Melisa Oleschuk

Thesis title:

Utilising International Human Rights Law to Promote Civil Liberties in the US: A Case Study on the UN Universal Periodic Review and the American Civil Liberties Union's Campaign for Smart Justice

My research explores the role of civil society in translating international human rights law into domestic legal change, focusing on their engagement with the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR) human rights mechanism. Through my case study of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and its Campaign for Smart Justice (CSJ), I seek to determing how the UPR can empower civil society to facilitate domestic legal reforms to be in line with the international human rights standard.

Research Area

Human Rights
Law and Legal Studies

Other Research Interests

Human Rights
Women's rights
Reproductive rights
Humanitarian law
Diplomacy
International relations
History
Children's rights
Sovereignty
Constitutional law
Immigration
Feminist bioethics
LGBTQ+ rights
The UN's Universal Periodic Review
Genocide
Civil society
Diction of the law/campaigns

Memberships

Student Member of the Socio-Legal Studies Association (SLSA)
Member of the Society of Legal Scholars (SLS)
Member of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL)
Student Member of the UNAUK
Member of the UPR Academics Network

Education & Professional Training

Birmingham City University, M4C-Funded PhD in Law (2021 - Present)
Birmingham City University, PGCert in Research Practice (Sept. 2021 - Jan. 2022)
[Upcoming] Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, Executive Course on the Universal Periodic Review and the UN Human Rights System: Raising the Bar on Accountability (13-18th Nov. 2022)
[In Progress] Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA), Introduction to Teaching in HE (Oct. 2022 - Jan 2023)
Birmingham City University, LLM International Human Rights (2020-2021) - With Distinction
Birmingham City University, Law LLB (2017-2020) - First Class Hons

Awards & Scholarships

Delivered the closing address at BCU's Business, Law, and Social Sciences Graduation Ceremony (2022)
Midlands4Cities Doctoral Training Partnership Award Holder (2022)
Partial (£3000) Post-Graduate Tuition Scholarship (2021)
Law of the EU Brussels Trip Scholarship (2020)