REFUGEE/HUMAN RIGHTS CLINIC

Catalog description

Satisfies Experiential Learning requirement. Students will work an average of 20 hours per week on projects involving refugee and human rights issues and will have a unique opportunity to develop a range of skills relevant to legal advocacy in these areas. In the refugee area, there will be the opportunity to engage in the direct representation of asylum seekers, and to do policy and community education work on these issues. Human rights work may involve fact-finding and report writing, collaborative projects with other non-governmental organizations, and advocacy at regional human rights bodies, such as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. A number of the projects may be in partnership with the law school's Center for Gender and Refugee Studies (CGRS). CGRS is one of the nation's leading refugee advocacy organizations, engaging in research, national policy work, impact litigation, and other strategies in defense of asylum seekers. Students will be given as much individual responsibility as feasible, with one-on-one supervision, so as to provide them with mentoring and the opportunity to develop important Professional Skills and values. Students will participate in the weekly 3-unit class seminar and focus on the development of lawyering skills and issues of ethics. Peer learning will be emphasized through the use of "clinical rounds" and reflective discussion. The clinic will be of particular interest to students who are interested in exploring how successful advocacy on individual cases can impact the development of the law, and how "non-legal" approaches, as through media and grassroots mobilization, can strengthen traditional legal strategies.Admission to the Clinic requires the prior approval of the instructor(s). Apply through the online Common Clinic Application.