An Interview with Jai-Len Williams, Foreign Law Intern | In Custodia Legis (original) (raw)
Today’s interview is with Jai-Len Williams, a foreign law intern working with Foreign Law Specialist Ruth Levush in the Global Legal Research Directorate of the Law Library of Congress.
Describe your background.
I grew up on a small Eastern Caribbean Island of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG). A fun fact is that SVG is twice the size of Washington D.C.! Saint Vincent is the home of the La Soufriere volcano, the oldest botanical gardens in the Western Hemisphere and is also known in the native Kalinago language as Hairouna—”the Land of the Blessed.” While growing up with my big sisters, I took great pleasure participating in activities in my community and local church.
What is your academic/professional history?
I always wanted to become a lawyer because I do not like injustice and l love helping people. As a national exhibition scholar, I completed my studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus, Barbados, where I obtained an LL.B. I also attended the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica where I earned an L.E.C. (Legal Education Certificate). I was admitted as a barrister and solicitor in SVG, and practiced law as a legal officer. Additionally, I was admitted to practice law in Montserrat. At the UWI, I also obtained an LL.M. in legislative drafting with distinction.
Most recently, I earned an LL.M. in international law and justice from the Fordham University School of Law in New York, as a Fulbright scholar. I was a board member for the Fordham International Law Association (FILA), as a co-chair for international criminal and environmental law issues. I also received the Archibald R. Murray Public Service Award for community service work.
How would you describe your job to other people?
As a foreign law intern at the Global Legal Research Directorate of the Law Library of Congress, I assist my supervisor Ruth Levush in providing legal information on domestic, international, and comparative law as it relates to the Caribbean jurisdictions, with emphasis on critical regional organizations such as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). Additionally, I write articles for the Global Legal Monitor, an online publication of the Law Library of Congress that covers legal news and developments from around the world, and for the In Custodia Legis blog.
Why did you want to work at the Law Library of Congress?
As a teenager, I spent a few of my summers working at a local bookstore in SVG, volunteered at the Logos Hope Book Ship, and helped to organize my church’s library. I developed a love for books, bookshops, libraries, and the art of organization. I love researching and finding answers to problems. As a result, my interest was piqued to complete my post-degree academic training as a Fulbright scholar at the Library of Congress—considered the largest library in the world!
What is the most interesting fact you have learned about the Law Library of Congress?
There is an underground tunnel that connects the Library of Congress buildings, which includes connections from the James Madison Building to the Thomas Jefferson building and the John Adams Building. This is fascinating to me, because having vast underground mechanisms such as elaborate tunnels and trains are uncommon in the Caribbean.
What’s something most of your co-workers do not know about you?
I love dancing, the creative arts, and watching the sun set.
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