Giovanna Garcia, Co-President
Giovanna is a 3L at HLS from Miami, FL. Prior to law school, she was a legislative coordinator for the State of Florida with Amnesty International USA. She spent her 1L summer at Fenix Humanitarian Legal Aid in Lesvos, Greece doing migration advocacy work. As a 2L, she collaborated with Fenix as a project leader on a project drafting a report to the Committee Against Torture ahead of its periodic review of Greece. Giovanna spent her 2L summer at the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Legal Adviser in the Bureau’s Offices of Human Rights and Refugees and Western Hemispheric Affairs. She is an advanced clinical student in the International Human Rights Clinic, a research assistant with the Program on Law and Society in the Muslim World, and was previously a student attorney with the Immigration and Refugee Advocacy Clinic. Upon graduation, Giovanna will be pursuing a fellowship opportunity in the human rights field. Outside of law school, Giovanna loves to dance, travel, and spend time with her family and friends.
Talish Babaian, Co-President
Talish is a 3L at HLS, born and raised in Glendale, California. Before attending law school, she spent several years working in local politics in the Greater Los Angeles area. She spent her 1L summer at a small civil rights, human rights, and appellate litigation firm, Schonbrun Seplow Harris Hoffman & Zeldes, LLP. As a 2L, she led a project with HLS Advocates related to the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh. During her 2L summer, she joined Milbank LLP as a summer associate and rotated through the Project Finance, Global Corporate, and Transportation and Space practice groups. At HLS, she is also the co-president of the Armenian Law Students Association, an advanced student with the International Human Rights Clinic, and a Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fellow. After graduation, she will be joining Milbank LLP as an associate and participating in their first-year transactional rotational program. Outside of law school, she loves to lift weights, eat good food, and spend time with her loved ones.
Christopher Hudson Verde, Vice President
Christopher Hudson is a 3L at Harvard Law School with a deep commitment to human rights, shaped by his upbringing in Venezuela and Brazil. At HLS, he has been an active member of the International Human Rights Clinic and HLS Advocates, where he has contributed to the development of a Torture-Free Trade Treaty and a prioritization policy for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Prior to law school, Christopher studied Astrophysics and Philosophy at Columbia University. Outside of his academic pursuits, he is an avid supporter of Liverpool F.C.
Monica Dey, Project coordinator
Monica is a 2L from Nashville, Tennessee. She earned a B.A. in Human Biology, with a minor in French, from Stanford University, where she also received honors from the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. Before attending Harvard Law School, she spent several years in Nairobi, Kenya, working in business development and fundraising for a foundation, primary healthcare start-up, and sanitation non-profit. At Harvard, Monica serves as the Project Coordinator for HLS Advocates, a Training Director for the Prison Legal Assistance Project, and is a member of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau’s Wage and Hour practice area. After law school, she plans to focus on corporate accountability for human rights abuses.
Elizabeth “Libby” Messman, Communications Director
Libby is a 2L at Harvard Law School who grew up outside of Des Moines, Iowa. Before law school, Libby attended the University of Notre Dame, where she graduated with majors in Political Science and Philosophy. In addition to Advocates, she is involved with Harvard Law Review, Harvard Journal of Law & Gender, Harvard Human Rights Journal, and the Animal Law & Policy Clinic. She has worked as an Research Assistant at the Kennedy School and is currently a Teaching Fellow at Harvard College. She spent her 1L summer at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois. Outside of law school, Libby enjoys yoga, reality television, and trying new foods.
Divya Vatsa, Co-Programming Coordinator
Divya is a 2L at the law school and serve as one of the Programming Directors for Advocates. As a 1L on two Advocates projects, she found the Advocates community to be a refreshing and grounding experience to think actively about how to apply the law to push for justice around the globe. Outside of Advocates, she enjoys graphics design, dancing, coffee, and Liverpool F.C.
Isabelle Melton, Co-Programming Director
Isabelle Melton is a 2L from Helena, Montana, and is the Advocates Co-Program Director. She
has long been drawn to human rights issues, having grown up hearing stories from her Aunt
Jehneh, who immigrated from Syria. Bella graduated from the University of Montana in 2022
with a double major in international relations and cultural studies. During her undergraduate
career, she worked three years at the Mansfield Center organizing programming for U.S.
