María Elisa Zavala Achurra is a graduate of Harvard Law School (LL.M., 2020) and a Research Assistant with the HLS Program on International Law and Armed Conflict (HLS PILAC) for Summer 2020. During her LL.M., she focused on public international law. Elisa worked as a Submissions Editor for the Harvard International Law Journal, and her LL.M. paper dealt with the obligation to negotiate in good faith in international law. At HLS PILAC, Elisa contributes independent research for the Counterterrorism and Humanitarian Engagement Project, including with respect to partner vetting as well as data protection and privacy.
Elisa completed her law degree in Santiago, Chile in 2015. During her studies, she had a marked interest in public international law, an area in which she was a teaching assistant. She also participated in the Jessup Moot Court Competition twice, reaching the final of the international round in 2015. After graduating, Elisa became an Adjunct Professor in Universidad Catolica de Chile, where she taught courses on public international law, litigation, and legal research. As a professor, she published several articles in those areas and coached the Jessup Moot Court team. At the same time, she worked as an associate attorney in Claro & Cía., a Chilean law firm, focusing her practice in litigation and arbitration.
Biography last update: August 2020.