Leandra Muyaruka

Multiple roles include:

• Lead, Publications Team: Overseeing a team that authors online articles, leading to an end-of-year publication for the Asylum Seekers Equality Project (ASEP), which focuses on providing information on rights and policy issues, and helping refugee or asylum-seeking communities.
• Research & Submissions Team, Law Reform: Gathered policy research on advancing Parliamentary Bills, and contributed to written submissions to the Select Committee on salient political topics.
• UNHCR Letter Writing Program: Assisted in authoring a letter addressed to the UNHCR on behalf of a client who has been granted refugee status and is requesting the resettlement of family members. This included organizing a conversation with the client, synthesizing their sensitive story to inform the formal resettlement letter.

• Participated in firm-sponsored competitions with a variety of results. This required competence in legal research, advocative public speaking, and skills in providing preliminary advice to an actor role-playing a client with a scripted problem.
• Advanced to the semi-final round of the VUWLSS x Simpson Grierson Client Interviewing Competition.
• Participated in the preliminary rounds of:
• Victoria University of Wellington Law Students' Society Senior Mooting Competition, Junior Mooting Competition, and the Victoria University of Wellington Feminist Law Society Mooting Competition.

• Collaborated with college faculty to support students' academic needs and goals. Included constructive discussions with student leaders, which were acted upon through appropriate policies, including:
• Organizing college-wide events, equipping the student cohort with essential study techniques via email, and facilitating an end-of-year publication authored by academically advanced students, and distributed to the college community.

• Ensured ease of communication between the student cohort and relevant faculty staff by connecting students to appropriate channels of redress, and informing the lecturer of student concerns and narratives surrounding the course. Lecture representative roles included;
• Introduction to Public Law, Introduction to Statute Law, Introduction to Security Studies.
  

• Engaged in ongoing dialogue with city councilors regarding challenges faced by voting constituents.
• Developed strategies to enhance local engagement and participation in council initiatives.
• Assisted in drafting policy recommendations based on community input and research findings.
• Lead recruiting engagement communications through social media.
• Collaborated with local colleges to provide civic education and opportunity outreach to tertiary students.