Department of State international exchange programs, researching international issues, and
serving as a teaching assistant. When arriving at HLS, Bella immediately joined the Advocates,
serving on the Russia and Haiti projects. She is also a submissions reader and line editor for the Harvard International Law Journal; an Admissions Fellow; a member of the Women’s Law
Association, HLS Scales of Justice, Drama Society Parody, and the HLS Football Club; and a
research assistant for Professor Kristen Eichensehr.
Felipe Lobo Koerich, Co-Director of Activism
Felipe Lobo Koerich is a 2L originally from Brazil. He has lived in Europe and the U.S. South and spent 6 years in Washington, D.C. completing a B.S. in International Politics and an M.A. in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University. Before law school, Felipe worked as a program officer at the ABA Rule of Law Initiative and a research manager at the States and Institutions of Governance in Latin America (SIGLA) database. At law school, he is focused on international law, comparative legal studies, and cross-border legal work, particularly involving Latin America, and is on the leadership of Lambda, QTPOC, Alianza, HLEP, and LPE. In addition to his native Portuguese, Felipe also speaks Spanish, French, and Italian and will be spending his next summer splitting time between Washington, D.C. and London.
Isabella Leal Aguilar, Co-Director of Activism
Isabella Leal Aguilar, Co-Director of Activism, is an LL.M. student specializing in international human rights and constitutional law. Originally from Mexico, Isabella is a dedicated advocate who strongly focuses on gender equality, environmental protection, and social justice. Before her LL.M., she practiced law in both the public and private sectors. Isabella also manages the social media platform @legallycurly_mx, where she shares insights into legal issues and academic life.
Anna Kate Manchester, Community Development and Training Coordinator
Anna Kate Manchester is a second-year J.D. candidate at Harvard Law School (’26). Since starting at HLS, she has studied and worked in the areas of international dispute resolution, global sanctions, and international human rights law. Anna Kate holds a B.A. in History, Political Science, and International Studies from the University of Alabama, and she spent one year as a Visiting Student at St. Catherine’s College at the University of Oxford reading in international law and human rights.
Sahil Patel, Project Leader – Yemen
Sahil a 2L from New Jersey. While Sahil doesn’t have formal international law experience, they really enjoyed working on a project for Advocates last year involving the usage of explosive weapons in populated areas of Sudan and wanted to get more involved. In their free time, Sahil enjoys watching football and doomscrolling on Twitter.
Vrinda Vinayak, Project Leader – Yemen
Vrinda is an LL.M. student at Harvard Law School, and co-leads the ‘Effective Clearance of Landmines in Yemen’ project at Advocates. She completed her undergraduate law degree in India in 2019. She then worked in the litigation team of a commercial law firm in the UK, where she also gained experience working on pro bono matters. She advised litigants-in-person on English civil procedure, and contributed to projects aimed at securing refugees’ rights at international borders. She is particularly interested in women’s rights, and in how strategic litigation can help move the needle towards a more equal society.
Caroline Arnold, Project Leader – Africa
Caroline is a current 2L from Wilmington, DE, passionate about the intersection of gender justice and international human rights. She graduated from the College of William & Mary in 2019 double majoring in Sociology, with concentrations in globalization and gender, and French. Prior to law school, Caroline lived and worked internationally as an English Teacher with both the Fulbright Program of Bulgaria and the French National Education Ministry, creating and implementing immersive English language curricula and programming for high school students. She also served as an AmeriCorps volunteer, developing college preparatory programming for youth residing in low-income housing. In 2023, she earned a Master of Philosophy in Sociology from the University of Cambridge in the UK, where she completed a thesis on male university students’ understandings of violence against women. She spent her 1L summer at Legal Momentum in NYC, contributing to strategic litigation and policy advocacy efforts on a range of women’s rights issues. She participated in Advocates as a project member during her 1L year and is thrilled to be joining the Board as a Project Leader.
Emily Spector, Project Leader – Russia
Emily grew up in California and graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2021. Before joining HLS’s class of 2026, Emily worked as an economic consultant in DC. On campus, Emily is involved in the environmental and human rights law communities and joined Advocates during her 1L year.
