2005 gets two posts because it was also the year when I was admitted to the New York Bar.
When I decided to pursue my LL.M. in the U.S., it was a bold choice – mostly financially. My parents supported me on one condition:
👉 „𝐖𝐞’𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 – 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐁𝐚𝐫.“
And so I did – right after my graduation ceremony at Emory School of Law in the presence of my father (evidence attached).
It was a challenge, and one that I might not have picked by myself at the time, but one I have never regretted. Becoming an 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲-𝐚𝐭-𝐋𝐚𝐰 (𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤) gave me more than an additional qualification. It gave me:
⭐️ A true foothold in Common Law
⭐️ A deeper grasp of transatlantic legal culture
⭐️ The ability to bridge legal systems for clients across borders
Today, that dual qualification is still one of my strongest tools, especially in complex cross-border disputes, international arbitration, and negotiations across different legal traditions.
🫶 I am grateful to many: to my parents for backing me; to my mentor and boss Prof. Dr. Hans-Eric Rasmussen-Bonne for showing me the path (and for that bottle of Jack Daniel’s when I had passed the exam); to Prof. Peter Hay for opening Emory‘s doors; to BARBRI for boot-camping me through the exam preparations; and to my roommate and friend Benjamin Cohen for helping me muscle through this – with a smile.
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