Christine Aaris Petersen from Denmark is studying on a TTS grant at the University of Chicago Law School (2000-2001)

March 2001

I am writing to you again both to express my continued appreciation for this award and to tell you briefly about the progress in my studies and my life in Chicago in order to explain how this award have been an invaluable contribution to one of the best years in my life.

I have been studying at the Law School for almost seven months and I am extremely impressed by both the academic level and the commitment that the professors feel towards the Law School and the legal education of the students. It is a relatively small Law School—at least compared to the Law School, where I studied in Denmark—and I think that creates a unique atmosphere, with a very direct and open contact between professors and students.

During my second quarter, which I just have finished, I have been following courses in "The Constitution and the Right to Equal Protection", "Courts Decisionmaking Process" and finally "U.S. Legal History". The next and—unfortunately my last quarter—I am planning to follow courses in "Lawyer as Negotiator", "International Public Law" and "Distributive Justice".

The different courses I have following have been very interesting and challenging. They have given me a profound knowledge and understanding of the American legal system and of the law in general. It is knowledge and experience that will be very useful in my further career in Denmark and on the international level, where I hope to continue my career within the next few years.

Moreover this year of studying and living in another country have also been given me a lot of new personal experiences and I have established new friendships and contacts to the other international lawyers in the LLM program and to several of the American students. Such experiences and friendships are invaluable and are just as important as getting new professional knowledge.