04/23/2026
Ehsan Salehian grew up in northeastern Iran, watching environmental negotiations over water and resources play out in real time. "Coming from a climate-challenged environment sparked my interest in policy," he says, "particularly in understanding how laws and rulemaking can directly or indirectly exacerbate climate impacts."
Before arriving in Davis, Ehsan had already earned an LL.M. with an environmental law concentration, completed a Doctor of Juridical Sciences in international watercourses law, and spent years working as a legal consultant and foreign trade manager for a manufacturing company with ties across the Middle East and East Asia. He came to UC Davis School of Law with a specific goal: to prepare for the California Bar Exam and establish himself in the U.S. legal system.
Ehsan first encountered UC Davis Law through an LL.M. search website. After encountering alumni of the program in professional settings, he decided to tour King Hall. He reflected on this first visit stating, " I had a meeting with the LL.M. directors and staff prior to the start of the LL.M. program, and I felt confident that UC Davis is the right university to pursue the LL.M. degree.”
Since arriving, he has found community through participating in student organizations like the Persian Students Club and the Journal of International Law and Policy, connecting with fellow J.D. and LL.M. students in his classes, and finding time to enjoy Northern California with day trips and hikes along the American River with his significant other and dog.
Despite his extensive educational background, Ehsan had to learn to adjust to the Socratic Method of teaching at King Hall saying, "It was a fast transition for me." The Socratic Method is a form of teaching where professors regularly engage with students during lectures to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and allow the students to form a deeper understanding with the material. His advice to future international students: read the material before lectures and attend office hours.
Upon graduation, Ehsan intends to pass the California Bar Exam, then pursue a long-term career in academia. His ambition underscored by the phrase, “We live in a world of possibilities, and there is no such thing as impossible."
