When Yu-Shiuan “Carr” Lin L’25 LL.M. decided to pursue a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in the United States, his thoughts weren’t only on the court of law but also on the basketball court. Since middle school, Lin has been a big fan of “the famous Carmelo Anthony,” who played for Syracuse University’s Men’s Basketball in 2002-03, leading the team to its first NCAA Championship.
Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) at National Chengchi University College of Law in Taipei, Taiwan, Lin discovered that his home school had a partnership with Syracuse University College of Law that would allow him to pursue an LL.M. as part of his studies. “Not only can I go to the school where Carmelo Anthony played, but Syracuse Law’s LL.M. program will help me get my master’s degree as soon as possible.”
Lin’s interest is in environmental law, and he comes to Syracuse Law with a number of internships where he conducted research on urban planning, food security and environmental impact assessment. Recently, he had the opportunity to attend The Asian American Bar Association of New York’s: Navigating OCI with Corporate Attorneys in New York City, where he was able to network with partners from several 20 top law firms of Vault Law 100. There, he met a partner who had worked on various projects surrounding financing energy and infrastructure development in Asia, and they discussed how there are not enough attorneys practicing in areas like energy or the environment in that part of the world. This experience encouraged Lin’s interest in eventually returning to his home to help contribute to environmental law efforts. Although, since joining the LL.M. program, he says he can also see himself rolling his environmental law knowledge into international law, as well.
He is enjoying the LL.M. program in Syracuse and has met others from countries all over the world with different levels of professional experience. “It’s amazing to discuss the U.S. legal system with other students who are already practicing at big law firms and are high level professionals with a lot of experience in their own countries, while I am still earning my law degree,” he says. “So far, it’s just what I imagined it would be here, though, and I find the workload very accommodating and more collaborative. Of course, the curriculum is pretty intense, but I like that I have some space to explore other interests.”
Some of those interests include participation in the General Counsel Symposium held at Syracuse Law in September; the 2024 Fall Conference of the Asian American Bar Association of New York, which he attended as part of the Law School’s Asian-Pacific American Law Student Association; and the 2024 International Law Association Weekend organized by the American branch of the International Law Association (ABILA) that he attended in New York City with the Syracuse Law’s International Law Society.
After Lin completes his LL.M. next year, he will return to Taiwan for mandatory military service. After he completes that requirement, he plans to come back to the U.S. to take the New York State Bar Exam.
“Taking the bar in New York State has many advantages for me, as it is the biggest bar association in the United States,” he explains. “Passing the New York State Bar will give me eligibility to handle foreign affairs and legal issues related to imports/exports and the manufacturing industry, which we are so famous for in Taiwan. Businesses there have to deal with U.S. law all the time.”
As he eagerly awaits the opportunity to see his first basketball game in the Syracuse University JMA Wireless Dome in the coming months, he intends to continue to learn as much as he can about U.S. culture and also its perspective on the law. Lin is making the most of his time at Syracuse Law and says he knows that completing the LL.M. program is sure to give him “a home court advantage” in his legal career.