Twenty-eight year old Rebecca Elvin is fast developing global
expertise in the area of transitional justice. Originally from
Tauranga, Rebecca graduated from the University of Otago with
degrees in Law and Politics.
She has worked as a Judicial Intern at the Supreme Court of the
United States, a Judges' Clerk at the High Court of New Zealand and
a Legal Intern at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Rebecca is currently completing her Master's degree in Conflict
Resolution in Divided Societies at King's College in London, where
she has been exploring how constitutional law, politics and
power-sharing mechanisms can operate to promote peace in states
emerging from conflict. She has recently returned from
conducting research in the field in Beirut. Rebecca will shortly
join Oxford University to undertake a Doctorate of Philosophy at
the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, looking at the role of judicial
systems in promoting transitional justice, the rule of law,
stability, peace and reconciliation.
As a leader,
I try to be flexible, inquisitive, strategic, decisive, courageous,
non judgmental and trustworthy. I would like to be a leader who can
look beyond entrenched positions and who works to bring out the
best in others. Leadership is the task of bringing people together
to accomplish something beyond individual interests.
Rebecca Elvin
Rebecca has demonstrated the courage to take on significant
challenges and career risks. Her endeavours are accompanied by
excellence and a perceptive, thoughtful originality. She is noted
as having a highly developed sense of humanity. Rebecca has given
freely of herself to community organisations in New Zealand. She
has undertaken aid work in Thailand and the Philippines and in
Washington DC she worked at the headquarters of the International
Justice Mission. She was a founder of the Not Just Us Trust and
organiser of the 'Just Law: Minds Wide Open' Conference for young
lawyers held in Auckland in 2008. In 2010, she was a co-awardee of
the New Zealand Law Society's Cleary Memorial Prize for persons
adjudged as giving the most promise of service to, and through, the
profession.
With her fine capabilities, strength of character and
commitment, we know that Rebecca will continue to build on her
already significant achievements.