FORMER Margaret River Senior High School student Roxanne Moore is one of 26 Australians to receive a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship for 2013.
A lawyer, Ms Moore will have the opportunity to spend a year at an American university through winning one of two Fulbright Western Australia Scholarships sponsored by the State Government and universities.
She will undertake a Master of Laws, specialising in public international law and human rights law.
Ms Moore will learn about comparative human rights systems and gain expertise in specific topics, with a view to contributing to Australian human rights law reform and becoming an advocate.
"I aspire to become a human rights advocate; to use the power of the law to protect the rights of vulnerable people and to demand justice where human rights have been abused," she said. "This experience will provide me with an excellent foundation to return to Australia to advocate for human rights within the current legal framework - either via pro-bono work as a commercial lawyer or barrister, or by working for a non-government organisation - and to significantly contribute to reforming Australia's legal structures for human rights protection."
Her further study aims to achieve four objectives to expand and develop her knowledge about international law and international systems; to learn about comparative human rights law systems, particularly in the Asia Pacific region; to increase her knowledge about specific human rights topics and to gain practical experience in human rights advocacy and research.
"Studying a Master of Laws in the US will provide many opportunities not otherwise available in Australia to learn from the most respected academics and leaders in their field at the highest ranked universities in the world and to gain hands-on experience in human rights advocacy through participation in the university clinics," she said.
Ms Moore previously represented the University of WA in the international rounds of the Philip C Jessup International Law Mooting Competition, and after graduating became the principal associate to Chief Justice Martin AC of the Supreme Court of WA.
She has volunteered with many organisations, but most extensively with Amnesty International Australia, for whom she founded the national ARTillery arts festival, culminating in her recognition as a finalist for the 2010 WA Young Person of the Year Award.
Her interests include learning languages, live music and the arts.
The Fulbright program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind, created by United States Senator J William Ful bright and the US Government in 1946.
Aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational ex change, it operates be tween the US and 155 countries.
In Australia, the scholarships are funded by the Federal and US Governments and corporate partners and administered by the Australian- American Fulbright Com mission in Canberra.
Applications for 2014 Fulbright Scholarships for Australians open on May 20, go to fulbright.com.au for information.
