Former Law Students' Society President Wins Fulbright Award

Jackie Swaisland, Law '06, is a recipient of a 2008-09 Fulbirght Student Award.

Jackie Swaisland, Law '06, received a Fulbright Student Award in July 2008 to pursue an LL.M. degree at the Harvard University Law School for the 2008-09 academic year. The prestigious award, given on the basis of excellence in scholarship and community service, allows Canada and the United States to develop future leaders.

"We are thrilled to have a student of Ms. Swaisland's caliber as part of the Fulbright family," said Dr. Michael Hawes, Executive Director of the Canada-U.S. Fulbright Program. "She has demonstrated her leadership skills and academic excellence at Queen's Law and will, I'm sure, continue to do so at Harvard Law. I am pleased to be able to provide support for her work, and I wish her the very best during her LL.M." 

"I feel very privileged to have received a Fulbright Award and excited by the opportunities that it will make available to me in the future," said Swaisland.

Swaisland, who has clerked at the Federal Court of Appeal and worked at the Constitutional Law Branch of the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario, received numerous awards and served as Law Students' Society President at Queen's.

"Queen's Law is a first-rate Canadian institution that really values student involvement and achievement," said Swaisland. "My time at Queen's Law helped to make me a competitive candidate for the Fulbright Scholarship by providing me with a strong scholastic foundation and encouraging me to participate in a variety of extracurricular and academic endeavors."  

Swaisland largely attributes her achievement to the mentorship she received from faculty members at Queen's Law.  "I benefited from the opportunity to work as a research assistant for a faculty member, a legal skills assistant for a first-year class, and as a student editor on the Queen's Law Journal," she said.  "All of the skills that I learned in these positions will help me to excel in my studies next year."

In her project at Harvard titled "Domestic Rights in an International Context," Swaisland will be arguing for the extension of Canadian and American constitutionally-protected rights in certain international situations. Part of her work will involve examining the sparse academic commentary in Canada and comparing and contrasting the principles articulated in Canadian and American courts as well as with commentary in the United States.

Swaisland first became interested in international law after completing the Public International Law Module at the Queen's International Study Centre in England.  "At the ISC, I developed a strong foundation in international law by exploring tough international issues with leading experts in the field," she said.  "I'm sure that these experiences will also be invaluable to me as I continue my studies at Harvard."

About the Fulbright Program

By engaging our brightest minds in academic exchanges, the Canada-U.S. Fulbright Program seeks to enhance mutual understanding between Canada and the United States. Through its bilateral academic exchanges, outstanding students, scholars and professionals strengthen Canada-U.S. relations by examining a wide range of subjects which are critical to the relationship between the two countries.

Operating in over 150 countries worldwide, the Fulbright program has long been regarded as the world's premiere academic exchange. With the support of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada and the United States Department of State, the Canada-U.S. Fulbright Program is the gold standard for academic exchanges and intellectual opportunity. For more information please visit www.fulbright.ca.