September 23, 2021Back to Latest

Anna-Marie Robertson was born and raised in Edmonton where at a young age, she attended a lecture at the University of Alberta with her mother that would set her path in life. The ideas and values shared by Dr. Andy Knight about international relations sparked her passion for global citizenship and have had a lasting impact.

“I vowed I would make the world a better and more peaceful place. I was especially moved and inspired by the advocacy in that classroom, and it’s something I have kept with me throughout my academic and professional career,” says Anna-Marie. “Part of that is a great pride for the thoughtful advocacy and international connection that can thrive in Alberta and also reach Canadians across the country.”

In 2018, Anna-Marie graduated from Carleton University with a Bachelor of Arts in Transnational Law and Human Rights and in 2020, she earned her law degree from the University of Cambridge.

Anna-Marie has lived, worked and studied in many countries including Barbados, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and now the United States where she is currently pursuing her Master of Laws (LLM) in National Security Law at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

During her final year of law school, Anna-Marie applied to Georgetown and was accepted, however, considering the COVID-19 pandemic, she deferred her admission by one year. The deferral gave her the opportunity to do some preliminary reading on her research topic. She initially planned on focusing her research on the application of international and domestic law to cyber operations in armed conflict, but her interests have since broadened.

“I’m still very interested in my initial research topic, but my research has also expanded to other closely related issues and topics including regulatory frameworks, interactions between the public and private sphere, and war crimes and prosecution, all in the context of national security.”

Anna-Marie is honoured to be a recipient of the Viscount Bennett Scholarship and notes that without it and other scholarships she has received, pursuing an LLM would not be possible.
“It just takes someone believing in you, saying you can do it, or giving you the means to make it possible which can completely change the direction of your life. I think it’s very exciting and I’m very grateful for that.”

While Anna-Marie’s educational and professional pursuits have taken her around the world, she is deeply connected to her community and intends to return to Edmonton upon completing her LLM.

“Ultimately, my intention is to meaningfully give back to my community, to contribute thoughtful arguments and policies for national security issues in Canada, and to represent this profession with the highest level of professionalism, diligence and advocacy in the areas in which I work.”