application for Duke University School of Law
... intended for those who already have certain work experience and who want to specialize in the field of taxation. The first year succeeded in arousing in me a keen interest in the subject of taxation. Unfortunately, I had to terminate my studies of taxation in the middle of the academic year, due to the sudden passing of my brother. I was; however; able to continue my law studies. This tragedy forced me to forgo the sailing competition and instead spend time with my family. Nevertheless, owing to my fervent interest in tax law developed during my first encounter with taxation, I decided to pick up where I left off in my tax studies, this in combination with my continued study of law. Finally, after two years, I obtained this degree in taxation, and due to my tremendous interest in the field taxation I graduated with honors magna cum laude my first year, summa cum laude my second year, and Valedictorian of my class both years. The Duke LL.M. Program appeals to me because, I am convinced international tax law will play an important role in my professional career. Therefore, studying domestic and international law at an American university is very instructive; owing to the major impact American legislation has on the legal systems of other countries, and therefore, the globalization of legal principles. I became exited about the prospect of studying at Duke Law School after I was introduced to Thomas Lenne, LL.M. alumnus 2004-2005. Thomas was wildly enthusiastic about his time at Duke. He told me with great passion about the intellectual enrichment of the program due to the overall quality of the course and the encouragement to learn from one another in and outside the classroom. That Duke focuses on self-development and on working interactively in small groups, under the guidance and direction of a highly-qualified, world class teaching staff very much appeals to me. In addition, he told me about the Southern hospitality he discovered, and also about the effort made to help and integrate international students in Duke’s student body. With this in mind, I started to research Duke’s LL.M. program in more detail on his website. There I found exactly what I was looking for: a highly regarded university in the United States with strong expertise in business law, a huge and flexible curriculum, and a strong commitment to international students—a place which would support my intellectual development as well as where I would be able to experience the vigours of a small international student body in a warm environment. With the intenti...