Pippa Frizzelle has recently completed a year working as the Judicial Assistant to Lord Lloyd-Jones at the UK Supreme Court and is now joining the team at the Register of Damage for Ukraine in The Hague. Here, she shares her reflections on receiving the Kennedy Scholarship and her experience studying at Harvard Law School.
The Kennedy scholarship changed the trajectory of my career – and in so doing, changed the trajectory of my life. I am profoundly grateful to the ten Kennedy Trustees who believed me when I told them during my interview that, despite my existing role at a city firm, in fact I dreamed of becoming an international lawyer. Fifteen months on from my graduation from Harvard Law School, I have now completed a year as a Judicial Assistant at the UK Supreme Court, working for a Justice who specialises in public international law, and I stand days away from my move to The Hague, where I will begin working at the Register of Damage for Ukraine. It is thanks to the Kennedy scholarship that these opportunities are now within reach.
The LL.M. at Harvard Law School offered exceptional academic depth and breadth – allowing me to explore the delicate intersection between law and international relations from every perspective – but also invaluable practical experience. My work with the International Human Rights Clinic took me to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where I discovered firsthand the dedication and discipline that goes into bringing about a new international treaty. The hundreds of student societies allowed me to try my hand at journal editing, debating, event organising and more. Almost every day I attended a lunch time or evening talk, from topics as wide-ranging as copyright law with the General Counsel of Universal Music Group to the Colombian peace process with former President Juan Santos.
But what made Harvard Law School truly special was the people. My cohort spanned 70 countries, each one of us delighted to be there, to learn from each other and to turn our dreams into plans. The professors were knowledgeable and enthusiastic; my dissertation supervisor was an eminent British international lawyer whose books first sparked my interest a decade ago. The daily guest speakers – many of them alumni – cemented the feeling of ambition and excitement in the air, which I have tried to keep with me ever since.
Finally, the Kennedy scholarship facilitated memories and friendships that will stay with me for life: apple picking in rural Massachusetts, early morning running down the National Mall in Washington DC, sliding down a snow-covered Mount Rainier. To any potential future applicants: I cannot recommend this opportunity enough and I hope you love your time at Harvard or MIT as much as I did.
Photo: Pippa and her fellow Kennedy Scholars at the JFK Library with Rachel Flor, Executive Director of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation (far left), and Kennedy Memorial Trust Trustees: Professor Gareth H. McKinley (second from left), and Professor Rana Mitter (far right). April 2024.
