PUTTALAM : Rasha Hifzul Rahman, of Puttalam, has graduated from Notre Dame Law School in the United States with a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Human Rights Law, cum laude.
Rasha completed her schooling at Puttalam Fathima Balika Maha Vidyalaya from Grade 1 to 13 and upon completing her Advanced Level, she was selected to read for a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) at the Department of Law, University of Jaffna. After graduating, she completed her Attorney-at-Law examination and served as an Assistant Lecturer in Law at the University of Peradeniya. While continuing to apply for scholarships to pursue her master’s abroad, she received a full scholarship at University of Notre Dame, one of the best 20 law schools in the USA. She was part of the 10 student-cohort selected for the LL.M in International Human Rights Law program in 2025. At Notre Dame, she served as a Staff Editor at the Notre Dame Journal of International & Comparative Law and as a Student Intern at the Global Human Rights Clinic. She also attended a public hearing on Democracy and Human Rights, of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, in Brasília, Brazil.
Rasha said her journey was shaped by a desire to inspire girls from small towns and first-generation graduates to believe in opportunities beyond their immediate circumstances. She reflected that she had to fight against her own self-doubts and inner voices that continuously shrink students from small towns and first-generation graduates to the physical and social environments they are in. While taking the next step to pursue an education abroad demanded courage, she said without her loving family, this accomplishment would never have been possible. She expressed gratitude to her parents, her husband, and her family members who believed in her and supported her in expanding the horizons. She is also very grateful to all her teachers and mentors in Puttalam, Jaffna, and in Notre Dame who have been her guiding lights.
