Eric David, '18, Studying for LL.M. at Renmin under Scholarship Program
09/10/2018
Eric David, '18, is the second IU McKinney alumnus to receive the Bilateral Chinese Government Scholarship from Renmin University of China Law School. The scholarship is for IU McKinney graduates who want to pursue a Master of Laws degree in Chinese Law.
Renmin created the scholarship in 2017 to commemorate the longstanding cooperation and friendship between Renmin and IU McKinney.
David, originally from Fortville, Indiana, received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and LGBT Studies from Purdue University. He began a Masters in Social Work at IUPUI, and during his first semester in that program, a professor encouraged him to apply for the JD/MSW joint-degree program. David had never considered law school until that point. "In fact, having no legal professionals in my family, I had to spend some time researching what exactly earning a law degree entailed," he said.
David completed the degrees in December 2017, and worked at as a mental health therapist at an AIDS service organization while preparing to study at Renmin.
"I have always felt deeply committed to the collective work of making human life more livable -- especially for those in struggle," David said. "Social work and law are two sides of the same coin. As a social worker, I am trained to sit beside someone in pain and support their labor towards relief. As a lawyer, my job is to understand systems of society and repair them where they cause pain."
David became interested in international trade law as a student in Professor Frank Emmert's International Commercial Arbitration course during the summer after his first year of law school. That set David upon what he hopes will be a career in international trade law. He took part in the Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Competition in Vienna, and the Chinese Law Summer Program.
"The opportunity to pursue the LL.M. at Renmin is the natural continuation of my interest in trade law and my passion for travel," David said.
David is shown in the photo at left at the Great Wall.
