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LL.M. graduate remembers her experience at Penn State Law

Hongbin Jiao, a 2014 graduate of the Penn State Law LL.M. Program, is a partner in the Beijing office of one of China’s leading law firms, where she specializes in intellectual property litigation. Her experience at Penn State Law has helped her in the work she does in China.
Beijing

Hongbin Jiao, a 2014 graduate of the Penn State Law LL.M. Program, remembers her visit to the U.S. Supreme Court when she was a student. After spending the morning listening to oral arguments, Jiao and her fellow students had a personal meeting with the late Justice Antonin Scalia. They discussed Scalia’s career, how he decides cases, and the students’ experiences in law school.

“This was one of my most memorable experiences at Penn State Law,” said Jiao, who is now working as an attorney in China. “It was an honor to meet a U.S. Supreme Court justice, and a wonderful opportunity in my Penn State Law education.” 

Jiao is now a partner in the Beijing office of one of China’s leading law firms, where she specializes in intellectual property litigation. Her experience at Penn State Law has helped her in the work she does in China.

“I have an understanding of the U.S. legal system, and this enables me to better understand what my U.S. clients need,” she said. “This allows me to provide them with better legal services.”

Jiao chose Penn State Law because of its large, growing international student community and because of the school’s location on Penn State’s University Park campus, which is home to more than 7,500 international students. Jiao also appreciated the fact that State College, Pennsylvania, the home of Penn State Law, is one of the safest and cleanest communities in the United States.

“I love the town’s nickname, ‘Happy Valley,’” she said. “It’s a beautiful town in a natural setting with friendly people.”

During her time as a student, Jiao found the Penn State Law professors approachable whenever she had a question. She took advantage of the accessibility of the Penn State Law faculty, who make time to meet regularly with individual students. Professor Philip Sechler’s Evidence class made the greatest impact on her studies.

“He taught the class from both theoretical and practical perspectives,” she said. “He made complicated evidence rules easier to understand and put into practice.”

Jiao also enjoyed going to the various academic seminars and student events on campus, and studying in the spacious, bright, and modern library.  She said her time at Penn State Law was memorable because of the faculty, the international student community, and the extracurricular activities available at one of the world’s largest research universities.

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