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Tag: Human Rights Program

SPO Student Reflection: “IHRC Has Been at the Heart of My Growth as a Human Rights Practitioner and Social Justice Advocate”

September 13, 2018 / / 0 Comments

By: Daniel Levine-Spound, JD ’19

It is no exaggeration to say that my experience in the Human Rights Program has been the highlight of my time in law school. Since arriving at HLS in the Fall of 2016, I have served as Director of Programming and as a project participant in HLS Advocates for Human Rights, spent two semesters in the International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC), conducted independent research with IHRC professors, and taken as many international human rights-related courses as possible. Now, as I begin my third consecutive semester in the International Human Rights Clinic, and begin my work as Co-President of HLS Advocates, my 3L schedule largely revolves around the Human Rights Program – and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The breadth of clinical offerings, SPO projects, and coursework in the Human Rights Program allows students to explore a broad range of pressing human rights issue-areas, and to identify and focus on the subjects about which they are most passionate. Most recently, as a 2L clinical student, I spent two semesters working on a lengthy investigation of refugee rights in the Kakuma refugee camp in North-Eastern Kenya, with a specific focus on freedom of movement. Working in a team of students under the supervision of Clinical Instructor Anna Crowe, I conducted months of research on movement restrictions in Kakuma, analyzing the functioning and effects of a complex and often opaque governance regime in light of domestic, regional, and international law. In November 2017, I traveled to Nairobi and Kakuma with Anna and one other student, conducting dozens of interviews with refugees, NGO workers, government employees and experts. Our research, reflected in a lengthy internal report and recently published briefing paper, provides a clear analysis of the significant consequences of movement restrictions on refugees in Kakuma, demonstrates the incongruence of said restrictions with Kenyan and international law, and offers a number of necessary recommendations. Now, as I enter into my third semester in the IHRC as a 3L, I am thrilled to be working on a project centered on assisting victims of environmental damage in armed conflict with Bonnie Docherty, Associate Director of Armed Conflict and Civilian Protection.

Outside of my clinical work, I have had the opportunity to take courses, and conduct independent research, on a number of subjects related to international human rights. Over the course of my time at HLS, I have explored questions of international humanitarian law, public international law, corporate accountability, human rights litigation in US Courts, disarmament, the UN human rights system, regional human rights courts, and emerging international law around LGBTQ rights and protections.

Undoubtedly, the most meaningful part of my experience in IHRC and Advocates has been the opportunity to work closely with clinicians. As project supervisors, classroom instructors, SPO advisors, and mentors, IHRC clinicians are the reason why Harvard Law School is an exceptional place to learn and grow as a human rights practitioner and lawyer. Supportive and affirming, inspiring and encouraging, and committed to the values of human rights and social justice, IHRC clinicians are dedicated to developing the next crop of human rights lawyers and activists. And at an extremely precarious moment for human rights, both in the United States and across the world, their work could not be more vital.

At a large and often intimidating institution like HLS, IHRC is a home for students on campus committed to fighting for a more just, humane, and democratic world. Even when I don’t have anything scheduled in the IHRC, I often find myself walking around the clinic, chatting with clinicians and other social justice-oriented students, and feeling re-charged and rejuvenated, ready to get back to the human rights work for which I came to HLS in the first place. As I enter into my final year of law school, it is clear that IHRC has been at the heart of my growth as a human rights practitioner and social justice advocate, providing me with the tools and inspiration I need to begin a career as a human rights lawyer.

I will miss it deeply when I am gone.

HRP Awards Four Post-Graduate Fellowships in Human Rights for the 2018-2019 Year

June 12, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Via the International Human Rights Program

The Human Rights Program is pleased to announce its cohort of post-graduate fellowships in human rights. This year, Conor Hartnett, JD’18, and Alejandra Elguero Altner, LLM’17, have been awarded the Henigson Human Rights Fellowship and Jenny B. Domino, LLM’18, and Anna Khalfaoui, LLM’17, have been awarded the Satter Human Rights Fellowship.

