24-year-old Indian-origin student makes history; to head Harvard Law Review
Making India proud globally! There are so many Indian-origin students and professionals who settle abroad to pursue a course or earn a living. However, only a limited number of them strive to achieve global recognition. Just like how a young woman created history (or should we say 'her'-story) by being elected as the 137th president of the prestigious Harvard Law Review! Read on.
Let's understand what Harvard Law Review exactly is
Harvard Law Review was founded back in 1887 as a legal, student-led, independent group at Harvard Law School. It is a journal that publishes various legal citations and reviews. According to the Journal Citation Reports, the Harvard Law Review's 2015 impact factor of 4.979 placed it at the first rank out of 143 journals in the category "Law," which is why it's so estimable.
Meet Apsara Iyer, the 24-year-old president of the student-lead publication
Apsara Iyer, who is an Indian-American by origin, has been recently elected as the new president of the Harvard Law Review. She is a second-year student pursuing the International Human Rights Clinic at Harvard Law School and is also a member of the South Asian Law Students Association. Iyer has replaced Priscila Coronado, who has been looking into art crime and repatriation since 2018.
She is the first Indian-origin woman president in 137 years
As Iyer adds a new feather to her cap, she has created a remarkable history. She is the first Indian-origin woman to head Harvard Law Review in 137 years! This sought-after Law Review has had a history of presidents who went on to become public figures. This also includes former US President Barack Obama, who served as the 104th leader of the Review.
Iyer went through an extremely competitive process called 'write-on'
It was not a cakewalk for Iyer to bag the presidentship of the Harvard Law Review. In fact, she was tested through an extremely challenging, competitive, and rigorous process called "write-on." As per the Crimson report, in this testing process, Harvard Law School students fact-check a document from scratch and offer commentary on a recent state court or Supreme Court case.
The Law Review is extremely lucky to have her: Coronado
Iyer's predecessor, Priscila Coronado, is all praises for the newly-elected president. "Apsara has changed the lives of many editors for the better, and I know she will continue to do so. From the start, she has impressed her fellow editors with her remarkable intelligence, thoughtfulness, warmth, and fierce advocacy. The Law Review is extremely lucky to have her lead this institution," she said.
