By: Angela Evans, LL.M. ’14
Harvard Law School student Angela Evans spent her winter term in an independent clinical placement with Beyond Borders Scotland, an NGO that advances conflict prevention and the rule of law in developing countries and emerging democracies. She writes:
Beyond Borders’ headquarters may be tucked away in the beauty of southern Scotland, but its eye is very much on the rest of the world. Headed by internationally acclaimed human rights barrister Mark Muller QC, its consulting work engages some of the UK’s leading barristers and experts in diplomacy, conflict mediation, and finance to tackle issues at the cutting edge of international politics and law.
For several years now, Beyond Borders has worked in partnership with the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the British Council to endorse the rule of law in the Gulf region. Oman has made a series of important reforms to its judicial arm of government in recent years, and is seeking to act as a regional leader in its laws against terrorism, money laundering, and corruption. In light of these developments, the Omani Attorney General’s department has sought the insight of international experts in these fields.
Over the winter term, I was lucky enough to travel to Scotland to help Mark Muller QC and Max Hill QC – one of the UK’s top terrorism prosecutors – to devise the content of the advisory sessions on terrorist prosecutions and global counterterrorism. I then travelled to Muscat, Oman to help conduct the sessions held over a five-day training program for key figures in the Omani legal, governmental, and financial sectors.
The clinical placement was a fantastic opportunity for me to bridge my interest in human rights law with my long-held passion for international affairs. It was an absolute privilege to be extended such warm hospitality in both countries, to work with such talented legal minds and to explore the rich realm of legal work transcending national lines.
Angela Evans is an LL.M. student at Harvard Law School, and a former International Security Associate at the Lowy Institute – one of Australia’s leading foreign affairs think tanks. She is a Sydney University Medalist in History and International Relations and has a law degree from the University of Cambridge.