Ms. Vanessa Montague-James is a political consultant and international human rights attorney specializing in implementing the rule of law initiatives in Latin American countries. She worked for 12 years at the U.S. Embassy in Ecuador (U.S. Department of State) as the Senior Political Specialist. She helped guide political outreach efforts to develop and maintain political ties with host government officials, academia, CSOs, and think tanks. Exceptional past work experience includes human rights advocacy and litigation, university law teaching, and legal consultancy services. Currently, she is pursuing a Master of Science in Foreign Service at Georgetown University. She earned a dual Master of Laws (LL.M) in International Legal Studies and Law & Government from American University Washington College of Law; holds a Juris Doctor degree from SEK International University. Ms. Montague-James also pursued Latin American Studies on a graduate level and earned a bachelor's degree in Social and Legal Science.

"I chose MSFS because it has been repeatedly ranked number one worldwide by several raters, including Foreign Policy Magazine, it is the oldest school of Foreign Service, and it’s an honor to be a small part of the school’s history."