"I easily can imagine a 10th-year reunion of ITC graduates where we learn that the ITC experience helped to advance their international legal careers in business, government, international organizations, and the not-for-profit sector. We say we are launching a new clinic, but we also are launching a new community."—Professor Deborah Burand, Founding and Co-Director, International Transactions Clinic, University of Michigan Law School

"As a former president of the International Law Society at U-M, I am very excited about the creation of the International Transactions Clinic at the Law School. I am impressed by the Law School's commitment to incorporate international legal training into the Law School curriculum. The creation of this clinic will present a unique opportunity for the students at U-M to gain practical experience along with the development of a global perspective on the practice of law."—Professor Rachel E. Deming, '82, Co-Director, International Transactions Clinic, University of Michigan Law School

"Clinic work is the closest thing you are going to get to practice in law school. The junior associate-senior associate/partner relationship found in practice can be a bit of an adjustment, and the ITC system mimics it very well. My clinic work definitely gave me a headstart on acclimating to the firm environment."—Jennifer Tanaka, '12

"ITC work created an ideal bridge from law school into transactional practice. Some of the most helpful aspects of my experience in the ITC were preparing for weekly status calls with [supervising attorneys] and clients, updating and redlining drafts of agreements, researching obscure corporate legal issues, and using creative analytical skills to handle client matters. It has been a pleasure to develop and build on those real world ITC skills in my daily work at my firm. The ITC projects and coursework with practicing attorneys provided context and familiarity to the types of deals I am working on now, giving me confidence to take on the challenge of major transactional projects." —Julia Papastrividis, '11

"The ITC was a major talking point in every one of my interviews and really helped me develop my understanding of—and ability to articulate matters relating to—transactional law. I think firms are really impressed by the type of experience that the student attorneys have there."—Ramzi Takla, '11

"I just started my job...and I am already grateful for my year in the clinic! I have already had to review term sheets, loan agreements and various other contracts for due diligence work and I know if I hadn't spent so much time with them last year, I would have no idea what I was reading." —Alyssa Worsham, '09

"In an increasingly globalized world, it is imperative that law students look beyond their own legal borders and develop familiarity with the complexity of cross-border disputes and transactions that involve different cultural and legal systems. This clinic offers a unique opportunity to experience real world cross-border transactions in the burgeoning field of microfinance taught by experienced practitioners. By offering this innovative clinic, the University of Michigan Law School has once more demonstrated that it is at the forefront of international legal education."—Carl A. Valenstein, '83, Partner, Bingham McCutchen LLP, Adjunct Professor, International Transactions Clinic, Michigan Law

"The International Transactions Clinic gives law students a practical context to appreciate the real issues of working on an international transaction—which can range from designing capital and financing structures to regulatory compliance—coupled with an appreciation for differing cultures. Having spent much of my career working in an international setting, I'm pleased to see that the clinic is training the next generation."—John Lummis, '82