Mary Robinson

Mary Robinson is an internationally recognized leader, having served as the first woman President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. She is a passionate advocate for gender equality, human dignity, and climate justice. After graduating with first-class honors from Trinity College Dublin in 1967, Mary Robinson was called to the Irish Bar the same year, subsequently earning an LL.M from Harvard Law School in 1968. In 1969, she was appointed Reid Professor of Criminal Law at Trinity College and simultaneously elected as an independent senator to Seanad Éireann.

Recognized for her lifelong contributions, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. Most recently, Robinson was appointed Adjunct Professor for Climate Justice at Trinity College Dublin in 2019, and in 2024, she was awarded the prestigious Tang Prize in the field of ‘Rule of Law.’