Enrollment in this clinic will fulfill the HLS JD pro bono requirement.

Required Class Component: Students in the fall clinic must enroll in one of two sections of Human Rights Advocacy (2 fall classroom credits). Students who enroll in the fall clinic will be enrolled in one of the required courses by the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs. Students are guaranteed a seat in one of these two required courses, but are not guaranteed their first choice. Students may enroll in only one of the two available courses.

Additional Co-/Pre-Requisites: None.

By Permission: No.

Add/Drop Deadline: August 12, 2022.

LLM Students: LLM students may apply to the clinic through the LLM General Clinic Application.

Placement Site: HLS.

Through the International Human Rights Clinic, students link theory with practice and learn core skills necessary to become effective and thoughtful human rights advocates. Students work on pressing and timely human rights problems around the world, in collaboration with leading international and local human rights organizations. Those in the Clinic have the opportunity to explore a range of approaches to advance the interests of clients and affected communities. For example, students interview survivors and document abuse; undertake legal, factual, and strategic analysis; and interact with media to build campaigns and advocate for human rights – all under the close supervision of the Clinic’s human rights practitioners. Students work in small teams on a variety of human rights projects and cases. When appropriate, students travel to investigate abuses or pursue advocacy outside Cambridge, participate in sessions before intergovernmental bodies and arguments before courts, and help formulate policy to promote respect for human rights principles and the rule of law. In any given term, the Clinic delves into a wide range of issues, including extrajudicial executions, torture, and criminal justice; the unlawful use of cluster munitions and other weapons; civilian protection in armed conflict; sexual and reproductive rights; human rights and the environment; business and human rights; accountability litigation, including under the Alien Tort Statute and Torture Victim Protection Act; transitional justice; civil and political rights; economic, social, and cultural rights; and many more. Our clinicians have expertise in numerous regions and countries, including in Latin America, Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, and North America, including the United States. The wide range of skills, as well as thematic and geographic knowledge, exposes students to a variety of strategies and innovative techniques for promoting and protecting human rights.

Fall clinic students must take one of two sections of Human Rights Advocacy (2 fall classroom credits). The seminars teach about the key skills of human rights practitioners and include simulations related to fact-finding and field investigations, media work, and/or negotiation and legislative work. Clinical seminar selection and enrollment occurs once a student has enrolled in the fall clinic and is orchestrated by the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs.