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International Human Rights Clinic

The International Human Rights Clinic enables students to represent clients in a variety of dynamic cases and projects that incorporate international human rights law, such as customary international law or treaty law, or are before international human rights bodies. 

Nearly all students enrolled in the International Human Rights Clinic represent clients seeking asylum for persecution they suffered abroad. The work includes conducting several interviews with the client, assisting the client with filing an asylum application, preparing an in-depth brief and declaration, and representing the client at his or her asylum hearing. In this work, students must establish that their clients meet the definition of “refugee” as established by the Refugee Convention and incorporated into U.S. asylum law. 

In addition, students working in the clinic have filed cases before the European Court of Human Rights for clients who came to the United States as refugees after suffering severe human rights abuses while living abroad. They also have worked on a variety of potential litigation cases under the Alien Tort Statute, which allows non-citizens to bring tort claims for violation of the law of nations in U.S. federal courts, and the Torture Victim Protection Act. Similarly, they have worked on litigation cases that, while primarily asserting claims under federal law, also incorporate international human rights law.  In addition, students have engaged in human rights fact-finding and reporting, advocated for the rights of immigrants, and worked on a variety of other human rights issues.

In the International Human Rights Clinic, we strive to ensure each student will have opportunities to interview and represent clients, engage in factual and legal research in the area of international law, engage in in-depth legal analysis and writing, learn to work collaboratively in a team setting, and have a transformative experience. Students also are coached to be "reflective" in their choices and in their practice, a habit all successful lawyers engage in throughout their careers and one we hope to instill in future lawyers.