Lauren Nishimura

Lauren Nishimura’s research focuses on the intersections of climate change adaptation, migration, and public international law. Climate change impacts will prompt human migration on an unprecedented scale, which international refugee, human rights, and environmental law is unprepared to address. In the absence of international protections, what legal solutions can be developed that are both feasible and address the needs and rights of migrants? Lauren has published on climate change migration, displacement, and human rights. Her DPhil work is supervised by Professors Catherine Redgwell and Cathryn Costello.

From 2013-2015, Lauren was based in Myanmar and in Thailand, where she worked on environmental and human rights issues as an attorney with EarthRights International (full time) and the International Commission of Jurists (as a consultant). From 2006-2013, she was a litigator in the United States, with a focus on environmental law and renewable energy. She is admitted to practice in California.

Lauren holds an MSt in International Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford, for which she received overall distinction and distinction on a dissertation exploring the categorization of ‘climate change migrants’ and obstacles to their protection. She also has a JD from the Georgetown University Law Center and a BA from Vassar College.