January 16, 2009

LL.M. students Sarah Fangnan He (pictured at left working at voting station) Na Li (center) and Chiara Bovina (bottom)

Shaping history: BU Law's LL.M. students discuss their role in this year's election

BU Law students in the American Law LL.M. program come to the United States to immerse themselves in U.S. policy. Several of these students from around the globe volunteered this November to help with the country’s historic election that has led to Barack Obama’s inauguration this month, on January 20th. Sarah Fangnan He (’09), Chiara Bovina (’09) and Na Li (’09) took a break from their studies to partake in the U.S. democratic system.

“I think it’s great for an international attorney to have the opportunity to have that kind of interaction with other systems and other laws. Especially with this election, which was different than any other election,” said Chiara Bovina—from Bologna, Italy—who volunteered with the Election Commission in Cambridge.

At the Election Commission, Bovina helped manage all of Cambridge’s voter information. “You have to check if people are registered or not. You have to provide help for people who wanted to vote and they had a particular situation, like if they had just moved,” she said.

Sarah He, who is from Beijing, China, worked outside of the polls at the Franklin Institute to make sure Asian-American voters’ rights were protected. She conducted surveys and found that “the voting station treated all the voters equally and politely [and] the things that the voters were most concerned about were the economic crisis, health care and taxes,” she said.

“I feel lucky because I am part of a one-year program, and I am here for this big event, which is held once every four years in the United States. I am a person who is always attracted by foreign cultures, people and politics. Helping the election is a really good way to join this big event in the U.S.,” said He.

A native of Shanghai, China, Na Li also worked to ensure the rights of Asian Americans at the polls. She volunteered at a polling venue in Mission Hill, hoping to experience first-hand the U.S. election process. During her time in the United States, Li is working to take away as much as possible from her studies at BU Law. “When I go back to China, I want to use what I learn at BU to make an effort in China tax law development,” she said.

As Barack Obama’s inauguration next week nears, the United States and the world await the historic event.

“I think the election in some way touched everyone. That’s why it was very important for us to take part. Both here and all around the world, it’s our business. It’s a global business,” said Bovina. “I didn’t only watch the election from the TV. I was there, and I can say that I was there.”

Reported by Elizabeth Ress