The Human Rights Clinic exposes students to the practice of law in the international and cross-cultural context of human rights litigation and advocacy. An intensive critical seminar examines the actors, subjects, and tools of the human rights movement, as well as critiques coming from left and right. Specifically, the seminar considers the evolution of the human rights movement, how to locate litigation in human rights work, the difficulties in applying ‘traditional’ human rights methodology beyond the civil and political rights context, the developing human rights movement in the United States, and economic issues that arise in human rights norms and analysis. To bridge theory and practice, the Human Rights Clinic provides students with hands-on experience working on active human rights cases and projects. The skills-training imparted through classroom instruction and simulations is applied and tested in the context of real-world advocacy. Working in partnership with experienced attorneys and institutions engaged in human rights activism, both in the United States and abroad, students contribute to effecting positive change locally and globally as they hone their professional skills. Clinic projects cover the full range of human rights advocacy, though in particular initiatives focus on (1) human rights advocacy in the United States, (2) litigating in international fora, (3) addressing problems at the intersection of development, private investment and human rights, and (4) supporting NGOs engaged in diverse forms of advocacy.
