“My summer here has been an interesting, eye-opening experience. The general European baseline perspective on human and civil rights varies significantly from that of the US and Latin America–and is often more liberal in affording positive freedoms than we are…I spent the first week of my internship attending a meeting of the Committee of Ministers, Subcommittee of Experts on the Reform of the Court. I listened to representatives from each country and the Registry of the Court debate different proposals. The following weeks were spent meeting with the Legal Affairs and Human Rights Secretariat, and conducting interviews with various judges from the European Court of Human Rights, Registry lawyers and members of the Committee of Ministers Secretariat…Although it is frustrating to have to navigate around such diverse interests from each State Party, as well as the fragmented Council of Europe bodies, I have hope that the end result of my work will actually help to bring some change, and allow the Court and the Council as a whole to function more effectively and efficiently.”