Post by: Rebekah Bunch
Hi, my name is Rebekah Bunch. I am a 2L in my second semester of working with the Center for Global Justice. I have been fortunate to work on two very different projects in my time on the student staff. Last semester, I worked on the Shared Hope Protected Innocence Project and researched state sex trafficking laws to determine whether child labor trafficking victims were adequately protected. This semester I am working with Alliance Defending Freedom International to research hate speech/blasphemy laws in various Asian countries.
I wanted to focus this blog post on my personal law school journey and how working with the Center has opened so many opportunities for me and helped me to find what I’m truly passionate about. When I started law school, I thought the only thing I would ever want to do was become a criminal defense attorney. I had a small interest in human rights which showed through my interest in organizations such as The Innocence Project and the Prison Policy Initiative. However, working for similar organizations seemed like a distant and unobtainable dream. Working for the Center has made dreams like those far more obtainable and closer to my reach than I could have ever imagined.
When I started working with the Center last semester, it was like a fire was ignited in me. The passion I now have for human rights is unbelievable. I have planned events to bring awareness to certain human rights abuses while helping students decide which human rights issue they are most passionate about. I have written an article arguing for the abolition of the Saudi Arabian male guardianship system. I have found my passion lies in international human rights law. Through the Center, I have secured an international internship for the summer with Advocate Europe’s Rule of Law Institute in Bulgaria. I have had so many doors opened for me this year since working with the Center.
It is so amazing to me that the career I had planned for myself is no longer on my radar. I have been exposed to my true passion through the Center and I will be forever thankful for the opportunity to work on the student staff.
This post was written by a Center for Global Justice Student Staff member. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect those of Regent University, Regent Law School, or the Center for Global Justice.