Today’s interview is with Yu-Chen Tsai, a foreign law intern working with Foreign Law Specialist Laney Zhang in the Global Legal Research Directorate of the Law Library of Congress.
Describe your background.
I was born and raised in Tainan, a city in southern Taiwan known for its rich history and delicious street food. With my father being from the Philippines, I grew up in a multicultural environment.
What is your academic/ professional history?
I started my legal career in a rather unconventional way. My first formal employment was as an Institutional Review Board (“IRB”) coordinator at a hospital, where I was responsible for formulating a new human subject protection plan for all research involving human participants conducted at the institution. After leaving my position as an IRB coordinator, I continued to serve as an IRB member.
Seeking broader legal experience from different perspectives, I worked as an in-house counsel in two distinct industries—human resources and manufacturing. In these roles, I conducted contract analyses, assessed the pros and cons of various agreements, and provided senior management with legal advice to support their decision-making processes.
I hold a bachelor’s degree in law from Soochow University. Following that, I pursued a master’s degree at the College of Law at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, where my dissertation focused on the importance of information disclosure regarding adverse drug events during litigation. I recently completed a Master of Laws (LL.M.) program at Columbia Law School in New York and passed the New York bar in 2024.
How would you describe your job to other people?
As a foreign law intern at the Global Legal Research Center of the Law Library of Congress, I conduct in-depth legal research and draft memoranda on the legal jurisdictions of China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Singapore in response to Congressional and public inquiries. Additionally, I assist in drafting articles on Taiwan’s legal developments for the Global Legal Monitor.
Why did you want to work at the Law Library of Congress?
About 10 years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Law Library of Congress with my current supervisor, Laney Zhang, as my guide. I told myself then that I would return one day. And here I am. It is truly a blessing to have the opportunity to work and learn alongside so many talented legal experts from different countries and to contribute by sharing legal developments from Taiwan.
What is the most interesting fact you have learned about the Law Library of Congress?
I was amazed to learn that there are tunnels beneath the Library of Congress that connect its three buildings, as well as some congressional buildings. I always get lost in this underground maze.
What’s something most of your co-workers do not know about you?
I love birds and have nine parrots back home. I also have a passion for flower arrangements and previously ran a small online store in Taiwan.
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