PERSONAL STATEMENT I was born and grew up in a northernmost mountainous province of Vietnam bordering China My entire childhood was surrounded by chronic poverty and pervasive ignorance in a little village where children of my age knew nothing but undulating ranges of grandeur mountains that even in my dream I would never have thought of one day I could break out of the vicious circle of illiteracy and innumeracy to become a lawyer and make an ambitious plan for further study in a world-class university in USA Unlike peer friends whose sole dream was to have decent meals and warm clothes every day after school, I looked for another world from the foreign magazines that my dad subscribed for me using his scanty military salary In my mind, a society where people were vested with rights to decent life, education and advancement was conjured up And I cherished a passion to learn and explore that unknown world As early as high school days, I realized that English was not only a valuable tool for me to discover the world but also helped shape my outlook with more comprehensive and impartial eyes Thus, I kept learning days after days to build up my English competency in a hope for a day when I could communicate confidently and fluently as a native I still remember my feeling when I read the book “Message from Nam” by Danielle Steel and knew for the first time how the American viewed the Vietnam War But for a certain command of English, my view of the War would have been biased with distorted historical education in Vietnam Moreover, with a strictly-controlled education and media, knowing another language means having one additional means of communications that allows me to bypass the draconian censorship and to have more outward-looking, multidimensional and critical thoughts All these have enabled to open my mind to the global world and kindled my desire for escaping from the stagnant life to a horizon of eruditeness and civility The year 2002 marked an important milestone in my life when I was admitted to the most prestigious university in Vietnam – []1 For the first time of living far away from the cocoon of mom and dad, I learned to walk on my own feet Unintentionally, I gradually appreciated the values of independence and freedom, and determined to find them on my own I realized that acquiring knowledge little by little, was the most sustainable means for me towards that goal And that was the time for my personal character to take shape, my academic capacity to develop and my ambitious plans to unfold I chose to major in International Law the fundamental principles of which taught me the way this political-economic world was shaped and governed In particular, I was passionate with learning how international organizations and their rules function and dominate this world of trade, how international treaties should be interpreted, why there are international regulations on international trade, and how crucial intellectual property rights protection is I also learned that the axis of power of the world was run by giant powerhouses, including the U.S.A It was these rudimentary courses at []2 had provoked my curiosity for further knowledge and since then I cherished a wish for an education in American universities to answer my questions back home In 2006, I graduated with honors from []3 and was recruited by []4, a leading local law firm exclusively providing legal services for foreign investors There, I was exposed to an intense legal profession and worked under the supervision of experienced Vietnamese lawyers I quickly learned the trade of practicing laws: a profession in which you treat clients’ problems as yours and devote to solve them While other colleagues viewed working late and handling urgent client requests as an annoying burden, I appreciated every client work I had as a great chance to learn a real business life I was commonly seen spending at least 11 hours per day in the office to research law, review clients’ files, Intentionally left vacant Intentionally left vacant Intentionally left vacant Intentionally left vacant 2 prepare legal advice, draft contracts, or attend negotiations with clients Unconsciously, a professional and disciplined lawyering culture has taken shape and rooted in my vein I was highly appreciated among partners and associates as an outstanding solicitor of the firm 11 January 2007 witnessed a momentous day for Vietnam when the country became the 149th member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) News on opportunities and challenges brought by this event was ubiquitous Both the business community and authorities seemed not yet ready for the accession: many Vietnamese exporters faced antidumping investigations abroad but no qualified Vietnamese lawyer was available to defend them; licensing authorities just ignored WTO commitments and adhered to their out-dated and conservative domestic regulations; and foreign investors could not implement the rights they were entitled to under Vietnam’s WTO schedule of commitments These bafflings had a knock-on influence on my choice of legal practice and study I applied for a fellowship to pursue International Trade Law at the World Trade Institute (WTI) and was admitted Beyond my expectations, the international law and economics courses at WTI were delivered by top-notch professors and practitioners worldwide My daily exposure to and discussions with world economists and trade experts had enabled me to obtain a comprehensive body of knowledge on international trade rules Interestingly, I was most impressed by lecturers from the United States or those with American educational background whose hand-on experience in handling classical trade cases had inspired me to pursue further education in the United States During these ten consecutive months at WTI experiencing intensive courses with weekly exams, interacting with international professors, sharing the dormitory with other international students, and participating in extra-curricular activities, I had found no challenge living and working in an international and multi-cultural environment and that should be the life I wanted upon return to Vietnam Upon earning a summa cum laude master degree from WTI, I was luckily selected among 3,000 candidates for a prestigious internship at the WTO and then received a couple of employment offers from some think tanks and law firms in Brussels in addition to those from [ ]5 I decided on [] and hoped for practicing law in an international environment I was assigned to work in Information Technology and Communication and Trade and Commerce practice groups The challenges at [] was not only a high demand on quality and a huge workload but also the difficulties in explaining to international clients about the gaps between law and practice I understand that the key to practice laws in Vietnam is to figure out how to use legal basis to persuade the authorities to speed up the licensing process without engaging in bribery, and at the same time try to educate them of the costs caused by red-tape and the need to comply with international commitments of Vietnam In my role as a legal adviser to international clients, a mediator between the clients and the authorities, and a regular contributor to the legal reform process of Vietnam, I have undergone these untold difficulties to lead clients to final success without enduring bribery and corruption I was, therefore, voted as the best performer by my colleagues at []6 office in Hanoi In addition, I was evaluated by my work supervisors in two consecutive years as “consistently exceeding expectations” My work products were laudable among clients and partners of the firm And State officials were not hesitating to contact me when they need legal consultation These serve as empirical evidence that working hard with passion and with a strongest sense of responsibility has always been a key to my every success However, my outstanding achievements in work and study so far have been necessary but far away from being sufficient I still have way to go to reach the level of an international lawyer whose analytical, problem-solving and client-attracting skills must have taken time and painful training More importantly, I realized that people with deep legal knowledge and being familiar with best international practices can bring changes to this country Thus, Intentionally left vacant Intentionally left vacant with the LLM at Harvard Law School, I foresee myself as a contributor to such transformation process However, I need your financial support to realize my dream I believe in my future successful career as a lawyer in a top international law firm and by that time my financial donations as a way of return for your generosity would enrich Harvard endowment fund ... Harvard Law School, I foresee myself as a contributor to such transformation process However, I need your financial support to realize my dream I believe in my future successful career as a lawyer... for a fellowship to pursue International Trade Law at the World Trade Institute (WTI) and was admitted Beyond my expectations, the international law and economics courses at WTI were delivered... couple of employment offers from some think tanks and law firms in Brussels in addition to those from [ ]5 I decided on [] and hoped for practicing law in an international environment I was assigned