The International and Comparative Human Rights Practicum in India: A Hands-On Approach to Cross-Cultural Advocacy

Fatma Marouf received her J.D.
from Harvard Law School in 2002.

Via the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program 

Learning to work collaboratively across cultures, think creatively about relationships between law and organizing, and handle the myriad of challenges working with vulnerable, migrant populations are only some of the benefits that U.S. and Indian law students gain by participating in the International and Comparative Human Rights Practicum program. Born out of a relationship between U.S. and Indian law faculty through the Global Alliance for Justice Education (GAJE), Fatma Marouf (HLS ‘02) helped develop this unique Practicum, based in New Delhi, in order to bring together an interdisciplinary group of students to work in a hands-on environment on important human rights issues.

Marouf, a professor at William S. Boyd School of Law at University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Co-Director of the school’s Immigration Clinic, worked closely with Indian colleagues Anannya Bhattacharjee at the Society for Labour and Development (SLD), Dr. Moushumi Basu, a professor at Jawaharal Nehru University’s School of International Studies, and Khadijah Faruqui, a distinguished women’s rights lawyer, to build a program where students could take their classroom experience into a real world setting. Three other HLS ’02 graduates and alumni of the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic — Jennifer Rosenbaum, Sabi Ardalan, and Dustin Sharp– have co-taught the Practicum, contributing to its great success.

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