Biography

My interests in foreign cultures and charitable work have evolved through the years from overseas studies and a French language degree to volunteer work in Botswana, and five years as a foundation staff member funding Chicago non-profits and international relief efforts.  In law school my discovery of refugee law allowed me to merge these interests, pursuing academic issues related to international refugee policy and personal representation of refugee clients. For 2 years I have been teaching law in Scotland, where I continued to explore gaps in international refugee protection, particularly outside territorial borders where little or no protection exists. I am particularly interested in the broader issue of treaty application when a country acts outside its own borders. A PhD at Cambridge gives me the luxury of focusing my research on a concrete legal problem that endangers lives and threatens international treaty-making and enforcement.