Center for Civilians in Conflict

New York, NY

Arnaaz is a recent graduate of Harvard Law School’s class of 2023. As a Kaufman Fellow at the Center for Civilians in Conflict, Arnaaz will work with the Research, Learning and Innovation Unit to document how governments and militaries involved in active conflicts implement their international legal obligations and mitigate civilian harm.

During her time at Harvard Law School, Arnaaz was a Research Assistant at the Program on International Law and Armed Conflict and a clinical student attorney at the International Human Rights Clinic, focusing on the regulation of lethal autonomous weapons systems, and the impact of sanctions on humanitarian aid and protection of civilians. Previously, she was a Hans Wilsdorf Scholar at the Geneva Academy, graduating cum laude with a specialized LL.M. in international humanitarian law and international human rights law. During her time in Geneva, she worked as an academic trainee at the Editorial Team of the ICRC’s International Review of the Red Cross, editing and reviewing over forty articles for recent editions.

Arnaaz has formerly worked as an advisor to Members of Parliament and government executives in India; as legal counsel in a landmark judgment by the Supreme Court of India that outlawed oral divorce under Muslim personal law; as a consultant on international projects around gender based violence and education; and filmed a documentary on access to justice challenges faced by riot victims in her hometown. She holds a Masters in Global Affairs as a Schwarzman Scholar from Tsinghua University in Beijing, and a dual Bachelors in Law and Social Work from the Gujarat National Law University in India, graduating with a gold medal for outstanding academic performance.

Arnaaz speaks English, Hindi, Gujarati, French and elementary Mandarin, and is on a lifelong journey to hone her skills as a polyglot.