Evie Lunn is studying our full-time LLM International Human Rights Law online after being awarded a partial Amal Clooney scholarship. She is currently studying whilst completing an internship for a humanitarian organisation in Amman, Jordan, a position she found with Pathfinder International that will equip her with hands on experience for her future career.
We spoke to Evie to find out more about her passion for human rights, why she applied for the scholarship and how the LLM will support her ambition to work in human rights law.
By Editorial team. Published 09 December 2024.
My passion for human rights started early, growing from a strong desire to make a tangible difference in the world. From a young age, I understood that my career had to fulfil two essential goals: to help others and to take me to remote, challenging regions where I could create meaningful and lasting change. Initially, I thought the humanitarian sector would be the natural route to achieving those goals. However, during my undergraduate degree in Global Humanitarian Studies at UCL, I began to realise that much of humanitarian work acts like a plaster - easing suffering without addressing the root causes of conflict or preventing it from happening again. That’s where human rights law came in for me. I see law as one of the few mechanisms that can not only address ongoing atrocities but also help prevent them from occurring in the first place. It gives victims a voice, holds perpetrators accountable and fights the systemic injustices that allow such atrocities to happen. This has become my passion: finding ways to help humanity break cycles of suffering and creating long-term solutions to injustice.
I chose to study the LLM International Human Rights Law because I wanted to equip myself with the skills and knowledge to one day hold perpetrators of mass atrocities accountable for their crimes, while also helping victims fight for justice. My undergraduate studies helped me realise that the humanitarian sector alone often doesn’t tackle the core issues that allow atrocities to persist. Law, on the other hand, provides mechanisms for redress and punishment for those responsible for war crimes and human rights abuses. I chose this course because it will prepare me to engage in work that goes beyond simply easing suffering - I want to help prevent it from happening in the first place.
Importantly, the online format of the course has given me the flexibility to pursue both academic and practical field experience at the same time. I’m starting my degree while living in Amman, where I’m interning with Pathfinder International. Breaking into the humanitarian sector is notoriously challenging; a Master's degree is usually essential, along with a year or two of unpaid internships, just to secure an entry-level position. The chance to pursue this LLM while gaining real-world experience was an opportunity too good to ignore. It offered me a unique way to streamline my entry into the humanitarian field by simultaneously earning my Master's qualification and acquiring valuable field experience.
My future career ambition is to work in human rights law, tackling systemic injustice and equipping vulnerable populations with the tools and mechanisms to protect themselves. Whether that’s through legal action, advocacy, or policy reform, I hope to help shift global responses to human rights violations.
Working for an organisation like the Clooney Foundation for Justice, which fights for justice in an incredibly admirable way, is a definite career aspiration of mine. Ultimately, I want to contribute to preventing atrocities rather than simply reacting to them. I see my work being driven by the philosophy that, as the Clooney Foundation puts it, “peace, like war, must be waged.”
My research proposal was entitled “The Bottom Line: Exploring New Paths Toward Corporate Accountability for Yemeni War Crimes” and focused on holding corporate leaders criminally responsible for war crimes, particularly when traditional mechanisms for redress are insufficient or unavailable. The title, “The Bottom Line,” reflects the driving force behind many human rights atrocities: money. Many corporations, especially those involved in the arms trade, profit from conflict and human suffering, often with little to no accountability. My research proposal aimed to explore new legal pathways for holding these corporate actors responsible for their role in war crimes.
The reason I chose this topic is that I’ve always been drawn to underreported crises and Yemen is facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian emergencies yet receives little global attention. I wanted to shed light on the issue and explore how unconventional legal strategies can bring about justice, especially in regions like Yemen, where traditional courts or international tribunals may be ineffective. Although law is typically seen as strict and bound by tradition, it can also be a space for innovation and creativity. In my view, following the money trail and targeting corporations involved in these atrocities could be key to cutting them off at the source.
Funnily enough, I heard about the Amal Clooney scholarship through a Google advert. I’d been researching human rights career opportunities, and my laptop’s algorithm clearly picked up on that and showed me the scholarship. Normally, I’d be a bit sceptical about Google collecting my browsing data so blatantly, but this time I’m incredibly thankful for how it worked out!
I decided to apply for the Amal Clooney scholarship because I knew that I would need a Master's degree to pursue my career aspirations in human rights law, but I didn’t have the financial means to complete one right after university. My initial plan was to work for a few years, save up and then come back to my studies. The scholarship removed that financial burden and gave me the opportunity to start pursuing my dream right away. Amal Clooney has always been a hero of mine, so when I saw the scholarship bearing her name, it almost felt like fate.
I actually really enjoyed the application process. It gave me the chance to dive deep into legal research and topics that I’m passionate about and it confirmed that this was the right career path for me. I found myself enjoying the writing process much more than I expected and the fact that I received the scholarship has really boosted my confidence. Given my limited formal legal training, I didn’t expect to stand out, so it was a wonderful surprise when I was selected.
Winning this scholarship has genuinely changed my life. It’s allowed me to pursue a legal education that I wouldn’t have been able to afford otherwise and it’s provided me with the confidence that I’m on the right path. This opportunity has not only validated my choice to pursue human rights law but has also set me on the course to hopefully one day make a difference in the world, just as this scholarship has made a difference in mine.
If you have a passion for human rights law, you too could win our Amal Clooney Scholarship for Human Rights Advocates. Applications for 2025 are opening soon – find out more on our scholarships and bursaries page.
