After spending hours in the Law Library at Wake Forest University, Minh Tran heads to the Wellbeing Centre to unwind. The Master of Laws (LLM) student from Vietnam joins yoga and Pilates classes to reset her mind and body at the centre, attends live piano, opera, and string concerts at the Brendle Recital Hall, and enjoys events hosted by the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA), such as Moon Cake Festival and Lunar New Year.
“These gatherings celebrate Asian cultures, bring together students from different backgrounds, and create space to share food, traditions, and new friendships,” says Tran.
The LLM is a degree programme designed for foreign-trained lawyers like Tran. As they develop their professional expertise and advance their legal careers through intensive legal study in the US, they get to create meaningful connections with those around them at Wake Forest Law. It’s all part of student life here.
Wake Forest Law offers 582 student events and opportunities throughout the year. Source: Wake Forest University
Campus is welcoming and inviting. That’s important as it balances the inherent competitiveness of law schools and the rigour of the LLM programme. Students can specialise in business, criminal, intellectual property, or technology law, or customise a curriculum using the course catalogue.
Insights gained can be applied to seven legal clinics and the Pro Bono Project. “Contributing to initiatives such as drafting wills and assisting domestic violence survivors with legal paperwork has been deeply meaningful, and has allowed me to see how the law directly impacts individual lives,” she says. It’s a cause that she had less exposure to while practising corporate law in Vietnam, and it speaks to Wake Forest Law’s goal: to enact justice by educating students to meet global needs with confidence, character, and creativity.
“Overall, it has been a wonderful experience to be part of the Wake Forest community,” she says.
Between 2024 and 2025, student pro bono work totalled 5,857 hours. Source: Wake Forest University
Tran’s positive experience is the result of a dedicated Student Affairs team. They support more than 30 student organisations that host professional, cultural, service, and social programming throughout the year. To bring students from other degree programmes and class years together, they coordinate school-wide traditions, leadership opportunities, service initiatives, and community-building events.
“At Wake Forest Law, Student Affairs is committed to creating a vibrant and engaged community beyond the classroom,” says Branden Nicholson, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs.
“Our goal is to ensure every student finds meaningful ways to connect, build relationships, and feel a strong sense of belonging within the Law School.”
International students are a big part of all events and organisations. The Student Affairs team encourages them to participate in the same organisations, leadership roles, and programmes as all other students so they can develop professional networks in the US and engage meaningfully with both the Law School and the Winston-Salem community. “Through involvement on campus and participation in service and social activities, they quickly become active and valued members of our community,” says Dean Nicholson.
Tetiana Bebik, LLM student from Ukraine, is one such member. Through the university, she has traipsed across North Carolina and Virginia on hiking trips and even takes to the reservoir for kayaking.
“Winston-Salem itself is a very cosy and liveable city, with many nearby trails and green spaces,” she says. “North Carolina is an incredibly beautiful state as well. Weekend trips can take you from mountain overlooks to quiet lakes and coastal views. One of the things I’ve come to love most is the sky: that clear, bright blue that makes even an ordinary afternoon feel special.”
What makes Winston-Salem ideal for exploration is its connectivity to other cities, making it a great destination for short getaways after a busy week. “Whether to major cities like New York or Washington, DC, to the oceanside, or concerts and events,” says Bebik. “As someone who enjoys rock and country music, I loved having the chance to combine my studies with discovering new places and experiences throughout the year.”
Student Bernardo Ziemann Wendt from Brazil is another who likes to get active. He often trains at the Wellbeing Centre, taking advantage of its modern lifting set. “I have been to Stone Mountain State Park and it’s a good hike, a beautiful place. Been to some good concerts at the Ramkat too, and hockey games in Greensboro, both very fun,” he says.
For sport lovers, Wake Forest teams compete in the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference and are known as national leaders. That brings many tournaments to campus, including baseball, golf, tennis, cross-country, field hockey, and soccer. The university is even hosting the German Men’s National Team, which has selected the city as its home base for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The German team will reside at The Graylyn Estate and train at Wake Forest’s nationally acclaimed W. Dennie Spry Soccer Stadium.
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