Non Nobis Solum Alumni Award goes to Jordan Jones JD’20

As Jordan Jones JD’20 sat in her cubicle working in finance in Florida in 2016, she considered what she had heard about the Pulse nightclub shooting just a few blocks away.

Jones is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and the horrific events at the gay club caused her to wonder what she was doing working in finance when she had always wanted to work in human rights. Ultimately, she decided she wanted to go to law school.

Jones began researching programs in international and comparative law and found Willamette.

They have written the book on international and comparative law. Professor [Caroline] Davidson was part of the former Yugoslavia war crimes trials. Professor [James] Nafziger is a source of incredible scholarly knowledge in international law. And Professor [Symeon] Symeonides has written the books on conflicts of laws. It’s literally tangible. The professors have lived it.

During her time at Willamette, Jones received a Certificate in International and Comparative Law and studied abroad at German’s Justis Liebig University as part of a summer international human rights program.

Following her graduation, she moved to Washington, D.C., to earn an LLM in international and comparative law from George Washington University Law School. She was having brunch with friends in August of 2021 when Kabul, Afghanistan, fell to the Taliban, and the world watched the situation devolve into chaos.

She immediately knew she wanted to do whatever she could to help. Through her network, she was referred to the case of a female Afghan law student who needed to get out of the country.

“That first case within a week became 30 cases, and then I was referred 60 cases,” Jones says. Through another contact, she was put in touch with a donor who paid for her to establish the Humanitarian Legal Assistance Project, giving her the ability to work as a full-time, pro bono attorney for a year, solely focused on the cases of refugees.

Jones has since traveled to the United Arab Emirates and Albania to help Afghans. She received the Willamette University Non Nobis Solum Alumni Award this year after helping more than 1500 find safety and resettlement.

I didn’t even know I was nominated until they called me and said I won. It feels great. Willamette gave me the foundation to do this work and help these people, and they still support what I do. The international and comparative law program at Willamette and the professors within it gave me the foundation to help thousands of people.

- Jordan Jones JD’20