I am a Mexican attorney from Nogales; in fact, both Nogaleses, the one in Arizona, and the one in Sonora, Mexico. I attended school in the US through the 6th grade, and since then, we have gone to the USA almost daily to shop, for restaurants, movies, and businesses. Thus, I feel that I have grown up square on the border, with a foot planted on each side. I have long cultivated an international mentality and multicultural perspectives, and I hope to continue to straddle the border professionally as well.
I like to think of myself as politically aware, especially at 23. I enjoy the optimism that characterizes youth, and I want to do what is best for Mexico and its people, on both sides of the border. It would be an enormous privilege for me to have the type of state-of-the-art education in legal theory and practice afforded by a distinguished university such as yours. I am particularly attracted to your program at the University of XXXX because you are located near the heart of my social, moral, and legal frame of reference. Most of all, however, I am a perfect fit for the XXXX College of Law because of your unique focus on International Trade and Business Law.
I finished law school in Mexico, and I am now looking forward to beginning an LLM program and immersing myself full-time in research in the areas of international business and trade law. Of course, I am particularly excited about the prospect of doing legal research into border issues, with Nogales on both sides of the river serving as my geopolitical frame of reference. My long-term goal is to practice law on both sides of the border, which will require the JD Degree at some point. My short-term goal, however, is to complete your distinguished LLM program to develop my capacity to pursue research and publication. I see the University of Arizona as providing the ultimate in legal preparation, especially concerning trade and business. After completing your program, I will be well on my way to becoming an accomplished legal professional on an international level.
In addition to international law, my own practice of law will be very much empowered by my longstanding involvement with all things IT. Computer technology, especially networks, has been part of my life blood for many years already. Thus, I hope to make significant contributions to the legal field on the internet, in addition to my ‘brick and mortar’ office. In fact, I cannot imagine practicing law without the former, although I can do the latter.
All companies of any size seeking to do business on both sides of the Arizona/Sonora border need an attorney to protect their interests. Patents, intellectual property, and business trade law: as with most international borders, commerce across the Rio Grande would barely be possible without a certain level of harmony—or at least communication and negotiation—between the legal systems in question. In short, I need to earn and an advanced legal degree in the US as well as Mexico to see the full picture of the challenges that I seek to meet in the future.
Admittedly, I come from a privileged Mexican home since my father is a well-known attorney; this has helped me to be better able to appreciate the subtleties of US/Mexican relations. In and around Nogales, Sonora, there are more than 150 Maquiladoras (free-trade-zone factories), and 90% of them are owned by US-based companies. I want to fully embrace cross-border business relations, facilitating them to the point that my grandchildren will scarcely be aware of crossing the river someday, since the development on both sides will have made the border much less noteworthy.
