2006 Visiting Scholars

  • Harriet Musoke -- On Monday, May 12, Emory University School of Law graduated its first student — Harriet Musoke— in the Doctor of Juridical Science (sjd) program.  Musoke, who is originally from Uganda, has concentrated her scholarship in the areas of women’s and children’s rights, particularly the reproductive and sexual rights of women in Africa, under the direction of Martha A. Fineman, Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Law and founder and director of Emory’s Feminism and Legal Theory (flt) Project.  “We’ve done a comparison of the different cultures, African culture and American culture, and how we can have both cultures co-exist to help women advance their ranks,” said Musoke.

    Musoke’s interest in women’s rights began as a child in Africa.  As one of eight children, Musoke experienced oppression at an early age, having to “take care of everything,” she said, because she was the eldest girl.  Musoke saw a need to elevate the status of women in her country, particularly those who may not have the opportunity to pursue a formal education.  “I’ve been to school, and if I feel I’m being oppressed, then what about those who have not been to school at all and cannot take care of themselves financially,” Musoke said.

    Before studying at Emory Law, Musoke practiced as an attorney in Uganda, representing women who couldn’t afford legal counsel.  She also serves as a lecturer teaching “domestic relations,” or what we refer to as family law, at a local university.  Following graduation, Musoke plans to return to Uganda to continue teaching and practicing law.  

    “I hope I’ll have a chance to come back to the U.S.,” said Musoke. “I’d really love to see how we can look at the American system and the Ugandan system and have them both coexist and work together.  I think America can learn from what is going on in Uganda, and Uganda can learn from what is going on in the U.S.”

  • Rabia Bhuiyan – from Dhaka, Bangladesh has been in residence with Emory since August 2006.  Rabia is a former Member of Parliament and women’s rights activist and is working on a doctoral thesis on family law and Islam.

  • Fiona de Londras – a Ph.D. candidate at the National University of Ireland (Cork) scholarship investigates how international law might play a controlling role in political and legal decision-making in the War on Terror. She was with Emory for ten weeks in the Fall 2006.

  • Erika Rackley - a lecturer at Durham University, UK, visited at Emory Law School for a week in October 2006.  Her work focused on the role of the imagination in shaping and informing understandings of law, justice and adjudication.

  • Heli Askola – is a lecturer in EU and Criminal Law at Cardiff Law School.  While at Emory in the Fall of 2006, Heli performed research on the exploitation of trafficked women

  • Debra Jackson – Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, California State University spent the month of December 2005 and two weeks in the summer 2006, conducting research on feminism and philosophy.

  • Emil Bertocchi – Teaching Assistant in Law at University of Brescia, Italy. Emil is a doctoral student in labor law and industrial relations at the University of Pavia in Italy.  He was at Emory for a year ending August 2006.

  • Olivia Smith –a senior lecturer from Liverpool Law School, University of Liverpool, UK and a doctoral candidate from the University of Edinburgh - School of Law was in residence for one month in March 2006. Olivia’s dissertation is a comparative critique of employment discrimination laws in Ireland focusing in part on the disparity in retirement benefits.

  • Roja Fazaeli – from the Irish Center for Human Rights was a J.S.D candidate in International Human Rights Law from the National University of Ireland. While at Emory University, from October 2005 to March 2006, she worked on her thesis, entitled: "A Comparative and Critical Study of International Human Rights Law and Islamic Law Concerning Women in the Shi'a Communities".

  • Eilish Rooney – an Associate with the Transitional Justice Institute of Ulster University, UK, was at Emory for three weeks in April 2006. Her work focused on equality legislation and transition in Northern Ireland.

  • Shazia Choudhry – Professor of Law, Queen Mary College, University of London, UK was a visiting scholar from March – April 2006. Her research focused on fathers’ rights under the Human Rights Act of the United Kingdom.

  • Mande Limbu – a JSD candidate at Cornell University School of Law and a native of the United Republic of Tanzania visited with the FLT Project from February to March 2006.  Mande, who currently works for Global Rights, successfully defended her thesis “Making Justice More Acceptable to Poor People with Special Focus on Women: Introducing Clinical Legal Education in Tanzania” in 2006.

  • JaeWon Kim – Dean and Professor of Law at Donga-A University, South Korea, spent a month in residence at Emory over December 2005/January 2006. During his stay, his research looked at the role of Confucian thought in family law.