Louisville Law faculty receives Fulbright Scholar award

Sara Ochs, Assistant Professor of Law, is the latest member of the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law to receive a Fulbright Scholar award, bringing her to the University of Gothenburg School of Global Studies in Sweden.  She joins other Fulbright alumni in the faculty including Dean Lars Smith (China), and Professors John Cross (Finland, Ireland, and Spain), and JoAnne Sweeny (Finland).

Ochs’ research in Sweden will be focused on the Sami Truth Commission and its efforts to help achieve transitional justice.  However, she has hopes that this work can be put into a context here in the United States.  “I am excited to experience firsthand Sweden’s approach to transitional justice and to draw lessons from the Scandinavian experience with truth commissions for their indigenous peoples”, she said, “These are lessons that may be useful in the United States to promote transitional justice among Native Americans”.

Ochs hopes that the exchange will help to build relationships between Brandeis School of Law and the School of Global Studies, as well as other universities and law schools across Scandinavia.  She also looks forward to being a part of the resurgence of international academic engagement, saying “After the isolating years of the pandemic I look forward to helping rebuild and develop an international community of likeminded scholars”.

Over 800 awards are made annually by the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, allowing citizens of the United States to teach, conduct research, and carry out professional projects abroad in over 135 countries.  Several Fulbright programs are also provided for students too.