The Center for Human Rights and Global Justice (CHRGJ) is pleased to name Nora Christiani, JD ’19, as the winner of its 2018 Global Justice Emerging Scholar Essay Prize. Christiani receives this award for her outstanding research and scholarship on the paper she submitted to the Center’s 15th International Law and Human Rights Emerging Scholarship Conference held in April 2018.

Christiani, CHRGJ Human Rights Scholar and winner of 2019 Emerging Scholar Essay Prize

The paper, Necessary but Not Sufficient: The Legal Victory of Smith, Armendariz v. United States, examines the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights case brought by petitioners Wayne Smith and Hugo Armendariz against the United States, challenging their deportations as human rights violations. Looking at the case within the context of the right to family unity, Christiani analyzes its achievements and shortcomings as strategic human rights litigation.

CHRGJ commends Christiani for her thoughtful and creative research and forward-thinking scholarship. The award, inaugurated by CHRGJ in 2013, is based on quality of writing; clarity of argument; originality or creativity of topic; depth of research conducted; and engagement with human rights scholarship and/or jurisprudence.

CHRGJ congratulates all of the JD and LLM student scholars who participated in this year’s conference. Their excellent papers and presentations generated a dynamic and constructive discussion and drew commendation from faculty members and external commentators alike. The Center looks forward to the 16th Emerging Human Rights Scholarship Conference in 2019 and encourages all NYU Law students to submit their work for consideration.

About the Conference

The International Law and Human Rights Emerging Scholarship Conference is co-hosted by CHRGJ and the Institute for International Law and Justice (IILJ). For fifteen years, the conference has provided a unique opportunity for NYU School of Law JD, LLM, and JSD students to receive substantive feedback on their human rights scholarship from NYU Law faculty, visiting scholars, and external experts in the field.