In conversation with Jeffrey Kuhn

What inspired you during the project?

The students. 

The students we worked with at the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education (ZIALE) were exceptional. They were bright, friendly, and curious about our experiences and insights as lawyers from different parts of the world. In addition to training for a lifelong profession, the students also recognize that they are helping to preserve and foster the rule of law in their relatively young country. As if to underscore the importance of legal education to the country’s future, several of our events began with the entire student body singing the Zambian national anthem.

While we had a lot of fun working with the students at ZIALE, they also took our lessons very seriously, and the students were very appreciative of our time and the entire New Perimeter program. The students had clearly devoted much of their lives to achieving the goal of becoming a lawyer, which is very difficult in Zambia. Their rightful pride in their accomplishments and their chosen profession reminded me of how fortunate we are to practice the law.

What was the most fulfilling aspect of the work?

In working with the students at ZIALE, New Perimeter is making very real, positive contributions not only to the legal training of the individual students, but also to the Zambian justice system and, as a result, the country as a whole.

What one word describes your New Perimeter trip?

Adventure. Before the trip I had never been to Africa, and never had an opportunity to use my legal experience to teach so many students. The international team of DLA Piper attorneys that comprised the New Perimeter team was also great. We included attorneys from the UK, France, Germany, Hungary, Russia, Canada, and Australia; in fact, I was the only US-based attorney on the team. Although we were from all over the world and different practice groups, we were each attracted to traveling to Zambia to give the training at ZIALE. I think that contributed to the team quickly becoming friends during the week we worked, traveled, dined, and socialized together.

In sum, I had a fantastic experience with New Perimeter, and I would recommend it to anyone interested. 

About Jeffrey Kuhn

Jeffrey is a lawyer in DLA Piper's Albany office.

Full bio

"New Perimeter is making very real, positive contributions not only to the legal training of the individual students, but also to the Zambian justice system and, as a result, the country as a whole."