“I’m spending J-term in Japan researching agricultural trade policy. Specifically, I’m interested in Japan’s shift from multilateral negotiations in the World Trade Organization to bilateral Economic Partnership Agreement (“EPA”) negotiations and the extent to which this structural transition in international law has impacted policy dynamics. I’m in the middle of a quick trip to Tokyo, where I’m meeting with government officials and picking up some documents and books. Meetings today were very helpful; officials from two agencies, normally on opposite sides of the agricultural liberalization debate, gave a fairly consistent and candid picture of the transition to EPAs, and also shared insights on trade policy more generally. Tomorrow, I’ll meet with an interest group representative well versed in EPA matters and then head to the National Diet Library.

Many thanks to the Cravath International Fellowship Program and the International Legal Studies team for making this project possible.”

To learn more about Cravath International Fellowships, please click here.