Orly Stern

Hometown: Cape Town, South Africa
HLS Class: LL.M. class of 2008

Prior Education: BA/LL.B. (law and psychology), 2004, University of Cape Town, South Africa

Prior Experience: I worked for two years at a commercial law firm in Cape Town, working in commercial law, litigation and public law. I was involved with a South African NGO called the Treatment Action Campaign, which campaigns for AIDS treatment and policy. I was also a founder and manager of the University of Cape Town paralegal program, which trained students in AIDS law and created paralegal clinics where student paralegals give free legal advice on matters pertaining to AIDS and the law.

Career goals: I hope to work in International Human Rights Law somewhere on the African continent. My particular areas of interest are human rights during and post-conflict. I am also interested in working in women's rights.

I have had a wonderful time at Harvard Law School. The choice of courses is fantastic, with about 250 courses to choose from. This really allows one to focus in on a very specific area of interest. The professors are great, offering a wealth of experience. But the best thing about the program has been my classmates. They represent more than 60 countries and a huge variety of backgrounds and interests. Each day I find myself engaged in conversations on a variety of topics, hearing such an array of views. It’s been a truly great experience!

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