Michael Eastman

I am an immigrant to the United States from Cape Town, South Africa! In South Africa, I was a human rights lawyer, working on everything from representing refugees to promoting freedom of speech. I also clerked for the Chief Justice of South Africa; practiced corporate and appellate litigation as a trial lawyer in Johannesburg and throughout the African continent; and served in a senior policy role for the Government of South Africa. When I took a sabbatical to study for a graduate degree in international relations at Yale University, I happily met my now-wife and so immigrated to the United States. We recently moved to the Bay Area when she took a position at Stanford Medical School. I now work as a novelist, drawing on my human rights work in Africa for inspiration. I have a deep passion and love for teaching and mentoring. I taught at Yale University for three years, coached professional development in both the South African government and in the legal fraternity, and served as a volunteer English and Debating teacher in marginalized high schools in South Africa. At Bay Area Learning Partners I tutor English and Social Studies. I hold bachelors and law degrees from the University of Cape Town in South Africa and a fellowship and graduate degree from Yale University.