Meet one of our new Legal Interns, Noor Zafar. As an International Relations and Middle East Studies major, Noor graduated in 2012 from NYU. While at NYU, she spent a summer in DC as a legislative intern for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and studied abroad in Doha, Qatar. After graduation, Noor took a year off to study Arabic in Jordan and travel throughout the Middle East. She credits her internship
and travel experiences for shaping her desire to pursue a career in international law. Noor will be starting law school this September at Harvard University.
What brought you to HRI?
I have always wanted to work with an NGO that focuses on human rights issues so, when I learned of this opportunity at HRI, I figured it would be a great way for me to both gain exposure to the internal workings of a legal non-profit and learn more about immigration and asylum law.
What are you most excited to learn about during your internship?
I look forward to learning about the way in which the law can be used as a tool to promote social justice and uphold the human rights of our clients. I am particularly excited to be able to work with clients and hear their individual stories of courage and resilience in the face of persecution.
What human rights do you believe to be essential?
I believe that being treated with dignity and respect—regardless of your beliefs, associations and opinions—is a fundamental human right.
When I grow up I want to: have a fulfilling career and a job that I am excited to wake up and go to in the morning. I want to know that I am making a positive difference in other peoples’ lives.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
If I could have one superpower, it would be the ability to teleport myself to different places throughout the world.
Where would we most likely find you on a Saturday afternoon?
Curled up on my couch, drinking some sort of hot, caffeinated beverage and reading a book.
