UQ Students Gained First-Hand Experience in Samoa's Legal Pluralism

CPICL Fellow, Professor Emerita Jennifer Corrin, is currently mentoring two University of Queensland undergraduates, Samuel Vecchi and Chloe Turner, during their four-week placement with the Samoa Law Reform Commission. This initiative is part of the broader aim of CPICL’s Legal Pluralism Program, which explores the interaction between customary and formal legal systems in the South Pacific, with a particular focus on constitutional and human rights issues.
Samoa’s unique pluralist legal system, where customary law and written laws coexist, is fascinating to study. Reflecting on the experience, one of the participants described it as “a once-in-a-lifetime experience to not just read about the topic but to immerse myself in it by working at the Samoan Law Reform Commission, having regular conversations with experts, and seeing the unique features of legal pluralism first-hand.”
The internship has been a transformative and invaluable experience for the students, highlighting the importance of practical exposure to complex legal systems in shaping their academic and professional development.