Student News: Ellis Medal Winner Nicolas Lower

Congratulations to 3L Nicolas Lower who was selected as the 2025 Ellis Medal recipient during the D'Alemberte & Palmer Lecture in International Human Rights. The Ellis Medal recognizes a graduating student who has shown outstanding dedication to international affairs and human rights. Lower was selected for this honor due to his extensive work on human rights projects throughout his law school career.

His contributions range from advocating for free expression rights in Southern Africa to drafting legal policy memos on Russia's prosecution involving the Ukraine war.

Lower’s experience in public international law at FSU culminated in his role as a D'Alemberte Ellis Fellow, where he interned at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). There, he researched the reinterpretation of protected groups under the Genocide Convention using ECCC jurisprudence and participated in outreach initiatives, explaining the Khmer Rouge Tribunal’s findings to Khmer university students. His time in Phnom Penh deepened his appreciation for cultural diversity and the interconnectedness of nations in advancing international criminal and human rights law.