Eda Seyhan
International human rights lawyer, consultant researcher and campaigner
Name: Eda Seyhan
Matriculation Year: 2007
Subject: PPE
Occupation: International human rights lawyer, consultant researcher and campaigner
LinkedIn: Eda Seyhan
“I’m an international human rights lawyer, researcher and campaigner. I was a campaigner at Amnesty International from 2015 to 2019, working on counter-terrorism in Europe and human rights in Turkey. I’m currently working freelance for a few different NGOs, on issues including racial profiling, policing and civil liberties.
In my last year of PPE at Hertford, I applied for training contracts to become a solicitor because law seemed like the best option out of the limited careers that I knew about back then! I knew that the City was not for me but applied to corporate firms anyway, as they were the only ones offering a work visa and funding for the required law conversion courses. I spent two years in London doing the Graduate Diploma in Law and Legal Practice Course, fitting my studies around shifts at my local pub and unpaid internships. I completed my 2-year training contract at Latham & Watkins LLP, qualifying as a solicitor in 2015 and having saved up enough money to do a Masters’ in human rights law. I began my part-time Masters’ and position at Amnesty International at the same time and have worked in the human rights field ever since.
Outside my professional work, I’m active in movements for racial and economic justice and occasionally write/rant about politics for online publications.
I’m happy to speak to anyone interested in alternative careers in law (outside the City/corporate world), NGOs, campaigning or related areas. I’m particularly open to talking to BME students, having navigated the pressures of majority white workplaces and immigrant parent expectations (not always successfully).”
If you would like to get in touch with Eda, message her directly on LinkedIn or contact the Development Office who can forward on your email.