Since 2001, a select group of HLS students have undertaken public service internships under the auspices of the Chayes International Public Service Fellowship, dedicated to the memory of HLS Professor Abram Chayes ’49. This past summer, 22 students traveled to 14 countries—the following are snapshots of several of their experiences.
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- Miriam Chernick ’16, Dejusticia, Colombia:“My work focused on land restitution for victims who have been displaced by the civil armed conflict in Colombia. I also learned about the challenges of designing affirmative action policies in countries where systems of racial classification and self-identification are more complex than in the United States.”
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- Victoria Abraham ’16, The Women’s Legal Centre, South Africa: “I did a lot of work around access to anti-retroviral medicine for HIV positive women who work in the sex industry. The WLC is planning to go forward with an impact litigation case on this subject, so I did research and writing, which included comparing South African constitutional law with international and regional law to help build the case.”
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- Torry Castellano ’16, Adalah, Israel: “The war in Gaza meant that I was involved in several international humanitarian law projects concerning the targeting of civilians and civilian objects as well as warning systems for civilians. I was able to witness firsthand the kind of creative thinking necessary for overcoming the challenges of practicing international law and IHL. Additionally, I was able to experience the unique challenges of living and working during an ongoing military conflict.”
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- Elizabeth Nehrling ’16, Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Mexico:“I wanted to increase my knowledge and experience in issues of labor and employment law as they intersect with immigration issues, and learn more about litigation processes in that context. I jumped right in and my first weeks were filled with legal research, calls discussing litigation strategy, helping to think through and formulate legal arguments, and putting together documents for the court filings. I then expanded my work to encompass other aspects of CDM’s work, including labor department complaints, policy, and outreach.”
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- Saptarishi Bandopadhyay S.J.D., Institute of Environmental Science for Social Change, Philippines: “As an environmental lawyer focused on disaster situations, working with the ESSC was extremely educational for I was able to see how the efforts of international organizations play out on the ground in a country faced with endemic poverty. Perhaps the most important lesson for me was learning just how complicated and long-term the work of disaster management is. Practitioners and institutions attempting to plug the hole in the aftermath of a flood or a typhoon must be skilled, motivated and compassionate, but also self-aware of the morally-gray and potentially low-dividend nature of their work.”
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- Sarah Lee ’16, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, France: “My main tasks were to draft two reports–one on mass surveillance and the other on whistleblower protection–that were initiated after the NSA file disclosures by Edward Snowden. I not only got to learn more about the topical and complex issues at stake with mass surveillance and whistleblowing, but also had to analyze those issues from different viewpoints, with different frameworks.”
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- Brian Kelly, International Criminal Court, The Netherlands: “I worked in the office of the prosecutor, where I helped the investigations division collect and analyze evidence of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. My projects involved collecting and analyzing evidence of these crimes to support the prosecutor’s case against the accused and helping the senior leadership of the investigations division develop a new investigative strategy that leverages open source information.”
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- Brian Klosterboer ’16, Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum, Uganda: “The highlight of my summer was assisting with the strategic litigation that resulted in the nullification of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act. I conducted research for HRAPF’s challenge to the law in the Constitutional Court, met with advocates to discuss our strategy, and prepared court documents for the three-day hearing. I also saw the positive effects that this decision had on our clients and the entire Ugandan LGBTI community the following week at Uganda’s third annual pride parade.”
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- Katie King ’16, Equal Education Law Centre, South Africa: “I produced two memos and conducted legal research on overcrowding and violence in South African schools. I was not just able but encouraged to think creatively in shaping legal arguments and left feeling excited about the prospects of continuing to do international public interest work. The chance to peek behind the curtain and see how NGOs strategize, plan, and prepare was eye-opening.”
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