Thank you to Isabelle Leal Aguilar for sharing so much great information! To learn more about this new series, please check out the LL.M. Spotlight Series page. Have great advice and a great story to share? Reach out!

1. What made you choose the law school LL.M. program you ultimately decided on?
I chose Harvard Law School’s LL.M. program because it combines academic rigor, interdisciplinary freedom, and a genuinely global community, plus it offers hands-on experience in international human rights through its International Human Rights Clinic. As a Fulbright scholar focused on human rights, I wanted a place where I could not only study the norms but also work directly on real-world cases in an international context. HLS’s clinic allows students to represent clients, draft briefs, and collaborate with seasoned human rights practitioners. That practical, experiential component, learning both strategy and advocacy on active human rights matters, was a decisive factor for me (even more so than the school’s prestige). At the same time, HLS’s world-class faculty (especially those at the intersection of constitutional and human rights law), the opportunity to learn alongside peers from over 70 countries, and the school’s legacy of alumni shaping global policy made it the ideal fit for me.

2. What was your favorite course in your LL.M. studies?
My favorite course was “The Security Council” with Professor Naz Modirzadeh. Examining the inner workings of the UN Security Council, its powers, procedural rules, dynamics, and the ways member states navigate collective-security questions opened my eyes to how legal norms translate (or stall) at the highest levels of international governance. The combination of historical case studies, treaty and document interpretation, and hands-on simulations made complex UN processes come alive, and it gave me a new lens for thinking about human rights enforcement in conflict settings, specially when navigating legal and political landscapes.

3. What was your favorite memory from your LL.M. year outside the classroom?
Outside the classroom, my favorite memory was hosting what was eventually called “Human Rights Diaries” in my dorm suite every week. My roommate and I transformed our small dorm living room into an “alcove” where LL.M. classmates from different backgrounds, nations, religions, political standings, and ideologies, would gather, and share stories about their home-country, human rights projects they had been involved in, professional experiences, really everything from grass-roots advocacy, to strategic litigation, academia, experience in courts and government bodies and more. It was essentially a mini-PowerPoint party, where each week, one LL.M. would present and be open to questions in a space born out of genuine curiosity, with no judgment. Those informal evenings, held over snacks and food from around the world, built friendships that I believe will last far beyond the academic year and were a constant reminder for me of why I came: to learn from and stand alongside passionate changemakers from around the globe.

4. What is one piece of advice that you have for 2025-26 international LL.M. students?
Immerse yourself in the community before the deadlines approach. Between midterms, clinics, journals, and fellowship applications, the LL.M. year flies by. My best advice is to reach out early, join one or two student organizations and be selective about it (e.g., the International Human Rights Law Journal, Harvard Law School Advocates for Human Rights SPO, HIALSA), attend every “Mix & Mingle” event that you can, and introduce yourself to as much of the student body as posible. Get to know people with different beliefs and backgrounds from yours, and overall, make friends. Those connections will become your support network when finals and papers start piling up, and they’ll expose you to perspectives you’d never find in a textbook.

5. Where did you study for your first degree in law (country, school)?
I earned my LL.B. (Licenciatura en Derecho) from la Facultad Libre de Derecho de Monterrey (Mexico).

6. What are your plans for after the LL.M.? (Or if not finalized, what field do you hope to work in?)
These projects are yet to be announced, but I am happy to share that I will be working on international human rights issues in Mexico, and, hopefully, in academia. In other words: I will be spending my time as an advocate, as a lawyer, and, God willing, as a professor.

7. If you plan to take a bar exam, which one are you going to sit for? What made you choose it?
I plan to sit for the New York State Bar Exam in July 2025. I chose New York because:

• It opens doors and reciprocity: New York’s bar is widely recognized across the United States, and many other states allow lawyers admitted in New York to waive in (or obtain reciprocity) more easily. Maintaining a New York license keeps multiple jurisdictions accessible without requiring me to retake additional exams, and allows me to remain open to future opportunities.
• Human rights organizations headquartered in New York: A significant number of major international human rights NGOs and U.N. bodies are based in New York City. While the Bar is often not a requirement for such work and organizations, holding a NY bar credential allows me to easily transition into the city if I eventually wish to pursue a career based in the US.
• Professional network and opportunities: New York’s legal market, especially in human rights and international matters, offers a deep network of mentors, fellowships, and clerkships. Being admitted there helps ensure I can collaborate with and ultimately join leading human rights institutions when the time comes.

Additionally, I want to emphasize that without the international community in academia, especially in legal academia, we risk turning our universities into echo chambers, where ideas go unchallenged and assumptions remain unchecked. Global voices don’t weaken scholarship; we sharpen it. If we want knowledge that lasts, we need perspectives that stretch beyond borders.

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabellaleal/

Beyond Non-JD Note: These stories and pieces of advice will be told by the people who chose to participate, with some light editing occasionally provided by me. Some participants reach out to me, while I reach out to some whose advice and journeys I think would be particularly good fits. Their advice, information, and positions may (sometimes) be different from mine. That’s totally okay! While I do try to vet information, be sure to double check advice with trusted mentors in your network, especially as it applies to your situation, goals, or profile.