Sarah Lok, Project Leader – Russia
Sarah graduated with an LL.B. from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Before coming to Harvard for her LL.M., Sarah worked on issues relating to climate change and international law, international human rights law, and the law of armed conflict in academic, governmental, and non-governmental settings. Sarah is interested in human rights work as it provides not only a space for collaboration and innovation, but also a language to counter inequities. Outside of Advocates, Sarah enjoys running, boxing, and exploring Boston.
Julia Kepczynska, Project Leader – FIDH
Julia Kepczynska is a second-year J.D. candidate at Harvard Law School (’26), with an interest and focus on public international law, international criminal law, and human rights. This year, she is a project leader on the Crimes Against Humanity in Mexico project.
Tamar Ruseishvili, Project Leader – FIDH
Tamar Ruseishvili is an international law professional with expertise in International Human Rights Law (IHRL), International Humanitarian Law (IHL), International Criminal Law (ICL), the Use of Force in International Law, strategic litigation, and advocacy. She holds LL.M. and LL.B. degrees and is currently pursuing an LL.M. at Harvard Law School. Tamar was a member of Georgia’s State Representation Team before international courts in cases against Russia, including Georgia v. Russia (II) (‘2008 August War Case’) and Georgia v. Russia (IV) (‘Creeping Occupation Case’), both of which led to landmark judgments and substantial reparations for Georgian victims. She also worked on the International Criminal Court’s ‘Situation in Georgia,’ addressing crimes against humanity and war crimes. Beyond her legal practice, Tamar has lectured on various Public International Law subjects at the University of Georgia and Tbilisi State University.
Camila Castellanos Forero, Project Leader – Sudan
Camila Castellanos Forero is an LLM ’25 candidate. She is a Colombian lawyer and economist with a graduate degree in constitutional law and a strong interest in public international law, particularly regarding the guarantees and safeguards of human rights during armed conflicts. Camila has significant experience in the implementation of the peace process in Colombia, having served as a legal advisor for both the United Nations Development Programme and the Special Jurisdiction for Peace. Additionally, she has actively advocated for indigenous rights and has supported sexual and reproductive rights through various NGOs.
Anas Adam, Project Leader – Sudan
Anas is an American-Serbian-Sudanese LL.M. student. He has an international and multicultural background, having lived across seven countries. He completed his LL.B. at University College London in the United Kingdom. His areas of interest include international humanitarian and human rights law, and his prior experience includes working with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on human rights issues in the Middle East and North Africa, and various positions with NGOs working on similar human rights issues. He is co-project team leader on “Accountability for Human Rights Violations in Sudan”. In his free time, he enjoys all things cinema, writing, and playing tennis.
Grace Shrestha, Project Leader – Nepal
Grace Shrestha is a first-year law student at Harvard Law School, who is passionate
about advancing justice to aid vulnerable populations around the world. Grace graduated with an Honors B.A. in International Studies and Sociology from Emory University, where she co-
founded Behind The Glass to bring students on human rights monitoring missions to Stewart
Detention Center. Her federal judicial internship in the Eastern District of New York and career
as a trial assistant at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office taught her how attorneys and
judges examine, argue, and resolve complex cases, including homicides, international art theft,
human trafficking, and hate crimes, while putting community members front and center. This
summer, Grace worked in the Harvard International Human Rights Clinic to assist an NGO in
filing a complaint to the ICC and assisted the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic with
FOIA litigation in the District Court of Massachusetts and legal intakes at Plymouth County
Correctional Facility. In her free time, Grace loves cooking Nepalese dishes that remind her of
home, writing letters to friends and family who abroad, and exploring art museums.
Tony Manquiling, Project Leader – Nepal
Siri Beck Friis, Project Leader – Palestine
Siri is one of the project leaders for the Palestine project. She is an LL.M. student focusing on public international law and human rights, with a background working in human rights & civil liberties.
Rachel Dweikat, Project Leader – Palestine
Rachel Dweikat is a third-year J.D. candidate at Harvard Law School (’25). Since beginning at HLS, she has studied and worked in the areas of state responsibility, corporate accountability, and human rights. Rachel holds an M.A. in International and Development Economics from Yale University and a B.S. in International Affairs from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.