If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. African proverb.

First stop — South Africa! I had a great time presenting with my colleagues from around the world at the Global Alliance of Justice Educators (GAJE) conference in Stellenbosch: from left to rights, Terwin De Vos, South Africa; me, USA; Jonathan Campbell, South Africa; Bharti Yadav, India; Agwu Sunday Kenechukwu, Nigeria.

We presented on the role of paralegals in our country, considering what their roles in the legal system, education, pay, status, use of technology, all within the lense of access to justice. In true GAJE style, the presentation had lots of audience participation and a universal consensus that there is a dire access to justice problem around the world — not just the poor, but the middle class as well, cannot afford attorneys. As legal educators, we are interested in discussing the role of paralegals in addressing that need.

This conference was an amazing experience for me. When I found and attended a zoom conference in 2021, I was heartened to find so many smart, motivated legal educators who cared deeply about social justice and their students. This my first live conference and I learned so, so much about clinics, the classroom, experiential learning, and ways to incorporate social justice into our curriculum from colleagues from Nigeria, Uganda, South Africa, Argentina, Colombia, Czech Republic, Poland, Brazil, Nepal, India, Botswana, Italy, Pakistan, and the United States.

Especially grateful that I got to work with Bharti Yadav from National Law University Delhi (my Fulbright host) based on the power of the Fulbright networking and mentoring. In contemplating working in India for 5 months, I spoke to many people, including one friend that worked for the United Nations and who had lived all over the world. He recommended I develop a relationship with someone “on the inside.” Thanks to Jane Schukoske, former Executive Director of United States — India Educational Foundation, for spending time with me and recommending I work with Bharti.