First In 136 Years! Indian-American Woman To Head Reputed Harvard Law Review

For the first time in the 136-year history of the prestigious Harvard Law Review, an Indian-American student has been elected president. Indians make up a good share of the foreign student population abroad. The country's brightest minds being promoted to such reputed posts reflects the rich educational culture and value the students hold. Carrying on this legacy and establishing a first in many years, a second-year student has been named to head the prestigious publication of the Harvard School.

Carrying The Legacy After Renowned Personalities

The Harvard Law Review, founded in 1887, is among the oldest student-run legal scholarship publications. With an elaborate history over 136 years, for the first time, the establishment has named an Indian American student Apsara Iyer as the publication's 137th president. Apsara is a second-year student at the Harvard Law School and a graduate from Yale in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in Economics, Math, and Spanish. Her distinguished predecessors in the role include former president Barack Obama and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Talking about Apsara being elected president, her immediate predecessor Priscila Coronado said that the publication is "extremely lucky" to have her at the helm.

Coronado also added that Apsara had impacted the lives of many editors and changed it for the better. Now, as the president, she would continue to do so with a lot more responsibility. Apsara had impressed her fellow editors right from the start with her take and thoughtfulness with which she advocates for causes. Carrying the legacy ahead, Apsara conveyed that as the Law Review president, she would focus on keeping the lights on and everything going smoothly. She suggested including more editors in reviewing process and selecting articles, and upholding the publication's reputation for "high-quality" work.

A Passionate Human Rights Advocate

Apsara is known for her dedicated work across the field of human rights and legal studies. She was previously involved in the Law School's Harvard Human Rights Journal and the National Security Journal and is also a member of the South Asian Law Students Association. The Crimson report noted Apsara's interest in understanding the "value of cultural heritage" and bringing a different perspective to the table through this understanding. According to NDTV, this also led her to work in the Manhattan District Attorney's Antiquities Trafficking Unit, which tracks stolen art and artefacts. Apsara had joined the Harvard Law Review following a highly competitive process called "write-on," where Harvard Law School students are made to rigorously fact-check a document and provide commentary on a recent State or Supreme Court Case.

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