Oldham Fellows in China

Students at Columbia Law School gain hands-on legal experience through summer internships and research in greater China. Many students choose to complete summer internships at firms while others choose government , public interest work, or to conduct research.

Each fall the Hong Yen Chang Center for Chinese Legal Studies in conjunction with the Society for Chinese Law and Career Services organizes a program to help first-year students begin the process of finding internships. The center also maintains an internship database to help students find their desired placement.

In addition, the Oldham Fellowship, named for John Rochester Oldham ’83 and administered by the HYC Center, funds students to do public interest work, government work, and/or research in greater China.

Here is a list of current and former Oldham Fellows.

How to Apply for an Oldham Fellowship

We are currently accepting applications for the summer of 2024. The deadline for the Oldham Fellowship Summer 2024 application is March 15, 2024. Thanks to the generous support of the Oldham Fund, the Center for Chinese Legal Studies is able to support public interest (including government) work or academic research in greater China over the summer.

If you would like to apply for funding, please email the following to Nick Pozek:

  • a resume,
  • transcripts,
  • a one- to two-page summary of your proposed project,
  • an estimated budget, and
  • whether you have applied for funding from another source (such as WEAI). (The committee may contact you to find out your WEAI award.)

Oldham Fellowships differ from other CLS summer funding mainly in terms of flexibility. More specifically,

  1.  the duration of Oldham Fellowships is variable;
  2. Oldhams may include research;
  3. Oldhams may include more than one internship or an internship/research combination;
  4. fellowships usually take place in the summer, but occasionally during the winter break.

Students pursuing internships or research in China this summer should also apply for funding to the Weatherhead East Asian Institute. WEAI also offers a FLAS (Foreign Language Area Studies) fellowship for advanced Asian language study during the summer. The application deadline for WEAI funding is usually the first week of March.

The Oldham Fellowship may be awarded simultaneously with other fellowships, but the funds are subject to levels that are set by the institution, not the HYC Center. If you receive funding from WEAI, Oldham may add to that funding up to a given level.

The Oldham Fellowship is subject to Columbia University and Columbia Law School COVID travel policies and may be limited or restricted.

 

    2017

    • Morenikeji Ruth Akinade worked with the Legal Aid Foundation in Taiwan, Summer 2017.

    2016

    • Beulah Agbabiaka worked with Zhicheng Public Interest Lawyers researching policy to support the protection of senior citizens, Winter 2016-2017.
    • Lorraine Ma worked with the Wujiang District Environmental Protection Bureau, Suzhou, China during Summer 2016.
    • Hanwen Tang researched China’s Anti-Monopoly Law of 2008 and price patterns of foreign and domestic businesses, Summer 2016.

    2015

    • James Henseler researched the privatization of rural land holdings in China during Summer 2015.
    • Wei Liu researched China's shadow banking system, two-part project, one part during Summer 2015, the second part in Winter 2015.
    • Diana Nielsen, researched "Trans-boundary Environmental Governance in the Salween River Basin: Chinese Environmental Protections" during Winter 2015.
    • Mary Ayn Prager researched in summer 2015 the February 2014 suit filed by Chinese wartime slave labor plaintiffs against Mitsubishi Materials Corporation and Mitsui Mining and Smelting for reparations for forced labor during World War II.

    2013

    • James Cheng worked for the Chinese International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) in Beijing to intern, Summer 2013.
    • Alison Borochoff-Porte completed an analysis of the impact of China's new immigration law in Yunnan Province, focusing on immigrants from Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam, Winter 2013.
    • Allison Peck worked in Taiwan with the Garden of Hope Foundation, focusing on women's abuse issues, and the Taiwan Legal Aide Foundation, with an emphasis on human rights, Winter 2013.
    • Alice Z. Wang conducted research while completing an internship with the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) to work with the China Intellectual Property Society (CIPS), a research organization under SIPO, Winter 2013.

    2012

    • Jasmine Jin worked for the Taiwan Legal Aide Foundation.
    • Tina Wang interned at Landesa.
    • Angela Zhu interned with the Procuratorate of Nanjing.

    2011

    • Darius Longarino researched HBV (Hepatitis B Virus) cases at Yirenping, focusing on the facts and judicial opinions from these cases with special attention to the remedies given or denied.
    • Min Yuan updated his research on the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, known as the “Arrangement on Reciprocal Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters."
    • Lina Zhou conducted a study on malpractice claims against attorneys and the various implications within China's judicial system.
    • Yae-Ji Park researched the legal and practical status of the Red Cross Society of China vis-a-vis the government and the NGO community.
    • Henri Benaim researched the Basic Law of Hong Kong.
    • Elizabeth Skeen Two projects: Developed a formal understanding of what constitutes the foreign temporary worker program and researched the recently announced draft revisions to the 1997 Criminal Procedure Law.

    Summer 2010

    • Jianwei (Jerry) Fang researched Chinese securities law, especially the legal issues arising from foreign companies seeking listing in Chinese stock markets at the Chinese Academy of Social Science (CASS).
    • Ju (Judy) Huang acted as a research intern at China International Trade and Economics Arbitration Commission (CIETAC).
    • Stephen MacArthur interned at International Bridges to Justice, Beijing.

    Summer 2009

    • Glenn Lortscher researched China’s upcoming implementation of the second of the Basel Accords (“Basel II”).
    • Boshen Jia completed two internships, at the Sichuan University Legal Aid Clinic and at Chengdu Discovery Law Firm.
    • Chiansan Ma  completed two internships: 1) The Center for the Protection of the Rights of Disadvantaged Citizens (CPRDC) in Wuhan, Hubei Province; 2) the Beijing Legal Aid Office for Migrant Workers (BLAOMW).
    • Emily Zhu interned at the People’s Court of Zhengzhou City (court of appeals), criminal and commercial sections.

    Summer 2007

    • Peng Wu  researched the processes through which practicing lawyers in two rural provinces of China (Qinghai and Guizhou) evaluated prospective clients and decided which cases to bring into the official legal system.
    • Daniel Malech and Adam Krotman--at Civic Exchange in Hong Kong, they conducted a comparative analysis, and researched legal prerequisites and ideal design features of effective emissions trading regimes, in the context of Hong Kong’s pilot scheme proposal with Guangdong.

    Summer 2006

    • Angela Huang  researched urban redevelopment in Shanghai as well as compared foreign and Chinese management style in firms.
    • Bang (Steve) Lin was employed at the Legal Clinic of the China University of Political Science and Law as well as the Chinese Ministry of Justices' Legal Aid Organization.
    • Megan Fluckiger  researched scientific evidence in criminal proceedings.
    • Qian (Lisa) Wang  interned at the ABA Asian Law Initiative, China Rule of Law and Governance Program (CRLGP).

    Summer 2005

    • Michael Goettig interned at the ABA Asia Law Initiative, Beijing.
    • Lillian Lardy worked at Internews, Shanghai.
    • Steven Chen worked at the Center for Legal Assistance to Pollution Victims, Beijing.
    • Won Park's work in China involved Yunnan human trafficking issues.

    Summer 2004

    • Payal Shah interned for the Center for Legal Consultation and Legal Aid, Beijing.

    Summer 2003

    • Andrew Jacobsen worked at Wuhan University, Wuhan

    Summer 2002

    • Daniel Magida took part in PILI, Clinical Programs.