Alumni profile - Pavitra Pottala
Mon 13 July 2026
Pavitra Pottala, LLM in International Law, 2025
Tell us a little bit about your life/background before Edinburgh Law School
Before joining Edinburgh Law School, my journey was shaped by education, public scholarships, and the belief that law can be used as a tool for social change. I come from a marginalised Scheduled Caste background in Maharashtra, India; a first-generation learner and lawyer, and the first in my family to pursue higher education. In our home, education was never treated only as a route to employment; it was understood as a path to dignity and self-reliance.
After school, I did not have access to private coaching for India’s national-level law entrance examination. I prepared largely on my own, cleared the entrance examination and joined Maharashtra National Law University (MNLUA), for my B.A. LL.B. (Hons).
I studied with the support of the Government of India Post-Matric Scholarship and became closely involved in scholarship-related student advocacy. I participated in efforts to persuade the Government of Maharashtra to provide structured scholarship support for students from marginalised and financially vulnerable communities at my university. Those efforts helped secure scholarship support for future batches of students, and I later served as a student representative on scholarship-related matters.
That experience changed the way I understood education. Scholarships are not only financial assistance; for many first-generation students, they determine whether someone can enter, remain in, and complete higher education, and they are directly connected to dignity and intergenerational change.
Beyond university, I worked voluntarily with Rajam Foundation, mentoring students from marginalised and low-income backgrounds who were preparing for law entrance examinations, facing barriers much like those I had faced myself.
What did you study at Edinburgh Law School, and why did you choose the programme?
I studied the LLM in International Law, which allowed me to engage with a wide range of legal questions. I also studied French as an optional course, helping me think more broadly about language, culture and international communication.
I chose International Law because many of today's most serious legal challenges are transnational. They require lawyers to understand the relationship between domestic law, international legal frameworks, institutions and global power structures. Coming from India, I have always been interested in the relationship between law, development and social justice. I believe development must go hand in hand with sustainability, governance, human rights and accountability, and I wanted a programme that would help me understand how legal systems respond when economic growth, corporate power and vulnerable communities intersect. The LLM in International Law at Edinburgh gave me that wider lens.
The programme helped me think more clearly about the kind of legal career I want to build: one that uses legal knowledge for litigation, reform, public service and social accountability in India.
What do you think is unique to the Edinburgh Law School experience and what are some of your favourite memories?
What felt most unique about Edinburgh Law School was the way it encouraged independent thinking. I learned that disagreement, when supported by reasoning and respect, is an important part of legal education. That changed the way I saw myself as a law student and as a future legal professional.
The seminar culture was especially important to me. Discussions often opened into wider questions about power, justice, governance, development and human rights. One of my favourite academic memories was the course Sustainability in Global Food Supply Chains: Law and Policy, which connected law with sustainability, business responsibility, labour rights and global supply chains in ways I found genuinely illuminating. I also served as an Editor for Contemporary Challenges: The Global Crime, Justice and Security Journal, where editorial team meetings brought together editing, books and ideas in a collaborative and stimulating way.
Outside the classroom, Edinburgh gave me a deeply international and human experience. I made friends from many countries across Asia, Africa and the Americas, and was part of the Indian, Venezuelan and African Societies, learning about different cultures through food, language, music and conversation.
Edinburgh gave me academic confidence, but more than that it helped me become more open, reflective and resilient. It gave me the space to unlearn many fears and to develop my own voice.
What have you been up to since graduating/what are you doing after graduation (e.g., your professional or further academic pursuits since leaving Edinburgh Law School) and how have your degree studies with us helped you in this?
I have been preparing to return to India and build a legal career grounded in public service, rights protection and accountability. As my education abroad was made possible through public scholarship support, I see my return as a responsibility as much as a professional step.
I am exploring opportunities such as judicial clerkships with courts in India and research or policy-oriented roles connected with the Law Commission of India. My aim is to build a career that remains connected to vulnerable communities, including women, children, marginalised groups, workers and communities affected by environmental and corporate harms. I also wish to continue my work with organisations such as Rajam Foundation, and I am currently mentoring first-generation students exploring higher education and legal education opportunities.
My studies at Edinburgh Law School shaped this direction considerably. The LLM in International Law helped me see that many local struggles in India, whether connected to labour rights, environmental harm or access to justice, are also part of global legal debates and international frameworks. I was also fortunate to learn from Professor Nehal Bhuta, Dr Gail Lythgoe and Professor Simone Lamont-Black, whose teaching shaped my thinking and research. I returned from the programme with stronger research skills, a deeper understanding of international law, and a clearer sense of how I want to use my legal education in India.
What advice would you give current Edinburgh Law School students?
My advice to current Edinburgh Law School students would be to not see your time at Edinburgh only as a degree. See it as an opportunity to think, question, unlearn, and build your own legal voice.
Read deeply, participate in seminars, ask questions, and do not be afraid to express your perspective, even if you are still developing confidence. One of the most valuable things Edinburgh taught me was that legal education is not only about knowing the law, but also about learning how to reason, disagree respectfully, and connect law with the world around you.
I would also encourage students to make the most of the wider Edinburgh experience. Learn from people from different countries, cultures, languages and legal systems. Join student societies, attend events, use the Law Library, speak to your professors, and allow yourself to grow both academically and personally. Edinburgh Law School is not only an academic space; it can become a safe and supportive community where students explore their future and discover themselves.
For students who come from first-generation, marginalised or non-traditional backgrounds, my advice is: do not let your background make you feel small. Your journey, your questions and your lived experience also belong in the classroom. Education can change not only one life, but also families and generations to come. Use your time at Edinburgh with courage, discipline and purpose.