Human Rights Law Clinic Advisory Board

• Gianna Eckbert - PhD Student at the University of Bristol

  Gianna Eckert is a PhD student at the University of Bristol Law Law School, with research interests across human rights law and particularly, asylum and refugee law.
• Gianna Eckert is a PhD student at the University of Bristol Law Law School, with research interests across human rights law and particularly, asylum and refugee law.

• Yusuf Ghanizadeh - Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) at the University of Bristol

  Yusuf is a recent LL.B. graduate and aspiring human rights attorney. He is former President of Lawyers Without Borders Bristol Student Division and volunteered with The Justice League C.I.C. and Empowering the Innocent during his time at the University of Bristol. He is a current volunteer with the Bristol Law Clinic. His areas of interest include capital punishment, torture, wrongful convictions, assassination, atrocity crimes, judicial system reform, prison reform, and international law reform. Yusuf plans to qualify as an attorney in the US and a solicitor advocate in the UK.

• Ella Heikkinen - Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the University of Bristol

  Ella is a recent LL.B. graduate, pursuing a career in law and policy with a specific interest in issues related to access to justice, accountability of decision-makers, and the rights of migrants. Her role as a researcher and team leader at the Human Rights Implementation Centre’s Law Clinic has not only enhanced her knowledge of international human rights law but also pushed her to develop a set of useful skills for her other pursuits. Since her time at the Human Rights Implementation Centre, she has undertaken an internship at the Finnish Embassy in the UK.

• Michelle Kafe - Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the University of Bristol

  Michelle holds an undergraduate law degree from the University of Bristol and a barrister's qualification from BPP University. Beyond her legal career, she’s an education and anti-poverty activist. Her involvement includes serving as a Youth Leader with the World Bank’s Global Partnership for Education and as a Youth Ambassador for The ONE Campaign. Additionally, she volunteered as a Rule of Law Expertise Volunteer at Advocates for International Development (A4ID), where she actively contributed to strengthening the rule of law by fostering partnerships that provide high-quality pro bono legal and judicial expertise. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has recognised her advocacy for international development as a Goalkeeper. Michelle has also gained valuable experience in policy while interning at the Cabinet Office intern.

• Noor Khashaba - Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) at the University of Bristol

  Noor is a third-year law student at the University of Bristol, striving to be a human rights lawyer and activist. She is very involved on campus as the President of Friends of Palestine and the Equality and Inclusion Officer for Lawyers Without Borders University of Bristol Student Division. Noor also interned with Clive Stafford-Smith OBE, working on death penalty cases in the U.S. Her interests include international law and criminal justice reform. Noor intends on continuing human rights work in the UK after graduation.

• Kinga Ewa Nastal - Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the University of Bristol

  Kinga is an LL.M. Candidate in the International Legal Studies program with a certificate in International Human Rights Law at Georgetown University Law Center. She is a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) graduate from the University of Bristol and holds a certificate in Public International Law from The Hague Academy of International Law. She currently serves as a Research Assistant at the Human Rights Institute at Georgetown Law and as an LL.M. Advisor to the Georgetown Journal of International Law. Prior to her studies in the U.S., Kinga was a fellow at Nadia’s Initiative, a non-profit organization dedicated to rebuilding the Yazidi community in Sinjar following the 2014 genocide and advocating for the cessation of using women as weapons of war.

• Florentia Nicolaou - Master of Laws (LL.M. International Law) from the University of Bristol

  Florentia has recently obtained a Master’s degree in International Law from the University of Bristol, where her Master’s thesis research, titled “Does International Law Limit Killing in War?”, explored the ethical and legal considerations relating to preserving life during times of armed conflict. Florentia has also made valuable contributions to the field of human rights as a member of the Human Rights Implementation Centre’s Law Clinic. During this time, Florentia collaborated with a team to conduct comprehensive legal analyses and research within specified timelines. Additionally, she collaborated with an Independent Human Rights Legal Consultant, conducting thorough and effective legal research and analysis for an organisation committed to addressing human rights concerns. Drawing on her deep understanding of international law and real-world experience, Florentia is committed to making impactful contributions to the legal field and advocating for human rights.

• Sophia Soares - PhD Candidate and Teacher (International Human Rights Law):University of Bristol

  Sophia Soares is a PhD researcher (torture prevention in refugee and asylum seeker detention situations) and a teacher of international law and human rights at the School of Law, University of Bristol. She is a research affiliate with the Refugee Law Initiative, University of London, and conducts regular prison monitoring visits as a Member of the Independent Monitoring Board of His Majesty’s Prison Bristol. She has worked with the UN Refugee Agency in Malta and Geneva (on durable solutions and statelessness) and with the UK Home Office’s resettlement programme for vulnerable refugees in the UK (on integration). She holds an LL.M. (Human Rights Law) and an LL.B. (Hons) (European Legal Studies).

• Rebecca Tarrekegn Gabremeskel - Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of Bristol

  In terms of legal specialisation, Rebecca has always had a strong passion for learning about human rights-related law. This interest has been applied to her dissertation, which focused on Forced Labor. Through participating in the Human Rights Implementation Centre, Rebecca’s interest in cultural heritage flourished. Their team’s project with Dr. Bhatt and the Association on American Indian Affairs (AAIA) played a crucial role in establishing clear legal frameworks within the European Union.

• Yefan Xu - Staff at the University of Bristol

  Dr Yefan Xu is interested in Company Law and Corporate Governance, in particular, worker participation in company decision-making process by conducting doctrinal, social-legal and comparative research between different legal systems. Yefan completed PhD in Law and Master of International Commercial Law at the University of Bristol, and obtained her Bachelor of International Economic Law from Dalian Maritime University. Dr Xu is an Associate Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy (AFHEA).

• Raeesa Rajmohamed - Barrister

  Raeesa is a Barrister (called to the Bar of England and Wales 2022; unregistered) with an LL.M. in Health Law and Society (2019) and an LL.B. (2018) from the University of Bristol. At the HRIC, she works on confidential cases for the United Nations. She is conducting research on human rights abuses in UK private prisons for the University of Notre Dame and writing for the French National Research Agency on discriminatory plural legal systems. Raeesa lectured law at the University of The Gambia (2019-2020) and authored "Roots Revisited: Barriers to Justice for Survivors and Victims of Female Genital Mutilation in The Gambia" (Springer Nature/Palgrave Macmillan, 2022). She was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2022 with an Outstanding achievement. In 2023, she received the Bristol Alumni Community Award and is currently Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Bristol Improv Theatre.