Scholar begins epic drive after being awarded a First

  • July 15, 2011
Scholar begins epic drive after being awarded a First

Sam Walker wins a First in his Law master's and sets off on Mongolia adventure.

A Gates scholar has graduated with a first in his Law master’s course and plans to take up a post as a law clerk at Canada’s Surpreme Court of Justice.

Sam Walker [2010] did his LLM in International Law with his thesis on the philosophy of international law, specifically the lawfulness of killing in war. Not only did he get a First, but he was ranked second in his year group. His director of studies Jo Miles says this “fully vindicates the award of his Gates scholarship”.

He says he doesn’t think he would have been able to come to Cambridge without the Gates scholarship and adds that he benefited hugely from being a member of the Gates community “by meeting so many diverse and fascinating people, attending great events, and making lasting friends”.

Before he takes up his new one-year post in Canada as law clear to the Honourable Justice Morris Fish, he plans to drive a Nissan Micra from London to Mongolia with a group of friends to raise money for Christine Noble Children’s Foundation charity for underpriveleged children in Mongolia and Vietnam and “for the adventure”.

This is not his first road-trip experience. He has also biked across the US, driven across Canada and done a bus trek through Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.

Sam, who has previously worked in the War Crimes Chamber of the State Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina in Sarajevo and represented refugees and new immigrants at legal aid clinics in Kampala and Montreal, says he hopes eventually to do a PhD as he would like to teach.

Latest News

Scholar makes Forbes 30 Under 30 Healthcare & Science list in Asia

A Gates Cambridge Scholar has been featured as one of Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia: Healthcare & Science list. Hoang Minh Hieu Nguyen is one of 18 scientists and researchers […]

Studying Indigenous attitudes to mental health

When Will Smith [2026]  was studying in Canada during his undergraduate degree, his lecturer, Professor Pablo Irizar, on a Mexican philosophy course took a different approach to the subject of […]

Using Computational Chemistry to make better therapeutics

Aidyn Taishybay [2026] believes firmly that science should make a tangible difference to people.  He wants his work to have direct impact in the world and to make medicines more […]

How do we lead with hope?

Two Gates Cambridge Scholars feature in the final episode of the third series of our podcast So, now what? with a discussion about how to lead with hope. This series […]