“Not all law schools offer the chance to do pro bono work for international organizations (let alone with the U.N.) so when this opportunity came up, I knew I wanted to take it.

I was drawn to this project in particular because it engaged with the realities of violence in Gaza and the West Bank in a way that felt both urgent and often underexamined in broader international discussions.”

“Pro bono work has been the throughline that connects my values to my legal training. 

When I met Pedro [Mr. Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation] in Geneva and learned more about his concerns regarding the use of water and sanitation as tools of war, it immediately resonated with me: the same basic need I had seen transform communities in the Dominican Republic was being systematically threatened in conflict zones.”

“As a member of the Promise Institute's Student Advisory Board, I contributed to a pro bono research project on the role of water in armed conflict, conducted in partnership with the UN Special rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation and my case study focused on Ukraine.

My research covered everything from the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam to the destruction of water infrastructure that has left millions without access to safe drinking water.”

“My experience working on this project was invaluable - I gained real insights into the growing movement to criminalize severe environmental damage, made long lasting connections with those doing essential work in the international environmental law space, and bolstered my ability to utilize key legal tools for addressing environmental issues at a global scale.”

Aria Burdon Dasbach