“Don’t let yourself be held back” - A conversation with Fritz Streiff, an atrocity crimes and human rights lawyer

Manu Krishan is a human rights professional with an expertise on the rights of the child. He was responsible in the coordination and assistance to the Independent Expert leading the United Nations Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty and since then works in the Global Campus of Human Rights, where he coordinates and leads the global study follow up and dissemination programme. Manu first studied philosophy before completing a Master of arts in human rights and has worked for a number of International Organisations, and NGOs. In this interview, we discuss Manu’s early career path, the power of LinkedIn, mentorship, and the importance of self-care.

Cara is a journalist and has been reporting and writing about crime, trafficking and human rights issues in the U.S. and abroad. Her work touches on all aspects of justice, including policing, migration, prisons, drugs, technology, and violence. She has written for publications such as Marie Claire, "O" Oprah Magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Washington Post Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Christian Science Monitor, The Guardian, and Scientific American. From 2008-2015 she was the Deputy Director of the Center on Media, Crime and Justice at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. While there, she also served as the Managing Editor of the daily news service, The Crime Report. Cara is currently senior associate, media progammes at the Population Reference Bureau  where she manages their flagship USAID program Women’s Edition which trains female journalists in South Asia and Africa on public health issues.  In this interview, we discuss having an ‘international itch’, the value of advanced study, balance, and burnout.

Saul Lehrfreund is the Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of the Death Penalty Project, a London based charity, providing free legal representation and assistance to individuals facing the death penalty and other vulnerable prisoners. Saul has dedicated his career to representing prisoners facing the death penalty in criminal and constitutional proceedings and also before international tribunals and courts. He is a leading authority on capital punishment and international human rights law and has published and lectured extensively on these topics. In this interview, we discuss advanced study, the value of paid internships, career highlights including litigation at the Privy Council and successes in abolishing the Death Penalty in Sierra Leone. We also talk about self-care, career setbacks, and challenges.

Jamila serves as the Executive Director of the Albert Einstein Institution based in Boston, United States. The mission of the Einstein Institution is to advance the worldwide study and strategic use of non-violent action in conflict. Jamila holds a degree in management from Simmons College and joined the Institution in 2002. In this interview, we discuss Jamila’s journey to her current work in non-violent action, the power of young people, presenting your best self in a CV, preserving intergenerational learning, and mentorship.

Cynthia Orchard is a human rights lawyer, researcher and policy expert with interests in migration, refugee issues, statelessness, and development. She has held positions at the Immigration Advisory Service (a large national charity in the UK), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Redress, the Refugee Studies Centre, and Asylum Aid.  Her international experience extends to development work in El Salvador, Kazakhstan and the Ivory Coast, and she currently lives in Thailand. Cynthia has a degree in Political Science from the University of California, a JD from the University of Virginia, School of Law and an MSt in International Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford. In this interview, we discuss her international career, the importance of mentorship, and the importance of self-care.

Anna has several decades of experience in social justice advocacy both in the UK and globally. She was CEO of the Global Initiative to End Corporal Punishment of Children until 2020, and previously she was Director of Children and Human Rights for the UK’s national human rights institution and children’s ombudsman – for both bodies leading on international policy, human rights treaty monitoring, regional and domestic human rights advocacy and research/publications. She has worked for bodies such as Amnesty International facilitating activism and human rights education, and for Praxis Refugee Community Organisation, setting up projects that included temporary housing, food banks and advice services for young refugees and asylum seekers, and projects to promote human rights education, political activism and community participation. She is currently working freelance as a consultant providing support to non-profit leaders on organisational design and donor engagement strategies, as well as providing interim management and policy development for a penal reform NGO delivering lived-experience centred advocacy. In this interview, we discuss global careers, returning to study, the power of networking, and her career highlights. Anna also shares her setback and challenges with listeners.

Adam is a barrister currently practicing at Doughty Street Chambers, London. He is an experienced human rights and public lawyer with a strong civil law background.  He has acted at all levels including in the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights. Adam has acted in six public inquiries and is currently Specialist Advisor to the Joint Committee on Human Rights Covid-19 inquiry. Adam is a regular human rights commentator in the media and founded the multi-award winning human rights charity, EachOther and the UK Human Rights blog.  He also hosts the Better Human Podcast.  We discuss Adam’s journey to a career in human rights at the English Bar, how to stand out in applications, rejections and setbacks, self-care and the power of networking.

Maya Foa is the Joint Executive Director at the London based human rights charity, Reprieve, where she leads a team of lawyers fighting against grave human rights abuses. Maya has conducted extensive advocacy before governments of Europe, the United States and regional and international bodies and has served as an expert advisor to the European Commission. Maya has been recognised for her work internationally and, in 2019, was selected as a World Economic Forum Young Leader and, in 2015, was awarded a Soros Justice Fellowship for her pioneering work on the death penalty. She is a frequent voice and commentator in the media. Maya studied French and Italian literature at Oxford University and did a postgraduate degree in Law. In this interview we discuss Maya’s early career in the theatre world, concepts of ‘hero human rights lawyers’,  the story behind a candidate’s CV, networking and Maya’s typical work day.

Karine is an analyst and investigator focusing on armed conflicts and international crimes. She is currently a criminal investigator and an analyst with the United Nations. She has served with the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda as a legal advisor for the Trial Chambers and the Office of the President, with the Prosecution Support Cells (MONUSCO/UNDP) as a Prosecutions Advisor in Goma, DRC; with the OSCE as a Monitoring Officer in Donbas, Ukraine and as an SGBV Investigator/Gender Specialist with the UN Team of Experts on Kasai/DRC and the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan (UN Women/OHCHR). As for personal work, she is currently focusing on women's place and role in violent extremism and on international criminal investigations methodology. We talk about non-linear careers, life in the field and the importance of logic and planning your career path.

Fritz Streiff is an atrocity crimes and human rights lawyer with 8 years’ experience in international criminal law, human rights law and anticorruption. Fritz qualified as a lawyer in the Netherlands and his experience extends to corporate law, international NGOs and international organizations. Fritz is currently working for clients in the areas of atrocity crimes committed in Syria and separately anti corruption investigations with links to the Netherlands and climate litigation.  We discuss making the switch between corporate and public interest careers, advanced studies, the importance of languages, Fritz’s typical work day and the joy of sports!