Month: December 2025

Georgia Law Professor Desirée LeClercq receives interdisciplinary research award

University of Georgia School of Law Professor Desirée LeClercq has received a 2025 Teaming for Interdisciplinary Research (TIS) Pre-Seed Award for the research project “Trade and the Future of Transnational Work.” She is part of a collaborative team that includes faculty from the Benson-Bertsch Center for International Trade & Security (CITS), the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), the Department of Geography, the School of Law, and the Terry College of Business.

UGA’s Office of Research, in partnership with the Office of the Provost, provides “pre-seed” funding to facilitate the formation of faculty teams and collaboration around critical areas of research expertise or emerging research topics. The goal is to stimulate large-scale research team formation and position UGA faculty groups to be more competitive in attracting resources for collaborative research, including internal UGA seed grants and ultimately, external grant support.

LeClercq joined the University of Georgia School of Law in 2024 as an assistant professor. She teaches Contracts, International Trade and Workers Rights, International Labor Law, International Law and U.S. Labor Law, and Public International Law. She also serves as a faculty co-director of the Dean Rusk International Law Center and as the faculty adviser for the Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law. 

Georgia Law Master of Laws (LL.M.) students take professional development trip in Athens

Last month, University of Georgia School of Law Master of Laws (LL.M.) students had the opportunity to visit the Athens-Clarke County courthouse as part of their Legal System of the U.S. course taught by Professor Anne Burnett, Foreign and International Law Librarian.

The speakers at the courthouse provided an in-depth look into the local system of justice, the challenges it faces, as well as the dedication of the court personnel to achieving positive outcomes. The LL.M. students, who are pursuing a ten-month master’s degree at the law school, brought their own legal experience in Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America, and South America to the discussion. They enjoyed the opportunity to ask questions on a variety of matters, including the hierarchy of courts, caseloads, and career paths.

The group was privileged to hear about the operation of superior and state courts from John Donnelly, chief public defender in the Western Judicial Circuit, assistant district attorney Kris Bolden, as well as Judge Ryan Hope. Kristen Daniel and Christia Martinez provided insights into the local treatment and accountability courts.  

The Dean Rusk International Law Center is grateful to all of the speakers who gave generously of their time and to law school lecturer Sherrie Hines and court administrator Laura Welch for their assistance in organizing this professional development trip.