Toll Public Interest Scholar Angela Yu L’26 is interning for Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) in Johannesburg, South Africa for 10 weeks this summer.
Toll Public Interest Scholar Angela Yu L’26 is from Newark, Delaware, and after graduation she aims to work in international policy for a U.S. government agency or a non-governmental organization.
At Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) in Johannesburg, South Africa, I work specifically in the Refugee and Migrant Rights/Statelessness programs.
Lawyers for Human Rights is a nonprofit, nongovernmental human rights organization that provides free legal services to vulnerable and marginalized individuals and communities, both non-national and South African, who are victims of unlawful infringements of their constitutional rights. The work I do day-to-day includes consulting with clients in the clinic, conducting country of origin research, drafting submissions for appeals, and advocating on behalf of clients for access to education, healthcare, and documentation.
I chose to intern here because I am passionate about international human rights. LHR is at the forefront of public interest litigation in South Africa, and I knew this would be a great place to learn about human rights, especially in a post-Apartheid context. I can complete this internship this summer with funding from the Toll Public Interest Scholarship and the Global Justice Fellowship.
I feel that Penn Carey Law did an extremely good job of preparing me for this work. Legal writing is a crucial skill that Penn helped me develop where I have not been exposed to before. Legal Practice Skills (LPS) has especially been useful as I use the skills I learned every day. The first time I was given a writing assignment, I felt confident as I knew exactly what I needed to do because of my time in LPS. I can draft submissions for appeals when clients are rejected for asylum status and conduct in depth research into South African laws surrounding asylum.
The doctrinal classes were also helpful as they forced me to think more critically about law and how to apply them to different situations. International Law with Professor of Law William Burke-White was especially a great class to take as refugee law is an international law issue. I utilize treaties that South Africa is party to, such as the 1951 Refugee Convention, when drafting submissions, and this class has given me an understanding into how treaties work and how to utilize international customs when advocating for clients. I also did pro-bono work through the International Refugee Advocacy Project (IRAP) and the Pardon Project my 1L year, and these were very helpful in teaching me how to work with clients. The clients I work with at LHR have faced tremendous trauma and are now facing legal issues that can be very difficult to address. Working in the pro-bono projects taught me how to consult with clients compassionately and how to center clients in my work.
My time at LHR has given me insight into international human rights and the legal system in South Africa. I have had prior experience in the domestic refugee law in the United States, and I can see the vast differences with South Africa’s laws. I have learned about the successes and pitfalls of the asylum system that I can apply to how I analyze the U.S. system when I return.
When I return to school for the upcoming semester, I would like to work in the Transnational Law Clinic and am planning to do further work with IRAP and the International Human Rights Advocacy Project (IHRA). I am excited to bring my new knowledge of human rights into these spaces and to advocate effectively for clients. Everything I have learned here will also directly inform my career goals in international policy. In the future, I hope to shape international policy to center marginalized communities and diplomacy, to improve upon refugee and human rights law.
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Pathways to the Profession highlights Penn Carey Law students and post-graduate fellows as they launch impactful legal careers. From summer internships in the private sector to public interest post-graduate fellowships and externships, these firsthand accounts of substantive legal work demonstrate the myriad opportunities available to Penn Carey Law students and graduates.
Read more Penn Carey Law students’ Pathways to the Profession.