Staff

Madeline Yingling (she/her) is JURIST’s News Managing Editor. Madeline is a third-year law student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (US) and joined JURIST in September 2023 as a News writer. She is primarily interested in international law and human rights.

Salma Ben Souissi is JURIST’s Deputy News Managing Editor. Salma is a law graduate from the Université Libre de Tunis. She has a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the European University of Tunis and an LLM in international human rights law from the University of Law in London. She joined JURIST in December 2023 as a News writer before becoming an editor. She is particularly interested in human rights and immigration law.

Derren Chan is a Senior News Editor. He is a recent graduate of the Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia (CA) and the University of Hong Kong. Derren previously served as JURIST’s News Managing Editor and as Hong Kong Bureau Chief and has a particular interest in constitutional law and international law.

Nova Kruijning is a Senior News Editor. Nova is a graduate of Maastricht University in The Netherlands, where she completed her Bachelor’s degree in European & International law. After completing her undergraduate degree, she pursued the post-graduate Diploma of Law in the UK. She has a keen interest in international law and global affairs, and after completing her Masters’ degree in 2025, would like to work in the field of international law alongside continuing to pursue her interest in legal journalism.

Matteo Piccioli is a Senior News Editor. Matteo is a second-year student at Maastricht University in The Netherlands. Originally from Italy, he spent eight years living in Ecuador’s capital. He has a strong interest in public law, particularly from a European perspective. In his free time, he enjoys long walks and spending time with friends. Matteo has been an active member of JURIST for over a year, gaining valuable experience along the way. He is now part of the editorial team and takes great pleasure in contributing to and engaging with the JURIST community.

Pitasanna Shanmugathas is a Senior Editor for Long Form Content. Pitasanna is a 3L at the University of Windsor Faculty of Law. He holds a Master of Global Affairs degree from the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs. Pitasanna is also a documentary filmmaker and has co-produced a critically insightful documentary series on Canadian foreign policy as well as on Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict. Since 2014, Pitasanna has volunteered with the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture, an organization that supports refugees arriving in Canada upon fleeing torture and persecution. As a law student, Pitasanna has worked as a student clinician in the US at the Vermont Immigrant Assistance Clinic and as a summer student at an immigration firm in Canada, assisting asylum seekers. Pitasanna has also been involved in peace activism and refugee advocacy through Save the Children Canada, STAND Canada, and the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace.

Shashank Pandey (he/him) is JURIST’s Global Chief of Staff. Shashank is a fourth-year student at the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences in Kolkata, India, pursuing a law and humanities degree. He is interested in researching and writing about socio-legal issues, with a particular emphasis on using his writing to advocate for reforms.

Tyler Li is JURIST’s Global Chief of Staff and a third-year law student at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law. He completed his undergraduate degree at Western University where he majored in political science. Tyler is a world-class debater and public speaker with many accolades on the international stage, being a Grand Finalist at the North American Universities Debating Championships and ranked 24th in the world at the World Universities Debating Championships in Belgrade. Tyler has a keen interest in corporate transactional law, with a particular interest in banking & specialty finance, securities, and digital assets. He has previously worked at international law firms in Hong Kong and China, and will be joining Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP in Toronto this summer.

Lana Osei is JURIST’s Africa Chief of Staff. Lana holds an LLB from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and also serves as Executive Secretary at the Centre for African Diplomacy and Global Engagement (Afroglobals) in Accra, Ghana. Her work bridges policy, advocacy, and people. For Lana, writing is not merely a skill, but a “manifesto to her future self”—a powerful tool to envision a better world and advocate for the actions needed to achieve it. She leads with humility, passion, and purpose, empowering her team, fostering collaboration, and amplifying African voices for global impact.

Daniel Kim is JURIST’s Canada Chief of Staff. Daniel is a 3L at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law. He has a strong interest in legal writing and research and has written on AI privacy and regulatory issues. Daniel will be summering at Kirkland & Ellis in New York City where he aims to start career in litigation. Outside of law, Daniel loves exercise and outdoor activities like hiking and surfing.

George Macauley is JURIST’s Canada Deputy Chief of Staff. George is a 3L at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. Prior to joining the leadership team, he worked with JURIST for more than a year—providing coverage of legal news relevant to the rule of law in Canada and abroad. His areas of interest include housing and labour rights, constitutional law, and corporate law. He also has previously completed a master’s degree in philosophy and holds extensive experience in competitive debate.

Hailun (Helena) Tian is JURIST’s East Asia Chief of Staff. Helena is a graduate from Nankai University School of Law in China, where she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in law. She completed a Master’s degree in International Commercial Law from University College London (UCL) with Distinction in 2024. She also studied public and private international law at the Hague Academy of International Law, during which the UK government partly sponsored her. Helena finds her interests in international trade law and arbitration law, and actively takes internships at regional courts and arbitration institutions. Helena joined JURIST’s Mainland China Team in 2023 and previously served as Associate Editor. She is keen to meet new JURIST members and work with people from all over the world.

Rahel Helmhart is JURIST’s Europe Chief of Staff. Rahel is a graduate of the University of Groningen and is currently pursuing her LL.M. in Public International Law at Leiden University. Her work centers around international human rights and criminal law.

María Paz Rodríguez Galiano is JURIST’s South America Chief of Staff. She is a fifth-year student at the Facultad de Derecho PUCP (PE).

Arnav Laroia is JURIST’s South Asia Chief of Staff. Arnav is a fourth-year law student at The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS), Kolkata. He has strong academic interests in public international law, international humanitarian law, criminal law, constitutional law and public law. His involvement in student-led initiatives and research centres has deepened his engagement with complex legal issues and sparked his interest in legal journalism. Outside law, he enjoys historical docuseries, soccer, and chess.

Sandar Linn is JURIST’s UK Chief of Staff. Sandar is a third-year student at Newcastle Law School (GB). Witnessing the rule of law crisis in her home country, Myanmar, motivates her to continue her legal education despite obstacles. From writing dispatches about Myanmar to now leading the team in the UK, she has been an active member of JURIST for several years. After completing her exchange semester in the US as a Global UGRAD scholar, she brings all her unique experiences of “law and life” with her to resume her legal education in the UK. She served her community as a Street Law Ambassador at Newcastle University, just like when she used to volunteer at Mandalay Justice Centre back in Myanmar. Having lived and studied law in two very different worlds—one where the rule of law is in crisis and another where it is actively upheld, though imperfectly—she is determined to understand and reconcile both realities through the lens of legal knowledge. She is committed to constantly exploring “what more she can do with her legal knowledge” and “what more the law can do for the community.” Outside of law, she is very enthusiastic about practicing Karate.

Paige Miller is JURIST’s US Chief of Staff. Paige is a third year student at University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. She joined JURIST in May 2024 as a news writer and is interested in family law, disability rights, and compliance.

Aynsley Genga is JURIST’s Chief of Staff for Correspondents. She is a graduate of the University of Nairobi School of Law and is currently at the Kenya School of Law undertaking the advocate training program. She is passionate about justice, equality, and democracy. As a committed advocate for the voiceless, she believes in using the law and storytelling to amplify marginalized perspectives and drive social change.

Harjaap Ahluwalia is JURIST’s Alumni Engagement Coordinator. He is a Research LLM Candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School in Canada, where his research focuses on the impacts of the Global Minimum Tax. Harjaap earned his undergraduate law degree from National Law University, Delhi, and is passionate about legal education and global justice. As Alumni Engagement Coordinator, Harjaap aims to strengthen ties between JURIST alumni and current staff, celebrate the diverse paths of alumni, and create opportunities for them to remain involved in the organization’s mission.