Let's Talk Human Rights

By Emmy Flottman-Mullen

During my time with ISLA, although remote, the staff was incredibly welcoming and it was evident how much they cared about the work they did. I was included in many meetings where they discussed the importance of the four pillars and how they implemented them each day. This summer I was responsible for a few tasks that will greatly assist my abilities while being a law student. Through ASANA, ISLA’s project manager, I was given access to many of the cases and projects ISLA was currently working on. Here, I would read through all of the provided documents and insert all of the crucial information into their web-based case tracker. This work was to further their efforts in becoming more digital friendly to their users, clients, and attorneys since many of them are remote or spread throughout the continent. 

I primarily worked on cases that focused around Kenyan women and their experiences. Although each case was unique in its own nature each of them shared a common goal – educating the public. Once I finished briefing the case I was given, which meant all the files were compiled and the most important data was extracted, I sent the briefs to my mentor and waited for them to be uploaded onto the website. ISLA has an incredible platform that can both reach viewers globally and is incredibly easy to navigate. This made the educational experience for anyone who came across the uploads smooth and direct. Keeping the website current was a critical step in being able to communicate our most recent theories of social change and share how we planned to achieve these objectives.

Working with ISLA has made me realize just how much work still needs to be done on the global stage when it comes to women’s human and sexual rights. This experience has definitely reinforced my interest in dealing with international law and finance as well as strengthened my abilities to write case briefs when more research is required all while allowing me to learn about the Kenyan courts and the general judicial systems.

Emmy Flottman-Mullen is a second-year law student at the University of Dayton School of Law and an honors graduate of Heidelberg University. There, she earned a Bachelor’s in Political Science and Economics with a focus on finance as well as minored in Legal Studies. Throughout her undergraduate career, she grew more passionate for both international economics and international law. Once she graduates from school, she plans to complete an LLM program and go into Tax Law and International Tax Services.