Third-year Law Student Shares Experiences from United Nations Internship in New York

St. Thomas Law prides itself on the quality of experiential learning opportunities afforded to our students. Our clinical and externship programs are geared towards allowing our law students to serve the public, explore career possibilities in various areas of legal practice, gain first-hand insight into the strategic and ethical dimensions of the profession, and acquire valuable legal skills in a supportive educational environment. One of our most transformative programs is the Pax Romana United Nations Internship which aims to form global legal leaders by instilling in students the knowledge of multilateral international organizations, the importance of globalizing international relations, and a desire to use law to assist the world's most vulnerable.

Third-year student law student, Nabil Abu Nahlah, is currently in this New York-based internship and has begun to share his experiences. Below is a snapshot of his time so far.

 PAX ROMANA: THE FIRST TWO WEEKS

By: Nabil Abu Nahlah 

My first few weeks as a Saint Thomas University School of Law Intern with the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta (“Order of Malta”) Permanent Mission at the United Nations (“UN”) at the UN Headquarters in New York was an extraordinary experience. Being introduced the first day to the UN halls and conference rooms, you are then directed to attend meetings and conferences on behalf of the Mission. For instance, as I am writing this article the President of Yemen is speaking in front of me at the 71st General Assembly, next to me is the Australian Foreign Minister who leans over to me every now and then and asks me questions regarding the next speakers.

It is the most exciting time of my life, I have met President Barack Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry, Amal Clooney, George Clooney, Forest Whitaker, and numerous presidents, prime ministers and UN ambassadors including the Prime Minister of Bangladesh H.E. Sheikha Hasina, with whom I had a long and stimulating conversation at the Vienna Café in the UN building. This Internship at the UN has already allowed me to make high level contact with more than 30 countries and UN officials all holding prestigious positions. Please keep in mind that this is the very beginning of my UN Internship.

The 71st General Assembly of the UN is focused on Refugees and Migrants, it was the first time the General Assembly had called for a Summit with the Heads of State concerning large movements of refugees and migrants and was a historic opportunity to come up with a blueprint for a better international response to the ongoing humanitarian refugee crisis. The Summit was a watershed moment to strengthen governance of international migration and a unique opportunity for creating a more responsible, predictable system for responding to large movements of refugees and migrants. Given my interest in being an International Human Rights lawyer, this Summit is the pinnacle of my studies and will provide the opportunity to learn from international scholars and international leaders worldwide. This is the most unique and transformative experience of many in my lifetime. It also provides the opportunity to network at an international level, an opportunity that is impossible to replicate anywhere else in the World. Because of this exceptional opportunity and the guidance of Professor Mark J. Wolff, I believe that my professional future development is very bright and heading in the right direction.

Left to right: H.E. Ambassador Daniele Verga;  H.E. Ambassador and Permanent Observer Oscar R. De Rojas; H.E. Ambassador and Permanent Observer Ms. Rory McCarthy; H.E. Dominique de La Rochefoucauld-Montbel Grand Hospitaller;  H.E. Ambassador Stefano Ronca-Secretary-General for Foreign Affairs; 3L Nabil Abu Nahlah 

H.E. Sheikha Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh with Mr. Nabil Abu Nahlah 

Mr. Forest Whitaker-Actor and Activist and Mr. Nabil Abu Nahlah 

The Venezuelan Ambassador to the United Nations: H.E. Rafael Ramirez Carreño