The international law firm of Vivanco & Vivanco has awarded their inaugural full-tuition scholarship to Amanda Ramírez Barranco, an Argentine lawyer with roots in Colombia, allowing her to pursue an LL.M. in U.S. & Transnational Law at the University of Miami School of Law.
In late 2022, Vivanco & Vivanco announced they would award a young Argentine lawyer an annual scholarship to pursue a postgraduate degree at Miami Law. The Fulbright Commission will oversee the administration of the selection of the finalist.
“It is a life changing opportunity and a huge surprise,” said Ramírez Barranco. “This scholarship is deeply special for me as I am the first person to be granted this opportunity in this University. ‘You are our pioneer’ I was told the first time I arrived to Vivanco & Vivanco’s office in Buenos Aires, and I was completely amazed and grateful to God.”
Ramírez Barranco initially wanted to be a doctor like her parents, but she constantly thought about international relations, diplomacy, and other topics related to international law. As a result, she began her law education, and when it came time to pick her specialty within the legal field, she had “no doubts” about her choice of international law.
Ramírez Barranco received her law degree from the University of Buenos Aires in 2020. Before coming to Miami, she worked for an immigration law firm in the United States and completed an internship at the Organization of American States. She has also worked for law firms dedicated to international commerce, human rights legal clinics, and nonprofit organizations. Ramírez Barranco is excited to bring this knowledge and expertise to her studies at Miami Law.
So far, Ramírez Barranco has enjoyed her time in Miami. “It has been an awesome experience,” she said. “I am excited about all the diversity of students who attend the LL.M. program and feel enriched every day by my classes and professors.”
After completing her studies at Miami Law, Ramírez Barranco plans to sit for the New York bar exam and complete one year of an Optional Practical Training Program, both of which are opportunities provided by the University of Miami and her scholarship. While she is still exploring her options, she hopes to work with human rights-related organizations as she has always wanted to make the world a better place and advocate for mistreated people.
“As a migrant, I am deeply keen on migrants and refugees’ realities and the teaching of migrant’s rights and education as an empowering tool,” said Ramírez Barranco. “I long to work alongside public and private organizations to improve realities and create more jobs and opportunities for them.”
She hopes to use her law degrees to provide solutions for people in highly vulnerable situations in Latin America and contribute to public policies that would aid economic growth in the region.
Read more about Miami Law’s LL.M. Programs.
