It takes more than 30 hours by plane for Lisa Phair L’25 to get to the Syracuse University College of Law, but, for her, it’s definitely worth the trip.
Currently a 3L in the Syracuse Law’s JDinteractive (JDi) program, Phair lives in the Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Raised in Alaska, she and her husband moved to the Mariana Islands 11 years ago when he took a one-year contract job as a pharmacist. However, the natural beauty and multiculturalism of the islands made them decide to stay.
Today, Phair and her husband have two children, age 10 and 15. Phair works as a Scuba instructor and dive shop manager, as well as an adjunct instructor at Northern Marianas College, teaching Social Psychology of Business Management and Operations Management.
Law school had only been a thought in the back of her mind until the pandemic hit in 2020, locking down the islands from the rest of the world. While a U.S. territory, the Mariana Islands’ population is only made up of 35% U.S. citizens. Others are from around the world, there on various work or travel visas. When the lock down occurred, many of Phair’s friends were at the mercy of immigration. They lost jobs due to COVID but, as non-citizens, they were not eligible for the U.S. welfare system. This created a hardship for people just to put food on the table and take care of every day essentials.
When the world started opening up, Phair began thinking more seriously about pursuing law school, particularly immigration law in response to the difficulties she had seen non-U.S. citizens tackle during the pandemic. She didn’t find many law schools that offered immigration law specifically and also didn’t want to uproot her family. So, when Phair came across the Syracuse Law JDi program, which offered international law, she took a chance.
“I was nervous about the hybrid program not being a traditional law school set-up, but the talented people in my cohort have truly elevated my experience. I’m so impressed with my classmates—people with a lot of other demands on their time—and how we’ve developed a great rapport with one another.”
—Lisa Phair L’25
Now, due to the 14-hour time difference, Phair often finds herself logging on to her classes at night from the local McDonald’s, which is her closest internet access. But, that hasn’t stopped her.
“The JDi has exceeded my expectations,” she says. “I was nervous about the hybrid program not being a traditional law school set-up, but the talented people in my cohort have truly elevated my experience. I’m so impressed with my classmates—people with a lot of other demands on their time—and how we’ve developed a great rapport with one another.”
Part of the requirements of the JDi program are six residency programs on special topics. Phair has traveled to eight—five residencies on the Syracuse campus, as well as others in Rome (Comparative Legal Systems), Washington, D.C., (Federal Practice and International Law) and London (Comparative Trial Advocacy).
Phair not only values the information she learned at the residencies but also the opportunity to interact face-to-face with classmates and faculty. “It was a great comfort to see those familiar faces and spend time with each other,” she says. “And, I’m so grateful for the valuable topics, caliber of teaching and guest speakers who were brought into each residency program.”
As she completes her final year, Phair continues to focus on international law. She recently wrote a blog post for Syracuse Law’s Journal of International Law and Commerce about the battle between the U.S. and China to establish diplomatic ties with Pacific Island nations and the potential impact if China continues to move further into the region—something that resonates with her as a resident of the Mariana Islands. And, this semester, she is excited to be taking Space Law and Policy.
While she has enjoyed all of her classes, she has special appreciation for Professor of Law Todd Berger, Adjunct Instructor Raul Velez and Professor Andrew Greenberg for the humor they bring to the classroom, as well as Associate Dean for Online Education Shannon Gardner, Assistant Director of Academic and Bar Success Lou Lou Delmarsh and Assistant Director of Online Programs Stephanie Rinko for their friendship and guidance.
After graduation, she plans to take the New York State Bar exam, which has reciprocity that will allow her to practice back home. The following year, she intends to take the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) bar exam, too. Phair hopes to start her career clerking at one of the courts on the islands, while also honing her grant writing skills to raise money for a practice she and a friend intend to open to offer pro bono legal assistance to those on the islands facing immigration issues.
In the spring of 2025, Phair will again take that 30-hour trip to receive her diploma from Syracuse Law, and she is excited to celebrate this achievement in person with her law school friends and professors.
“Living on the Mariana Islands is amazing, but Syracuse’s JDi program has also been an amazing adventure that has changed my life,” she says. “I am eager to see what a future in law has in store for me.”