Silja Aebersold

SJD Graduate

Silja Aebersold is a Swiss lawyer and S.J.D. graduate from American University Washington College of Law in Washington D.C., U.S. Her doctoral research focuses on vulnerable groups and indigenous rights in Latin America with special attention to Afro-descendant communities in Colombia and Nicaragua. She is particularly interested in indigenous and minority rights, the interaction of international human rights law with domestic legal systems, and legal questions related to transitional justice. Besides her research, Ms. Aebersold currently works as Program Officer for the Center for Rule of Law and Good Governance (CRLGG), a nonprofit organization registered in Washington D.C. that addresses a variety of legal and governance issues in conflict and post-conflict societies.

Prior to joining the Washington College of Law S.J.D. program and CRLGG, Ms. Aebersold worked as a research assistant and coach of international human rights moot courts at the University of Lucerne. She has also gained working experience in a Swiss law firm and non-profit organizations in Colombia, Tanzania, and Switzerland.

Ms. Aebersold obtained the first law degree from the University of St. Gall and a master’s degree in international law from the University of Lucerne, both in Switzerland. She is fluent in German, French, Spanish, and English.

Degrees & Universities

S.J.D., Candidate, American University Washington College of Law
LL.M., Specialization: Transnational Legal Studies, University of Lucerne, Switzerland.
Magna Cum Laude B.A., University of St. Gall, Switzerland 

Areas of Specialization

International Human Rights Law