Taking the International Stage: Q&A with SJD Student Waris Husain
Waris Husain, Esq., an SJD candidate at American University Washington College of Law, traveled to 
Nepal last April to participate in a speaking tour sponsored by the State Department's Bureau of International Information Programs. During the tour, he gave lectures on comparative constitutional law topics including Constitutions and Minority Protection (South Asia/U.S.), A Comparative View of Nepal's New Constitution, The Role of Youth in Constitutionalism, Constitutional Implementation: Challenges and Opportunities, Constitutions and Women's Rights.
Recently, we caught up with Husain, who is currently working on his dissertation. He shared what he gained from the trip and how he intends to leverage the experience to help him achieve his long-term career goals.
Q: Tell us about the speaking tour and your trip to Nepal.
A: There were two sets of goals. For the U.S. State Department and Embassy in Kathmandu, I believe the goal was to have an American legal scholar engaged in the heated discussion over the implementation and amendment of Nepal's newly passed constitution of 2015. My own goal was to expand my area of expertise within South Asia beyond Pakistan and India, and to engage with lawyers, judges, and constituent assembly members to see constitutional law in action.
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What I did: In 11 days, the Embassy had me speak or lecture at 20 different locations. I lectured on constitutional law classes on comparative federalism at Nepal Law Campus and the Kathmandu Law School. I also presented on general topics related to Nepal's constitution from a comparative view to the Dalit community leadership, the Nepal Bar Association, 99FM Birgunj Radio, and other legal aid organizations.
Q: Why did you want to participate in this speaking tour?
A: I wanted to participate in order to learn more about the legal developments of a country in South Asia, engage in a scholarly analysis of a country that is in the midst of implementing and amending its constitution, and gain more experience as a comparative constitutional law expert.
Q: What did you enjoy most about this experience?
A: I enjoyed working alongside my sponsors at the Embassy and exp.jpg)
anding my network in South Asia to include Nepal's legal experts. It is one thing to study the constitutional histories of nations, but quite another thing to be in a country while it is in the midst of a substantial constitutional development. So I enjoyed finding the practical uses for my research methodology on comparative constitutional law. I also enjoyed being able to develop my skills in teaching and lecturing for various audiences.
Q: Did your studies at Washington College of Law prepare you for this trip? If so, how?
A: I relied a great deal on the doctoral work that I am doing at the Washington College of Law under the guidance of Professor Herman Schwartz, while in Nepal. Through my dissertation, I have studied the evolution of judicial review in the United States, Pakistan and India, which helped me to make constitutional comparisons in my various presentations. Further, I also relied on the knowledge I gained during my LL.M. in Human Rights at WCL, as Nepal incorporates international law into their domestic law in a manner unlike other countries.
Q: How does this experience play into your long-term career objectives?
A: My long-term career goal after finishing my SJD in 2017 is to work as a tenure/tenure-tracked professor of law, teaching classes in constitutional law, comparative constitutional law, and public international law in the United States. I hope this lecture tour will allow me to stand out to faculty selection committees as an established expert in my field.
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