Amira Mattar is a second-year law student. She is a first generation Arab-American born and raised in Seattle, Washington. Amira was inspired to study law after her frequent visits to the West Bank throughout her life. Following the completion of her degree, she intends to use her legal knowledge to advocate and uplift her communities- particularly concerning legal obstacles for Palestinian refugees and individuals residing in various nations.
For the academic year of 2017-2018, Amira was awarded the FLAS fellowship to study Arabic from the Center for European Studies. She will be using this scholarship to understand more about Arab refugee/immigrant communities in Western Europe- particularly with respect to the recent influx of Syrian and Palestinian refugees to West European nations. “My FLAS scholarship has allowed me to study international law classes that resonate with my areas of knowledge such as the language, history, wellbeing, and struggles of these communities”, Amira explains. “I have been able to widen my capacity to review Arabic literature and legal documents, which will help me to better advocate for refugee communities.” The FLAS fellowship has helped Amira further engage with her heritage on an academic level, while also strengthening her Arabic language skills. Upon graduating, Amira intends to be litigator.