As an international consultant for the Council of Europe, he leads a working group on reforming Moldova’s mechanisms of disaggregated data collection. His efforts are helping law enforcement agencies and courts begin collecting and providing key information related to hate crimes, fueling a more efficient approach in dealing with them.

In 2012, Moldova adopted for the first time an anti-discrimination law that established legal and institutional frameworks for combating discrimination based on numerous characteristics.

“As I grew up in a society full of violence and discrimination, it came naturally to me to dedicate my professional career to fighting these issues,” Sliusarenco says. “There were very few lawyers interested in this area of law, so I knew I had to do my best.”

He has since litigated before national and international courts, and worked to mitigate domestic violence, rape, and other forms of gender-based brutality.

Sliusarenco also fights systemic abuses against people with disabilities placed under guardianship, “which in Moldova, for over 25 years, meant being deprived of all rights,” he explains. Appearing before the nation’s highest judicial court, he helped win a case that led to a revamped national guardianship template and a more progressive civil code.

“We’re implementing different ‘training of trainers’ geared toward police officers, judges, and prosecutors,” he says. “This is a very inspiring job, which offers the opportunity to break a lot of stereotypes and make our society a little better.”

Also focused on racial justice, Sliusarenco has represented Roma, Black, refugee, and migrant individuals in discrimination and hate crime cases. In April, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination ruled favorably on an employment case he litigated.

“It’s the first case in which the Committee admits situational testing as a valid type of evidence in discrimination cases, a very important aspect for international jurisprudence,” he says.

Eager for legal and policy knowledge related to social networks, cybersecurity, technology, and media, Sliusarenco is relishing his new LL.M. home.

“Berkeley couldn’t be a better fit,” he says. —Andrew Cohen