Luke Wilson, ’19
United Nations Human Rights Council, Geneva, Switzerland

Luke Wilson applied to Michigan Law with an interest in international law, but wasn’t sure what direction to take until he arrived. “The availability of resources and programs at the Law School helped me hone my focus through practical training on and off campus,” he says.

During his 1L summer, Luke received funding to work with California Rural Legal Assistance, an organization that advocates on behalf of exploited migrant farm workers in the San Joaquin Valley. That experience helped orient his law school career. “I learned more about how international law can help individuals left behind by domestic legal systems,” says Luke. “I gained experience working with victims of human trafficking, many of whom are not American citizens, with Michigan Law’s Human Trafficking Clinic.”

Everywhere I turned, Michigan Law faculty, staff, and alumni encouraged me and helped guide my path forward.”

Luke participated in the Geneva Externship program, where he worked with the International Service for Human Rights. There, he gained hands-on experience working with international human rights law and frequently attended sessions at the UN Human Rights Council. “Based on the recommendation of a Michigan Law professor, I secured a Law and Development Grant to work with Legal Aid of Cambodia in Phnom Penh during my 2L summer,” says Luke. “The experience was very informative, and I got to see how international human rights law is applied on the domestic level. Everywhere I turned, Michigan Law faculty, staff, and alumni encouraged me and helped guide my path forward.”

Because of the generosity of private donors, Luke has been able to pursue public interest law. “I’m a scholarship recipient, and I received funding for my externship and for both summers,” he says. “Even after graduation, Michigan Law continues to provide support for students like me. Through a Bates Fellowship, I’m going back to Geneva to work on a delegation to the UN Human Rights Council."