A student’s reflection on the international law trip to Vanuatu

By Emily Almeida BA’23, JD’26

When I started my time at Willamette Law, I thought my experience would be defined by the typical law school structure. I assumed I would attend bar courses, including Contracts, Civil Procedure, Torts, etc.

I planned to succeed by taking notes, doing the readings, writing outlines and taking finals. I imagined and hoped the foundation of information would stick with me long enough to help me prepare for the bar exam.

I certainly never expected to fly halfway around the world to an island in the South Pacific, where I would study Vanuatu’s fascinating plural legal system accompanied by six of my peers and Professor Sheri Buske. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would learn about women’s and children’s rights through an international perspective by actually traveling internationally.

Our group of travelers gathered for the first time over dinner after our finals and for the second time at the gate for our flight on December 28, just over a week later. Some of us had long-standing friendships, and some were practically strangers. Still, we set forth together for what would quickly become the learning opportunity of a lifetime.

Roughly 30 hours after our trip began, we touched down at the Port Vila Airport. We were jetlagged and tired but fueled by the curiosity of arriving somewhere new.

Our first few days were motivated by those first-day feelings. We spent our days exploring downtown, reading about local laws and culture, and getting used to the time difference that was 18 hours ahead of Oregon.

Things really picked up after New Year’s. We gathered daily for class discussions and family-style meals, where we discussed the culture, how that impacted women’s and children’s rights, and how that compared to the readings that had been assigned for the trip. We went on multiple outings, including visiting the prison and Family Protection Unit of the local law enforcement agency.

We also spoke with locals (Ni-Vanuatu, or ‘Ni-Vans’) as much as possible. These conversations were sometimes formal, like when we met with representatives of the Vanuatu Women’s Centre. We also had informal conversations around town. Those conversations, at times, built strong enough relationships that the Ni-Vans felt comfortable discussing the extent of domestic violence against women and children on the islands.

I’m incredibly grateful to Willamette Law and Professor Buske for providing such a vibrant and impactful international law experiential program. It went beyond teaching us black-letter law for the bar exam. Vanuatu taught all of us valuable skills that we’ll keep with us throughout the remainder of our law school experience and beyond. Those lessons will help us be better lawyers for our clients and better global citizens.

If you would like to read more about our trip to Vanuatu, specifically more about the legal, political and social culture on the islands, the students who traveled kept a travel blog at willamettelawtravels.blogspot.com.