The College of Law debuted its newest program this school year, aimed at boosting scholarship and awareness on legal and social change in East Asia.

The program, known as the Program in Asian Law, Politics and Society, focuses on the Asian legal system, its effect on economic development and the social and political changes that have shaped the development of law.

"It is primarily a research and exchange program," said Tom Ginsburg, the director of the program and an associate law professor.

Ginsburg said that the program also hosts visiting scholars and offers a lecture series.

The program also has an advisory board of leading lawyers and legal scholars to focus the program and promote its research. This year's board includes O-gon Kwon, a member of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, Netherlands. Other members come from Thailand, Korea and Hong Kong.

While not a degree program, Ginsburg said the program does offer two courses: a class on business in Japan and another on East Asian Law. He said he hopes to add classes to the list, especially classes on business in Korea and China where trade is high.

"I hope we'll be able to say in five years, we will have produced cutting-edge research on law in Asia, a solid core of students being able to practice Asian law and a regular program of visitors enriching the curriculum and interacting with faculty," Ginsburg said.

Students interested in business law need to understand the mindset and legal system in those countries, Ginsburg said.

"The class (Doing Business in Japan) is useful because it is a comparative law course," said Karen Lin, law student and member of the Asian American Law Students Association. "We get to understand why Japan conducts business the way it does."

Julianne Yun, also a law student and member of the association, said she finds the program necessary.

"We have so much to learn from Japan and developing countries like Korea and China — and they can learn from us," Yun said. "It's really important in a global marketplace."

Ginsburg's own interest in Asian studies fueled the program. He also wanted to build on the long-standing relationship between the college and alumni in East Asia.

"The college has had a long history of cooperation with East Asia," Ginsburg said. "It's been a long, rich history."

In its 40-year association with East Asia, the college has produced some very distinguished Asian alumni, including lawyers in Korea, a judge in Japan and the current vice president of Taiwan, Hsiu-Lien Lu.

In 2002, the college sponsored a conference on Korean legal reform, drawing scholars from Seoul, South Korea, and across the United States, Ginsburg said. The college is putting a book together with information gathered from the conference.

The program will co-sponsor a student symposium this spring titled "Law and Economic Development in Asia."