Claire Pendergast McCeney

Claire is a Manager at KPMG US, based in Washington, District Of Columbia. She received a St Andrew’s Society for the State of New York in 2013. She studied Law at the University of Glasgow, graduating in 2013 before enrolling for an LLM in International Legal Studies at Georgetown University.

Claire, what did the St Andrew’s Society Scholarship enable you to study?

I studied for the LLM in International Legal Studies at Georgetown University. During my degree I was able to take a number of classes in different areas of international law, from international public law to human rights and international trade. My objective in studying for this degree was to broaden my exposure to international legal systems and issues, as well as deepen my knowledge in the areas that interested me most (e.g., international human rights).

Why is this subject important?

Given that my areas of interest were international in nature, it was important to me that I gained a global legal perspective in a setting that enabled me to collaborate with classmates from around the world. The International Legal Studies LLM and quality course offerings at Georgetown Law afforded me with a great degree of flexibility to tailor my curriculum to my interests, and the international nature of the program helped me discover fascinating areas of law I had not previously been exposed to.

What have you gained from the scholarship?

The Saint Andrew’s Scholarship granted me an invaluable opportunity to pursue my academic and professional goals by studying international law in the US. The knowledge and connections I made during my time at Georgetown truly changed the course of my career and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity.

What advice would you give to future applicants?

Go into your program of study/research with a clear focus of what you want to get out of it, but also maintain an open mind regarding where it might take you. You will be exposed to a multitude of new perspectives and it is important to have a flexible mind-set to allow yourself to pursue new avenues of interest that might arise for you.