Ali Mohamed, Class of 2008
After graduation in May 2008, Ali Mohamed may find himself in Egypt, South Africa, New York or D.C. “I’m interested in doing legal work for an international non-government organization (NGO),” he said, “and I’ve applied for several different paid fellowships for next year.”
Ali, whose interest in international law developed through his work in Professor Mike Newton’s international practice lab, spent Summer 2007 as a research associate for the Public International Law & Policy Group working on laws related to fishing rights for their client, Sri Lanka. Political tensions between the Sri Lankan government, dominated by the Sinhalese, who originally settled the teardrop-shaped island at India’s southern tip, and the Tamils, an ethnic minority who established a kingdom on the island in the 14th century, have aggravated conflicts with India over fishing rights. “There have been problems involving Sri Lankan fisherman and the Indian Navy, as well as problems involving Tamil fisherman and the Sri Lankan Navy,” Ali says.
On July 11, 2007, he and fellow student Linda Toth served as Rapporteurs for a diplomatic simulation in Washington, D.C., organized by Professor Newton to address Sri Lanka’s conflicts with the Tamil separatists. “The simulation was essentially an enactment of diplomatic negotiations between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamils, and the purpose was to put together a number of suggestions to help the diplomats working with Sri Lanka move forward.”
Ali, who came to Vanderbilt from his hometown of Buffalo, where he graduated from the State University of New York, was surprised to discover that “I really like Nashville.” When he did a stint as a DJ for Vanderbilt’s student-run radio station, which allows its DJs to build a following with their unique programming,” he discovered that “Vanderbilt runs the largest non-profit station in the state.”
The law school’s culture, which Ali found “surprisingly laid back,” was also a positive experience. “It’s going to be sad to leave the academic embrace,” he says, “but I feel well-prepared to start a career in international law.”