Continue reading

Clinicians Celebrated at the 3rd International Women’s Day Exhibition

March 9, 2016 / / 0 Comments

The Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs offers its heartfelt congratulations to Mindy Roseman (Human Rights Program) and Patricia Whiting (Harvard Legal Aid Bureau) on being honored for their significant contributions to their respective areas of the law and policy at the 3rd Annual Harvard Law International Women’s Day.

Via Women Inspiring Change

Senior Clinical Instructor at the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau. Former fellow and Clinical Instructor at the WilmerHale Legal Services Center, practicing in the areas of housing law and consumer bankruptcy.

Patricia Whiting is a Lecturer on Law and Senior Clinical Instructor at the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, where she has been an attorney, teacher, mentor, and advocate for low-income tenants throughout the Boston area since 2006.  As part of her practice at the Legal Aid Bureau, Ms. Whiting supervises eight second- and third-year law students in the Housing Practice, while also coordinating the Bureau’s participation in the Attorney for the Day Program in Boston Housing Court, which provides on-the-spot legal assistance to the hundreds of low-income tenants facing the loss of their homes each week.  In the past year alone, Ms. Whiting has guided her students through oral argument at the Supreme Judicial Court and the Massachusetts Court of Appeals, as well as through countless hearings, motions arguments, and negotiations, while also advocating to preserve tenants’ legal rights and protections in the Massachusetts State Legislature and working to expand access of low-income clients to appellate fora through the Access to Justice Pro Bono Appeal pilot project.

Her tireless dedication to her students and her clients shines through everything that she does, leaving a lasting mark on the lives of those who have had the immense privilege of learning from and working with her.  Ms. Whiting holds an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a J.D. from Boston College Law School.

In the words of some of the HLS community members who nominated her,

“Pattie is an exceptional teacher and clinical instructor but where she excels and inspires most is in her role as a lawyer and an advocate. During my time at the Legal Aid Bureau, I have witnessed Pattie run to the aid of tenants who desperately needed representation but could not get it from a student at the Bureau or other legal services organization. Arguing motions on behalf of a pro se tenant with little or no notice is not part of her job description but her empathy, compassion, and passion compels her to do so and she does so with little praise or fanfare. Students at the Legal Aid Bureau and low-income tenants in the Boston area have benefited immensely from her advocacy. I am a better person and lawyer because I have had the opportunity to work with her, learn from her and watch her.”

“Pattie has been the single most influential person in my law school career. She has been a teacher, advisor, friend, and role model to me in our two years together, and I know that she will continue to shape the way I approach the world even after leaving HLS. Her relentless advocacy for low-income tenants across Boston is legendary to those who know her, but even beyond advocacy, Pattie shines. She is a patient and caring teacher who thinks nothing of taking a student’s panicked midnight call the night before a hearing. She is a mentor who deeply cares about her students’ personal and professional well-being. And she is an amazing example of how female attorneys can be tough, passionate, and compassionate a the same time. I know that, as I begin my legal career, I will be looking to Pattie’s example often, and endeavoring to be more like her.”

“Pattie inspires me every single day. It’s so rare to have the opportunity to meet someone who genuinely cares as much as she does about correcting situations that aren’t right, and who actually does something to make that happen. I’m so grateful to have had the chance to learn from her. She takes on the toughest cases no one else is willing to take on, and she truly leads by example with her commitment, compassion, composure, sense of humor, and firm loyalty to her clients, students, and colleagues. Thank you, Pattie!”

“Pattie is not only one of the most brilliant attorneys I’ve ever seen, she is also dedicated to empowering her students to seek social justice. While some are content to dedicate their lives to public service through the challenging–and often overwhelming–work of poverty law, Pattie is both an unbelievably effective legal aid attorney and a stunningly kind, thoughtful, supportive teacher. I have seen her work firsthand, as she spent two years opening my eyes to the injustice of the housing system in Boston while empowering me to think critically and creatively about how to serve my clients. Time and again, I have watched Pattie simply refuse to let a client or a student down. When a person facing an eviction had run out of every conceivable option; when other legal services organizations had closed their doors and other advocates turned aside, Pattie would be there, bringing her brilliance, strategy, and courage to bear in service of clients others had deemed indefensible. This is the greatest lesson I learned in law school; that to be an advocate extends beyond the courtroom and the classroom–that it is a way of life.”

