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

Required Class Component: N/A.

Additional Co-/Pre-Requisites: 3Ls only; prior semester of the International Human Rights Clinic.

By Permission: Yes. Applications are due by April 15, 2024.

Add/Drop Deadline: June 1, 2024.

LLM Students: Due to the pre-requisite, LLM students are not eligible to apply.

Placement Site: HLS.

This will be a full-time clinic option for up to 2 students in the International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC) for the of Fall 2024. Students will enroll in 10 credits total with the Clinic for the semester (see breakdown below), with requirements as follows:

• By application (Deadline: April 15, 2024).
• Limited to 3Ls who have previously spent at least one semester in the IHRC.
• Students will take the fall course, Crafting Change & Elevating Impact: Advanced Skills & Ethics in Human Rights Practice (2 fall classroom credits).
• Students will work full-time in the Clinic on one or more projects (6 clinical credits).
• Students will take independent writing credits under the supervision of an IHRC clinician, with a focus on a topic of relevance to either the clinical work or the seminar (2 writing credits).
• Full-time clinic students will also be given additional responsibilities, serving as student team leaders who assist in making strategic decisions and in supporting the work of other students on projects.

In addition to the credits enrolled through the Semester in Human Rights, students may also enroll in one additional seminar or course (of 2 or 3 credits) related to their area of focus. In their applications (see below for details), students should identify any such seminar or course and explain how it is relevant to their focus for the semester.

Additional Logistics:

Students who are accepted into the Semester in Human Rights will also register for 2 writing credits. To register for writing credits, students should fill out the JD Option 1 Written Work form and submit to Maggie Bay in Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs (mbay@law.harvard.edu).

Applications for the Semester in Human Rights, with a current CV and a statement of interest, should be submitted to Clinical Director Susan Farbstein (sfarbstein@law.harvard.edu). Please address the following questions in your statement of interest:

• How will the full-time semester build on your prior experience in and commitment to human rights, whether in a clinic, summer placement, pre-law school employment, etc.? How and why are you prepared for this option?
• What are your post-graduate career plans, and how will the full-time semester better prepare you for your intended career path?
• What project(s) do you propose to work on, and why is the full-time option necessary for the project(s)? If you do not have a particular project in mind, what issues or skills do you propose to focus on and why?
• What will be the added value of enrolling full time?
• How will the different components (advanced class, clinical projects, independent writing) complement each other and form a coherent and intensive term?

Successful completion of appropriate written work in this offering satisfies the professional writing requirement for matriculants to the J.D. program from 2023 onward.