Tell us about your education background. Where and what did you study? I studied history and political science at McGill University in Canada as an undergraduate.  I studied law at George Washington University Law School in Washington, DC.  After leaving the private practice of law at a large law firm, I worked as a research fellow at a legal clinic at Yale law school.  I worked with the faculty and students on briefing issues relating to various human rights cases being litigated in the US court system – an Alien Tort Claims Act case as well as cases which were brought by detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

How did your initial interest in human rights and corporate responsibility arise?
I initially became interested in human rights during my undergraduate studies through classes in international development.  After my first year of law school, I attended the Human Rights Programme offered by Oxford University and George Washington University.  This course, an intensive six-week course on human rights law, solidified my interest in human rights, especially in corporate responsibility.  I attended this course the summer after Ken Saro Wiwa was executed.  His brother and several other Ogoni activists came and spoke at the programme about the Ogoni struggle and the role Shell played(s) in that struggle.  The words and images left an indelible mark on my consciousness.

Could you tell us a bit about the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre? What are its aims and what is its contribution in human rights?
The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is the world’s leading resource on business and human rights.  The organization aims to encourage companies to respect human rights, avoid harm to people and maximise their positive contribution.  The Resource Centre also aims to facilitate constructive, informed decision-making and public discussion.  We seek responses from companies to allegations of misconduct: thus insuring that our coverage is balanced and encouraging companies to address concerns to address concerns raised by civil society.

What are your responsibilities within the Business and Human Rights Centre?
I manage the Corporate Legal Accountability Project.

What is the Corporate Legal Accountability Project? What are its aims?
The Corporate Legal Accountability Project was launched to establish an online “hub” for information on lawsuits against companies alleging human rights abuses.  The aim is to create a resource for lawyers and non-lawyers and to show the breadth of cases being brought worldwide.  We recognize the importance of the Alien Tort Claims Act cases that have been brought against companies in the US, but we also want the project to provide information on corporate human rights cases from other regions, such as Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

What do you think of companies violating human rights of people? What is the most striking example of violations you have come across so far?
I think it is important to hold companies legally accountable for actions that negatively affect human rights.  Ideally, companies would integrate human rights into their day-to-day thinking about business to avoid abuses from occurring in the first place.  However, since many companies do not do this, it is important that the victims of these human rights abuses have avenues open to them for legal redress.

There isn’t one example that I can think of that is the most striking example of violations that I have come across.  What has struck me is the global nature of violations.  I have come across violations throughout the world and throughout a large number of sectors of business.

What was the most challenging moment of your career?
To date, the biggest challenge I have faced was the transition from corporate law (I worked at a large law firm for 5 years following graduation from law school) to business and human rights.  It took a long time to find work in this field, but my patience paid off in the end because I found the job at the Resource Centre.

What advice would you give to students wishing to follow a career path similar to yours?
My advice to someone who has studied law would be to get a good general background in legal practice before specializing.  My training at a large firm, especially my corporate law training, has served me very well since I decided to specialize in business and human rights.  Also, I would recommend that students pursue volunteer/intern opportunities to the extent they can because these experiences provide valuable insight into the type of day-to-day work that people do in this field.  Lastly, if a student is still in school and has a professor that works in the field of his or her interest, I would encourage that student to engage that professor and maintain contact with that professor after finishing school.  It is often precisely through such contacts that one can learn of job opportunities in the field of one’s interest.