Katharina Obser
Program Associate/Legal Assistant
Refugee Protection Program

As Program Associate in the D.C. Refugee Protection Program, Katharina Obser provides comprehensive support to Human Rights First’s asylum pro bono representation program. Her work includes scheduling and conducting client interviews, coordinating case placement of asylum seekers, and supporting the work of pro bono attorneys. She also assists with the program’s advocacy and government liaison work. Prior to joining the Refugee Protection Program, Katharina was an intern with Human Rights First, assisting with the organization’s HOPE for Darfur campaign, Refugee Protection program, and Law & Security program. As a student at the University of Michigan, Katharina was a research assistant in the Department of Political Science. She also spent a semester abroad in Dakar, Senegal, where she studied at the Université Cheikh Anta Diop and interned at RADDHO, the Rencontre Africaine pour les Droits de l’Homme. Katharina holds a B.A. in Political Science and French. She is fluent in French and German and speaks elementary Arabic.