Philippa Greer

Your time at the University

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I owe a great deal to the University of Edinburgh. It provided me with a rigorous and stimulating education, as rewarding as it was demanding. It gave me the skills and, just as crucially, the confidence to take my career in interesting directions, and it exposed me to ideas that challenged me and opened my mind.

I will be eternally grateful to the University and in particular to the School of Law for giving me that opportunity.

At the University of Edinburgh graduation ceremony in 2011- the incredible Dr Olivia Giles gave a truly inspiring speech to the graduating students. She told us to make sure that we follow our dreams and that we never lose sight of them.

Tell us about your Experiences since leaving the University

Since leaving the University of Edinburgh, I have pursued volunteer work in Sri Lanka and have worked in Georgia, Alabama and New York on Death Penalty defence and access to justice issues. I have also worked in the legal profession in Scotland.

I am fortunate to have been awarded a Kennedy Memorial Trust Award and I am extremely proud to represent the Scottish legal profession in this respect.

Dr Olivia Giles gave a truly inspiring speech to the graduating students. She told us to make sure that we follow our dreams and that we never lose sight of them.

Philippa Greer

At Harvard University, I have been admitted to the Harvard Law School International Human Rights Clinic. It is a remarkable institution that has provided me with hands-on experience under the close supervision of the clinic's expert human rights practitioners, and in collaboration with leading international and local human rights organizations.

I have been extremely fortunate to obtain direct exposure to faculty whose views continue to challenge the boundaries of their respective areas of the law. In working with academics of the highest calibre, I have met leaders in the field whose thinking has truly influenced my own.

Alumni wisdom

Never be dissuaded by routes that appear to be too difficult or too challenging to undertake. Accepting new challenges can lead to exciting career paths and to the discovery of unexplored passions.

As students from the University of Edinburgh, there is no question that you will be presented with many excellent career opportunities. However, to echo the words of Olivia Giles, remember to take note of your own personal ambitions and seek to pursue them - even if they appear to be unobtainable at first glance.

Read our November profiles

Alumni Profile | Richard Watt