The Advocates

Nairurth Borath’s passion for international law stems from her family’s experience under the Khmer Rouge. Learning about the lack of accountability for the Cambodian genocide, Nairurth dedicated herself to pursuing justice through international legal systems.

At UCLA, Nairurth majored in Political Science with a focus on comparative government and studied abroad in Europe. She channeled her roots into activism by leading United Khmer Students and supporting Long Beach’s Cambodian refugee community.

At USC Gould, Nairurth serves as Content Editor for the Southern California Interdisciplinary Law Journal. She also previously served as Transfer Representative for the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association and Faculty Selection Chair of the Student Bar Association. During her 1L summer, Nairurth externed at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and during her 2L summer, she clerked at Fisher Phillips LLP.

Austin Brewster’s decision to pursue a legal career came while working as an English instructor for the Italian military during the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war. She returned to the U.S. to earn a BA in International Relations from Kent State University.

At USC Gould, Austin has developed hands-on advocacy experience through the Post-Conviction Justice Project. There, she gained experience working with clients who sought refuge from complex international conflicts. Now as a 3L, Austin has joined IHRC to work on refugee rights and fair trial monitoring. Her trauma-informed approach and language skills in French, Italian, and Taiwanese Mandarin enable her to work effectively with vulnerable populations.

Magomed Esendirov’s commitment to international human rights law stems from his lived experience. He became a refugee in 1994 during the First Chechen War, when his family fled from Chechnya to Moscow.

Witnessing injustice based on ethnicity, Magomed became a lawyer and human rights defender in Russia, representing political dissidents and victims of police brutality. He secured acquittals in jury trials and judgments before the European Court of Human Rights.

Now at USC Gould, Magomed brings this frontline perspective to confront systemic abuses through international legal frameworks. Magomed completed his LL.M. before transferring into the J.D. program. He works as a legal assistant at an immigration law firm, where he advocates for asylum seekers from post-Soviet countries.

Maryanne Koussa grew up shaped by the resilience of her Syrian-American heritage and a commitment to global justice. Her passion for human rights law was ignited while studying abroad at the American University of Beirut, where she witnessed the power of law as a tool for liberation and revolution.

At the University of Pennsylvania, Maryanne pursued double majors in Modern Middle Eastern Studies and International Relations. She has advocated for refugees in Philadelphia and Jordan, interned at an immigration law firm in Washington, D.C. where she assisted with asylum cases, and conducted national-security research analyzing U.S. foreign policy and Arabic media. Before law school, she worked as a Senior Litigation Paralegal in New York City, where she supported sensitive family law matters, including cases involving domestic violence and international child abduction governed by the Hague Convention.

At USC Gould, Maryanne is the Managing Editor of the Southern California Law Review. In her 2L year, she served as Co-President of First Generation Professionals and Academic Affairs Chair of the Student Bar Association, and sat on the executive boards of the Environmental & Energy Law Society, the Public Interest Law Foundation, and the Business Law Society. She has also been a Peer Mentor, a CLHC Scholar, and a research assistant to Professor Nomi Stolzenberg. During her 2L summer, she was a Summer Associate at Jones Day.

Christian Kruger discovered law’s transformative power while advocating for tenants’ rights in Los Angeles, where he helped secure life-changing compensation for families in crisis. This hands-on experience, combined with his philosophical training at UCLA, shaped his commitment to justice beyond theory.

At USC Gould, Christian was selected as a Merit Scholar and competed on the Gould Trial Team during his 2L year. He serves as an Editor for the Interdisciplinary Law Journal. His summer roles at Greenberg Glusker and Athlaw LLP refined his litigation skills, building on prior work directing client advocacy at The Tenants Law Firm.

Margaret Smithers brings a unique perspective to human rights advocacy through her military experience. As a Platoon Leader in the 504th Military Police Battalion, Executive Officer in the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID), and Operations Officer at I Corps, Margaret developed a passion for national security and international human rights law. She coordinated multinational operations in Thailand during Exercise Cobra Gold and earned the German Armed Forces Badge.

Margaret graduated magna cum laude from Case Western Reserve University with her B.S. and M.S. in Finance. She worked as a Management Consultant for McKinsey & Company before law school.

At USC Gould, Margaret served as a Gold Honors Scholar and worked as a Research Assistant to Professor Jody Armour. During her 1L summer, she clerked at the Washington State Attorney General’s Office of Military and Veteran Legal Assistance.

Jeana Song’s commitment to human rights derived from her interview with a North Korean refugee, which revealed how systemic injustice could create stark disparities even among individuals with a shared heritage. This experience drove her to work with asylum seekers at Refuge pNan, where she witnessed how legal systems often fail the most vulnerable.

As an International Studies major at Yonsei University, Jeana interned with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), conducting pivotal research that helped secure refugee status for a trafficked Nepalese girl.

At USC Gould, Jeana serves as a Staff Editor for the Southern California Law Review and 2L Sponsorship & Gala Chair for the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association. During her 1L summer, she externed for Judge Tsao at the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Yixin Wang’s dedication to international human rights began in high school when she founded Louder Than Words, an NGO using non-verbal therapies to support Rohingya refugee children. This early commitment led her to pursue a double concentration in International Studies and Humanities at Soka University of America, where she focused on public international law and mass atrocity prevention. In 2020, Yixin conducted field research on the marginalized narratives of genocide survivors and rescuers in Rwanda and Tanzania.

At USC Gould, Yixin is a Senior Editor of the Southern California Law Review. She served as a 1L Representative for the International Law and Relations Organization and worked with the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP).In her 2L year, she served as Vice President of OUTLaw and IRAP and Southern California Director of the National Asian Pacific American Law Student Association. During her 2L summer, Yixin worked as a Summer Associate at Greenspoon Marder LLP.