Yingdong Xu earned his Bachelor of Law degree from the Beijing University of International Relations and began his career in corporate law. His experience in domestic mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deepened his interest in commercial legal practice and inspired him to explore cross-border transactions. Motivated by these experiences, he decided to pursue a graduate degree abroad.

Before accepting an offer of admission from Vanderbilt Law School, Yingdong attended an in-person recruiting event in Shanghai, where he was able to talk with Dean Chris Guthrie as well as Professor and LL.M. Faculty Co-Director Yesha Yadav. They were, in his words, “very impressive” and gave him a warm welcome to the program.

“I feel like that they treat any international student equally, provide exceptional support, and are always willing to help. That’s the main reason that I choose Vanderbilt,” he recalled.

Yingdong currently takes Security Regulation with Professor Yadav, which he cites as one of his favorite classes. He also highlights Contract Law with Professor Stephen Sepinuck and Corporations and Business Entities with Professor Amanda M. Rose. “They are excellent professors,” he said. “They are incredibly patient and genuinely supportive. They welcome students to their office hours and invite them to coffee chats.”

Although Yingdong is on the general track, he’s still been able to enroll in several classes related to corporate and business law. “I chose not to follow the Law and Business track because I would like to build a comprehensive common law framework by studying the entire U.S. legal system,” he explained. “I’m very grateful for the flexibility to enroll in a wide range of corporate law courses beyond the Law and Business Track.”

Yingdong has enjoyed taking classes alongside LL.M. and J.D. students, though it took him some time to adapt to the more interactive American teaching style, especially the Socratic method. He noted that being called on in class randomly is uncommon in China, so he had to prepare very thoroughly for each course.

“The course pace here is very different. Case law differs significantly from China’s civil law system, particularly in terms of studying precedents, which requires a considerable amount of time to fully grasp. Being called on in class is always a huge challenge, but it also presents a valuable opportunity to demonstrate your abilities and share your perspective with the professor,” he concluded.

Yingdong aspires to leverage the knowledge and skills gained at Vanderbilt to pursue a career in cross-border M&A and corporate transactions after his graduation. With his expertise, he aims to assist businesses in optimizing efficiency and create synergies for sustainable growth. He also encourages future candidates to balance their coursework with the diverse opportunities available at Vanderbilt. “Do not overload yourself—set aside time to immerse yourself in the community… and to build your personal network here and engage with friendly people and professors,” he said.