U.S. to Swaziland and from Swaziland to the U.S. More information about EducationUSA and Fulbright (including scholarships) can be found here.

Educational Fair

After the U.S. Embassy meeting, Mrs. Balarin, Mr. Fakudze, and Professor Edwards traveled to the Royal Swazi Convention Center to participate in an Educational and Career Fair. Students from throughout Swaziland came to the fair to learn about opportunities to study in different places, including the U.S.

Both Mr. Fakudze and Professor Edwards have received prestigious Fulbright grants from the U.S. government, and thus they were able to speak about the Fulbright applicaiton process, who is eligible, and where the students can travel and study under a Fulbright. 

Mr. Fakudze was able to speak with local students about what it is like for a Swazi student to study in the U.S. He shared information about choosing the best schools for each student, the application process, how to get accepted, how to get funding for their study, how to be successful during the academic year, how to decide what their career goals might be, and how to get the job of their dreams.

Many hundreds of students participated in this fair. Also participating as a speaker was a famous Swazi Hip Hop Artist (see photo below) and other notable persons from the greater Swazi community.

Mrs. Balarin, Mr. Fakudze, and Professor Edwards were all mentioned in a newspaper article published the day after the Educational Fair. (see photos below)

LL.M. Roadmap author George Edwards presented at the U.S. Embassy in Maputo, Mozambique on how students from Mozambique can study law in the U.S.

The Embassy audience was full, with law students, lawyers, and other legal professionals, including at least one Judge from a Mozambique court. There was a lively, engaged discussion about choosing the best U.S. law school for each student, how to get admitted, finding scholarship funding, and getting a great job after their degree.

Professor Edwards explained how students can study in a degree program, such as the Master of Laws (LL.M.), the Juris Doctor (J.D.), the Doctor of Juridical Sciences (S.J.D.), and the Master of Jurisprudence (M.J.). Over 160 They can also come to the U.S. in non-degree, shorter term programs, where they can gain significant experience and exposure that would assist the students when they return to Mozambique after their U.S. experience.

The title of the presentation was n “Studying Law in the U.S.A.:  A Student from Mozambique’s Guide to U.S. Law School Programs”.

Distinguished Co-Presenter from the Kingdom of Swaziland
Professor Edwards co-presented with Mr. Ntsika Fakudze, who is Director of Legal Affairs for the Office of the King in the neighboring country, the Kingdom of Swaziland. Mr. Fakudze is a Master of Laws graduate of the Indiana University McKinney LL.M., and a recipient of a prestigious Fulbright Scholar to study in the U.S.

Professor Edwards said “It was great to spend time with Mr. Ntsika Fakudze, an Indiana McKinney LL.M. graduates, who has a successful career as lawyer to the King’s Office in the Kingdom of Swaziland. Earlier in the week, Mr. Fakudze and I co-presented in Swaziland, had a substantial meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Swaziland Makila James, and represented the U.S. Fulbright Commission and the U.S. Embassy at a special Education Fair held in Mbabane, Swaziland. Mr. Fakudze then drove me across the border to Maputo, Mozambique, where he and I were able to carry our message about U.S. legal education to another group of legal professionals.”

The U.S. Host
The host for the presentation in Maputo was Mr. Brock McCormack, a U.S. Embassy – Mozambique official. 

Professor Edwards said “Special thanks to U.S. Embassy official Mr. Brock McCormack, who worked tirelessly to arrange this U.S. legal education presentation. He gathered a substantial group from the local legal community to participate, which made for a lively discussion during the presentation. As a lawyer himself, Mr. McCormack had special insights into the subject matter.”

Conclusion
Professor Edwards said “The law students and legal practitioners I met in Mozambique are inspiring. They are determined to further their formal legal education, and to work hard to achieve their goals. I believe that the U.S. and Mozambique would benefit if more students from Mozambique come to the U.S. for LL.M. and other law degrees.”