dr-melissa

Clinical Assistant Professor

Qatar University College of Law's Externship Program

Academic Positions

  • PresentSeptember 2018

    Clinical Assistant Professor

    Legal Skills Department, Qatar University, College of Law

  • September 2018September 2015

    Director of Externship Program / Clinical Assistant Professor

    Qatar University, College of Law

  • August 2015September 2011

    Director of Extenship Program / Lecturer

    Qatar University, College of Law

Qualifications

  • June 2007
    Admitted to the State Bar of California

  • June 2007
    Admitted to the United States District Court for the Northern District of California

  • December 2006
    Golden Gate University College of Law, San Francisco, CA, Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.)

  • December 2006
    Golden Gate University College of Law, San Francisco, CA, Specialization Certificate in Intellectual Property Law

  • June 2003
    Ohio University, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Athens, OH, Bachelor of Science in Journalism (B.S.J.)

  • March 2003
    Ohio University, Athens, OH, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - majored in French

Conference Proceedings

  • Translating the Legal Workplace: Preparing Law Students for Transnational Externships

    Translating the Legal Workplace: Preparing Law Students for Transnational Externships

    Melissa Deehring & Jodi Balsam, Global Legal Skills 13 Conference, University of Melbourne, Melbourne Law School, Melbourne, Australia (Dec. 10-12, 2018).

  • Feminization of the Bar in Socially Restrictive Cultures: A Case Study of Gender Diversity in Qatar’s Legal Profession

    Feminization of the Bar in Socially Restrictive Cultures: A Case Study of Gender Diversity in Qatar’s Legal Profession

    International Legal Ethics VIII Conference, University of Melbourne, Melbourne Law School, Melbourne, Australia (Dec. 6-8, 2018).

  • Women as Leaders in Qatar’s Legal Profession

    Women as Leaders in Qatar’s Legal Profession

    Women in Law Conference, Qatar University College of Law, Doha, Qatar (Mar. 22, 2018).

  • Impacts of Culture and How it Affects Clinical Pedagogies

    Impacts of Culture and How it Affects Clinical Pedagogies

    Externships 9: Coming of Age Conference, University of Georgia School of Law, Athens, GA (Mar. 10, 2018).

  • Student futures and the world of work, Panel Discussion: Workforce education and training technology solutions

    Student futures and the world of work, Panel Discussion: Workforce education and training technology solutions

    Future EdTech Europe, 3rd Annual Conference, Inmarsat, London, UK (June 13-14, 2017).

  • How an Externship Program is Encouraging Diversity in the Qatari Legal Profession / كيف يشجع برنامج التدريب الخارجي على تعزيز التنوع في المهن القانونية القطرية

    How an Externship Program is Encouraging Diversity in the Qatari Legal Profession / كيف يشجع برنامج التدريب الخارجي على تعزيز التنوع في المهن القانونية القطرية

    4th Regional Conference on Law Clinics, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar. (December 14, 2016).

  • Encouraging Diversity in the Middle East; How an Externship Program is Changing the Face of the Qatari Legal Profession

    Encouraging Diversity in the Middle East; How an Externship Program is Changing the Face of the Qatari Legal Profession

    International Legal Ethics Conference VII, Fordham Law School, New York City (July 14, 2016).

  • Deehring, M. J. The push for practical skills education: does it really increase post-graduate employment and employer/alumni engagement?

    Deehring, M. J. The push for practical skills education: does it really increase post-graduate employment and employer/alumni engagement?

    5th QS Middle East and North Africa Professional Leaders in Education Conference and Exhibition, Doha, Qatar (May 5, 2015).

Presentations Given

  • Deehring, M. J. (Author & Presenter), “Strategies for Winning Grants from QNRF”

    Deehring, M. J. (Author & Presenter), “Strategies for Winning Grants from QNRF”

    Qatar University College of Law, Introductory Presentation about Grants - ندوة تعريفية عن المنح, Doha, Qatar. (October 16, 2017).

     

  • Deehring, M. J. (Author & Presenter), ``Better Incorporating Microsoft Excel into your Teaching and Grading``

    Deehring, M. J. (Author & Presenter), ``Better Incorporating Microsoft Excel into your Teaching and Grading``

    Qatar University College of Law, Teaching Practices Day, Doha, Qatar. (October 29, 2015).

     

  • Deehring, M. J. (Author & Presenter), ``Externship Presentation``

    Deehring, M. J. (Author & Presenter), ``Externship Presentation``

    Qatar University College of Law, Teaching Practices Day, Doha, Qatar. (November 6, 2014).

Awards

College of Law Excellence in Community Service Award, August 2018

Overview

Melissa is a Clinical Assistant Professor and the creator of the Externship Program at Qatar University College of Law in Doha, Qatar.

Since 2011, Melissa has negotiated agreements with more than 115 legal employers, taught professionalism and professional identity formation lectures to more than 995 law students, created her college’s “Capstone” graduation project, and hosted several law career fairs. During her seven years as Director, the Externship Program’s student participation per semester increased by 850%, the number of jobs offered per semester increased by more than 800% and employer participation per semester increased by more than 400%.

Melissa has won two significant research grants from the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) and secured more than $450,000 in external funding for research.

Melissa’s research focuses on how culture affects local legal professions, legal education, professional responsibility notions, and women’s ability to join the bar and bench.

As one of her College’s first female faculty members, Melissa has been a prominent voice encouraging women to join Qatar’s legal profession. Melissa organized Qatar’s first Women in Law Conference on March 22, 2018. The conference, attended by more than 110 women, offered seven plenary and panel sessions featuring more than 20 prominent female legal professionals and VIPs.

Prior to her international work, Melissa was court-appointed defense counsel on juvenile dependency cases in San Francisco Superior Court. She also has experience working for corporate law firms in San Francisco, California and Paris, France. Melissa continues to maintain her law license in California.

Legal Positions

  • December 2010October 2010

    Juriste with Competition law Department

    Jeantet et Associés, Paris, France

  • July 2010September 2007

    Court Appointed Defense Attorney in Unified Family Court

    Juvenile Dependency Law Panel of San Francisco, California

  • May 2007February 2005

    Corporate Legal Assistant

    The Bernstein Law Group, San Francisco, California

  • August 2004June 2004

    Summer Law Clerk

    Legal Aid Society of Lorain County, Elyria, Ohio

Publications

  • Truby, Jon, Melissa Deehring. Review of The Oxford Handbook of International Climate Change Law, edited by Cinnamon P. Carlarne, Kevin R. Gray and Richard Tarasofsky

    Truby, Jon, Melissa Deehring. Review of The Oxford Handbook of International Climate Change Law, edited by Cinnamon P. Carlarne, Kevin R. Gray and Richard Tarasofsky

    Journal of Environmental Law 2017; 29 (1): 197-201.

Grants and Sponsored Research

  • Deehring, M. J. (Grant Author / Principal Investigator / Project Leader), AL-KHULAIFI, M. A. S. M. (Lead Principal Investigator), Botchway, F. N. N. (Principal Investigator), Truby, J. M. (Principal Investigator), Almesleh, F. M. M. A. (Supporting), Al-Louzi, R. M. E. (Supporting), ``Legal Education & the Skills Market in Qatar``

    Deehring, M. J. (Grant Author / Principal Investigator / Project Leader), AL-KHULAIFI, M. A. S. M. (Lead Principal Investigator), Botchway, F. N. N. (Principal Investigator), Truby, J. M. (Principal Investigator), Almesleh, F. M. M. A. (Supporting), Al-Louzi, R. M. E. (Supporting), ``Legal Education & the Skills Market in Qatar``

    NPRP9-341-5-047, Local, $555,000.00. (September 2016 - September 2018).

  • Deehring, M. J. (Primary Faculty Member), ``Qatar's Efforts in Combating Human Trafficking : A Case Study``

    Deehring, M. J. (Primary Faculty Member), ``Qatar's Efforts in Combating Human Trafficking : A Case Study``

    UREP 13 - 070 - 5 – 017, Local, $30,000. (April 10, 2013 - April 10, 2014).

Languages

  •    English (native)
  •    French (fluent)

Media

Interests

  • Member, Association for the Study of Law, Culture, and the Humanities, October 2016 – Present;
  • Member, International Association of Legal Ethics (IAOLE), May 2016 – Present;
  • Member, Clinical Legal Education Association (CLEA), December 2015 – Present;
  • Member, Global Alliance for Justice Education (GAJE), January 2015 – Present;
  • Member, Qatari Lady Lawyers Group, January 2011 – Present;
  • Writer, AALS Externship Scholarship Committee’s inaugural Works-in-Progress session, May 18, 2018
  • Delegate, “2017 WISE Summit,`` Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar. November 15, 2017 - November 16, 2017
  • Employed, trained and mentored six College of Law students through the College of Law's “Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Program”, September 2013 – June 2016;
  • Program Coordinator, Externship Program / Student Law Club / Human Rights Club / AWAQ / Hamad Hospital Student Volunteer Program, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar. September 2015 - December 2015;
  • Participant, “2015 WISE Summit,`` Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar. November 3, 2015 - November 5, 2015;
  • Represented the College of Law while conducting a 30-minute presentation, with Q & A, for high school students at Qatar Academy as part of their Career Day, June 6, 2013;
  • Participated in Enterprise Qatar’s 2013 Al Fikra Business Plan Competition as Team Leader in the Professional Category. Advanced to the semi-finals and participated in events including the QHackathon and MIT Enterprise Forum workshops, March 2013 – April 2013;
  • Mentor to QU law student through the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative, March 2011 - June 2012;
  • Organized an event with United States Embassy Staff for more than 20 QU students to participate in an evening panel discussion entitled, “Majlis An Nisa’a”, which focused on the role of Qatari women in civil society, October 19, 2011;
  • Participated as a Moot Court Board Judge, Golden Gate University, July 2007, October 2007, July 2008, November 2008, November 2009;
  • Participated as a guest speaker for San Francisco Court Appointed Special Advocates’ (SFCASA) Volunteer Training Presentation, July 2008, October 2009; and
  • Participated in the National Institute of Trial Advocacy’s (NITA) 3-Day Juvenile Trial Skills Clinic, San Francisco, December 2007.