Director of International Programs and Gruber Program on Global Justice and Women’s Rights at Yale Law School. Former Academic Director at the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School. Former staff attorney with the Center for Reproductive Rights in New York.

In the words of the HLS community members who nominated her,

“For decades, as an advocate, teacher and scholar, Mindy Jane Roseman has been shaping the way we talk and think about women’s health, sexuality, and reproductive rights, in the United States and around the world. She has led trailblazing work with UN agencies and NGOs in these fields, with her expertise on HIV/AIDS, gender, maternal health, and criminal law. Mindy is a clear-eyed visionary, an idea encapsulator, a subtle agenda-setter. And you will never find her alone. Wherever she goes, she draws a community of intelligent and supportive women with and around her. Indeed, she is an inspiration as much for the creativity, passion and brilliance that she pours into her legal and academic work as she is for the patience, generosity and kindness with which she supports others. Generosity of spirit is not to be taken for granted in any workplace, but in the highly competitive and hierarchical legal field, it can be particularly hard to come by. A mentor to generations of women, Mindy is exceptional in her willingness to treat colleagues and students of all levels the same way: as people with tremendous abilities and potential to give.”

Human Rights Program Celebrates 30 Years of Advocacy

September 22, 2014 / / 0 Comments

Via the Harvard Crimson

Harvard Law School’s Human Rights Program celebrated on Friday afternoon the increased awareness surrounding issues of human rights since its founding three decades ago and detailed the next steps for activists in the field.

The afternoon program included two panels—“Human Rights Advocacy Across Generations” and “The Next Stage in United Nations Treaty Bodies”—and a keynote address by former Yale Law School Dean Harold Hongju Koh ’75.

“It is wonderful to look back at the graduates we’ve had go on to have distinguished careers, the scholarship we have produced, and the engagement we’ve had in projects,” said Gerald L. Neuman ’73, director of the Human Rights Program. “We are looking back but also forward to the problems of the day.”

After the luncheon and keynote address by Koh, which focused on the future direction of human rights advocacy, attendees listened to the two panels before a reception closed out the celebration.

For Law School Dean Martha L. Minow, who served as an adviser to the program at its inception, the celebration displayed the success of activists in bringing human rights issues to the forefront of public discourse.

“Human rights once upon a time was just a phrase, then it became a movement, then it became law, then it became something we talk about at dinner tables,” Minow said at the ceremony.

Continue reading the full story here.

A Warm Welcome to Gabriela Follett

September 3, 2014 / / 0 Comments
Gabriela Follett, Program Assistant, Human Rights Program

Gabriela Follett, Program Assistant, Human Rights Program

Via the Human Rights Program 

Gabriela Follett is the Program Assistant for the Human Rights Program. She is a 2013 graduate of the University of Vermont, where she studied Environmental Studies with a focus on Food Justice. Gabbie’s passion for advocacy work about gender-based sexual violence on college campuses began while she was an undergraduate student at the University of Vermont. She worked closely with the Women’s Center on the launch of a campaign, “You Could be the First to Know,” a video guide for friends who are the “first to know” about an assault.

In her current position, she assists with the administration of post-graduate and summer fellowships, organizes various conferences and events, and supports the Visiting Fellows Program.

Winning on School Infrastructure, Honoring Mandela

December 18, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Members of Equal Education march to the Department of Education in Pretoria to demand norms and standards. (Photo courtesy of Equal Education)

Via the Human Rights@Harvard Law Blog | By: Susan Farbstein

As South Africa and the world remember Nelson Mandela, there is perhaps no greater way to honor his legacy than to continue the struggle for social justice. A quality education for all children must be at the core of such efforts, as Mandela himself recognized. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” he said. In the week before his death, real progress was made on the education front in South Africa.

After three years of sustained campaigning by our South African partners, Equal Education (EE) and Equal Education Law Centre (EELC), Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga finally released binding norms and standards for school infrastructure on November 29th. The norms represent a significant victory for future generations of South African students, and for South Africa itself.

