Growing up in a social justice-oriented family, Mairead naturally developed a passion for human rights work. Her parents worked with Central American refugees during the sanctuary movement in San Francisco, protesting U.S. policies in that region; she and her brothers grew up sitting in on community action meetings, painting signs for anti-torture protests, and stamping envelopes for Amnesty International’s latest letter writing campaign.
As a UCLA undergrad, Mairead majored in International Development Studies and Political Science. She also completed UCLA’s “Human Rights and Cultural Memory” study abroad program in Argentina and Chile, through which she learned about prosecuting crimes against humanity.
After graduating from UCLA, Mairead spent a few years at the Judicial Council of California in its criminal justice division, which left her eager to work toward ensuring due process and judicial accountability both in the U.S. and abroad.
At USC Gould, Mairead is a Public Interest Scholar and a member of the Hale Moot Court Honors Program. During her 1L summer, she worked at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California.
“I want to participate in the IHRC because it would allow me to apply this passion to meaningful legal work and begin using what I have learned in law school to make real change.”