An Interview with Ali Ebshara, Foreign Law Intern

Today’s interview is with Ali Ebshara, a foreign law intern working with Foreign Law Specialist George Sadek in the Global Legal Research Directorate of the Law Library of Congress.

Describe your background.

I was born and raised in Kuwait, where I spent most of my summers reading indoors because it was too hot to go outside. I grew up in a traditional Arabic-speaking household and studied in Kuwait’s public school system. I moved to the United Kingdom in 2016 to pursue law school, and then to the United States in 2020 to earn my Master of Laws (LL.M.).

What is your academic/professional history?

I earned an LL.B from the University of Surrey in 2020, where I learned about legal jurisprudence and comparative law. During my summers at the University of Surrey, I returned to Kuwait and worked as a paralegal at a law firm specializing in family law. Following my LL.B., I moved to the United States and completed my LL.M. at UC Berkeley in 2021. While studying at UC Berkeley I spent time interning at legal research organizations with a focus on using more Artificial Intelligence (AI) in legal research. I also volunteered at several non-profits related to immigration law, global women’s rights, and mediation.

How would you describe your job to other people?

I write articles for the Global Legal Monitor under the supervision of George Sadek, the Law Library’s Middle East foreign law specialist. The articles cover a variety of different topics on the legal developments of the Middle East and the implications of those developments.

Why did you want to work at the Law Library of Congress?

I have always leaned towards the research and academic aspects of law school. I enjoy writing and learning new things, and I want to be in a position where I can continue doing that. The Library provides the ideal environment for me. I am always engaged in the research I do, I am regularly exposed to new and interesting topics, and I learn something new in nearly every project I work on. It also allows me to practice my writing and language skills regularly. Beyond that, there are many legal aspects of the Middle East that are not regularly covered or known about, and I am excited to be able to shed light on those topics.

What is the most interesting fact you have learned about the Law Library of Congress?

The Law Library uses the Library of Congress’s (LOC) Classification system (LCC) to organize the book collections, which is an organization method originally developed by the LOC in the late 19th century and is used by many academic libraries today. However, the K (law) part of this classification system was not developed until the 1950s.

What’s something most of your co-workers do not know about you?

My English is mostly self-taught; I learned the majority of it by watching American TV and playing online video games.