“You’re going where?” was the all-too-common reaction when my husband, Shawn Tuman, and I told our friends and families that we were headed to the Republic of Kosovo. Since graduating law school, we had spent a year in Florence, Italy, earning our master’s degrees and returned stateside to pursue New Jersey clerkships. During the latter half of our clerkships at the New Jersey Superior Court in Ocean County, we reflected on how much we enjoyed our recent year in Europe. We decided to seriously consider the opportunity to live abroad again before starting in private practice stateside. Through the connections we developed while in Florence, we were invited to apply to the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kosovo’s program for international lawyers. After we received our acceptance letters, it was confirmed: We were headed to Pristina, Kosovo. Nestled in the heart of the Western Balkans, we spent several months researching the rule of law and comparative constitutionalism.

While we were living in Florence to complete our master’s degrees, Shawn had the initial opportunity to work with Judge and Professor Remzije Istrefi, researching transitional justice at the Constitutional Court. It was then that we were inspired by Professor Istrefi’s powerful work to preserve democracy and justice in Kosovo. We knew right away that we wanted to keep in touch with her as our mentor, no matter where our professional path led us. As Professor Istrefi taught us, Kosovo is proudly touted as the newest nation in Europe, and it also has a complicated past. After gaining its independence in 2008 following the 1998–99 war, Kosovo has worked steadfastly to ensure that there are systems in place to ensure democracy, fairness, and access to justice for all.

Substantively, at the Constitutional Court, our work focused on conducting comparative research between Western Balkan countries and EU member states to investigate the rule of law. To conduct this research and understand Kosovo’s complex geopolitical history, we spent significant time meeting individuals from many backgrounds, ranging from legal advisors in the President’s Office to visiting Fulbright scholars. Beyond constructive dialogue, we shared informal moments of history and local culture. Working in Kosovo quickly showed us that conversation and connection go further than any meeting agenda ever could. This principle of authenticity and engagement grounded our legal work.

Click here to read the full article by Alexandra Wilson Tuman and her husband, Shawn Tuman, on the Seton Hall Law Alumni News website.

About Alexandra Wilson Tuman

Alexandra is an associate attorney in Tressler’s Litigation Practice Group in Morristown, New Jersey. Alexandra focuses her practice on various litigation and corporate insurance matters. She is dedicated to delivering meaningful, effective counsel and advocating diligently on behalf of her clients.