BRIDGING BARRIERS: CONVERSATIONS ACROSS LEGAL CULTURES 

An Oral History Series by Emails to a Young Lawyer
Curated & Presented by Can Yildirim
Interview No. 1

GUEST BIO

Introducing the Series

Bridging Barriers: Conversations Across Legal Cultures is an oral history series presented by Emails to a Young Lawyer, tracing the journeys of non-native English-speaking legal professionals who began their education in civil law systems and later pursued common law degrees. While many now practice across a variety of jurisdictions with multiple bar credentials, others contribute as scholars, educators, and cross-cultural interpreters in academic and professional settings worldwide. The series is especially designed for civil law–trained lawyers preparing to enter the global legal arena. It seeks to offer insights for anyone navigating law across languages, systems, and cultures: to bridge barriers across legal cultures.

Behind the Questions: Curating Through Comparative Research

In preparing for this series, I drew not only from targeted resources on interviewing and comparative legal systems, but also from a broader foundation I had been building as an aspiring law student. Over the past two years, I have immersed myself in studying the purpose and function of law in society, the structure of the U.S. legal system, and the philosophical debates surrounding law and justice. I was particularly drawn to understanding the roles and responsibilities within the legal process and why they matter. This intellectual grounding became fertile ground for deeper questions.

I would like to highlight two resources that significantly influenced my interviews and approach for the purposes of this project. Conducting Law and Society Research (Halliday, Terence C., and Lucien Karpik, eds. Conducting Law and Society Research: Reflections on Methods and Practices. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009) helped shape my approach to framing interviews, listening across contexts, and drawing out narrative meaning and Law in Many Societies (Friedman, Lawrence M., Rogelio Pérez-Perdomo, Bryant Garth, and Terence C. Halliday, eds. Law in Many Societies: A Reader. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2011), a comparative volume tracing legal traditions across systems and borders, helped me ground these conversations in the broader context of legal hybridity. These resources provided me with structure and curiosity as I elevated my engagement from interrogative questions to conversations.

Learning the Landscape: A Global Legal Journey in Progress

As the host of this interview series and as a rising junior at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service with a growing academic interest in international law, I approached these conversations from a personally critical perspective. This was one of trying to understand what it means to engage with law across cultures, legal traditions, and evolving professional expectations.

This project is an effort to build bridges between the journeys of lawyers like Sezgi Güler and those of aspiring global lawyers who, like many in our audience, are standing where she once stood.

Introducing Sezgi Güler

When I spoke with Sezgi Güler on June 13, 2025, I encountered more than an impressive résumé; instead, I met someone who has learned to navigate the subtle and not-so-subtle transitions of becoming a global lawyer, with humility, insight, and purpose.

Sezgi is licensed to practice law in New York, Massachusetts, and Istanbul. She currently serves as in-house counsel at a global impact investment fund. Her path has included early years at a Turkish law firm, advising MIT-born tech startups in Boston, and a formative LL.M. experience at Boston University School of Law.

This post reflects highlights from that conversation. You will find the full interview recording linked at the end.

From “Knowing the Code” to “Cracking a New One”

For those who began their legal journey in a civil law system, the leap to a U.S. law school can feel like a doorway into a different universe. Sezgi described that leap with honesty: the initial shock of small class sizes, the Socratic method, and speaking up in a culture that encourages debate, all highlight the changes.

What stood out to me was how she did not frame these experiences as deficits to be overcome, but as skills to be learned. The mindset shift from reverent silence to confident dialogue was not instant, but it was possible and, more importantly, empowering. For those preparing for an LL.M., a J.D., or the bar exam, her story is a reminder that adjustment is not a sign of weakness. Instead, it is growth.

The Power of Becoming a “Business Partner”

One of the most compelling parts of our conversation was how Sezgi described her professional evolution. In Turkey, she was trained to be a legal expert, focused on precision, doctrine, and detailed analysis. But in the U.S., especially in her in-house role, she learned that lawyers are expected to be more than just experts. They are expected to be strategic collaborators.

She shared a moment early in her in-house career when she flagged a legal risk with technical accuracy but missed the bigger picture. It was a learning moment as success did not simply mean being right on paper. It was instead measured by furthering the business’s goals while balancing legal soundness with real-world relationships.

This lesson is especially valuable for internationally practicing lawyers. One’s legal knowledge is essential, but their ability to engage in commercially attuned, culturally responsive problem-solving is what sets them apart.

Your Background Is Your Superpower

Sezgi’s reflections on being an immigrant and a non-native speaker will resonate deeply with many in our community. She was candid about the anxiety she once felt around her accent. This was a doubt she carried until she learned that even her legendary mentor, Professor Tamar Frankel, had struggled with the same concerns when she arrived in the U.S.

Far from being a liability, Sezgi’s bicultural and bilingual experience is now a central strength. She knows how to navigate communication between colleagues in India, the U.S., and beyond. This ability did not emerge solely from her legal training; it developed gradually from the cultural sensitivity she honed through experience.

This is a powerful takeaway: linguistic fluency, international awareness, and adaptability are not just things to be managed. They are the foundation of future value.

A Final Thought

Sezgi closed our conversation with a message I believe speaks to everyone reading this: Do not shape your path simply to leave something or somewhere behind. Build it around what you hope to contribute, and let that purpose guide who you become.

The journey toward becoming a global lawyer does not start with geography. While one’s physical location is certainly important, growth into this increasingly globalized profession starts with a mindset exemplified by openness, adaptability, and curiosity about systems other than your own.

This is the first interview featured in the Bridging Barriers: Conversations Across Legal Cultures series. Whether you are applying to an LL.M. or a J.D. program, preparing for the bar exam, or simply seeking direction, I hope you will find not just information here, but also companionship and encouragement for the path ahead.