International Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Clinic: Clinical Practice

Catalog description

This Clinic trains law students to be critical and creative human rights lawyers, effect social change, and serves as a lab for the human rights and conflict resolution fields. Students work with civil society on a range of human rights advocacy projects and participate in a seminar where they learn a broad array of skills from the human rights and conflict resolution fields. Throughout the quarter students complete assignments for the seminar and participate in Clinic project rounds where they discuss their work on projects with their peers and supervisors. The core of students' time in Clinic is spent on project work focused on urgent and under-addressed human rights issues in close partnership with lawyers, practitioners, and impacted communities around the globe. The Clinic's practice spans four global legal practice areas: peace and justice, equality and non-discrimination, rights across borders, and climate justice. Clinic students work on project teams, supported by the close oversight from Clinic supervisors. Students engage directly with partners and may travel, if such travel is required to conduct the work. Student project work often involves extensive legal research and writing and the production of a range of legal, research, and advocacy documents that might include, among other items, litigation briefs and affidavits, fact-finding reports, amicus briefs, and other advocacy or analysis documents. The Clinic also serves as a lab for innovative advocacy strategies and provides a space for practitioners to connect across geographies and disciplines and reflect on and test innovative and critically-responsive advocacy strategies through joint projects. Projects may therefore involve multiple partners in the United States and around the world. The Clinic aims to create a space where all students are able to bring their full selves and participate in all…