The norms—which are legally binding—mandate substantial changes to public schools across the country, many of which must be realized on a relatively short time horizon.

Continue reading the story on the Human Rights@Harvard Law Blog

A Step Closer to Basic School Infrastructure for South African Students

December 6, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Photo courtesy of Equal Education Law Centre

By: Melissa Shube, JD ’15

After soliciting feedback from hundreds of South African students and parents, Equal Education (EE) and Equal Education Law Center (EELC) have submitted comments on the South African Minister of Basic Education’s second draft of minimum regulations for public school infrastructure. While the submission recognizes that the Minister’s draft represents important progress, EE and EELC raise significant concerns with respect to the draft’s long timeline for implementation. As Moto Singulakka, a Grade 10 learner at Oscar Mpetha High School in the Western Cape, asked, “What about now? Where are the learners going to learn?”

The legacy of Apartheid is still palpable in South Africa’s education system, where many rural and township schools lack basic infrastructure to provide students with a safe environment conducive to learning. Binding norms and standards will help promote equality in education for South Africa’s historically disadvantaged students by requiring all public schools to meet minimum thresholds in relation to physical facilities.

Please read the full story on the Human Rights Program Blog.

Clinic and Human Rights Watch Urge International Talks on ‘Killer Robots’

November 13, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Via the Human Rights @ Harvard Law Blog

Senior Clinical Instructor Bonnie Docherty is in Geneva today at the annual meeting of the Convention on Conventional Weapons, making the case for a pre-emptive ban on fully autonomous weapons, or “killer robots.” By her side are two students from the International Human Rights Clinic: Lara Berlin, JD ’13, and Ben Bastomski, JD ’15.

The Clinic has been working closely with Human Rights Watch (HRW) for more than a year on the threat of fully autonomous weapons, which would have the ability to identify and fire on human targets without intervention. Today, they released their latest joint paper on the topic and urged international talks to begin. Thanks to Bonnie, Lara, Ben, and Elina Katz, JD ’14, for their work on the paper.

Please read the full post by Cara Solomon on the Human Rights @Harvard Law Blog

Opportunity with Human Rights Program

May 17, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Part-time paid research assistant position for the summer and into the fall semester to work on comparative criminal justice and rule of law matters for Mindy Roseman, Academic Director of the Human Rights Program. Learn more…

Human Rights panel discusses cost of Iraq invasion, 10 years after: Video

April 2, 2013 / / 0 Comments

The Human Rights Program at HLS, brought together representatives from Iraq Veterans Against the War, the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq, and the Center for Constitutional Rights to discuss the launch of the Right to Heal Initiative, a partnership they formed to “fight for redress.” Read more or watch below.

Human Rights panel

Event 3/26: A Decade of War

March 15, 2013 / / 0 Comments

For Us, The Wars Aren’t Over: The Right to Heal Initiative
Tuesday, March 26
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Harvard Law School, Wasserstein Hall, Room 2012

Ten years after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the Harvard Law School Human Rights Program joins organizations from across the Harvard and Boston communities to mark the anniversary with speakers from two groups still living the consequences of the last decade of U.S.-led wars: Iraqis and U.S. veterans and service members.  Members of the Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI) and Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) will speak about the costs of war they share.  Together with attorneys from the Center for Constitutional Rights and Harvard Law School, they will discuss the Right to Heal Initiative, the partnership they have formed to fight for redress.

Speakers:
Yanar Mohammed, President, Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq
Ms. Mohammed is the founder of OWFI, a nongovernmental organization that promotes women’s rights and interests in Iraq.  She will speak about OWFI’s work in an Iraqi town near a U.S. military base that has seen dramatic increases in the incidence of birth defects, cancers, and other severe health ailments.

Matt Howard, Member, Iraq Veterans Against the War
Mr. Howard served two tours in Iraq with the Marine Corps.  He will discuss the costs of war for U.S. service members and veterans, particularly the obstacles that prevent too many from receiving proper medical and mental health care.  IVAW and its subcommittee, Afghan Veterans Against the War, have advocated for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, and for reparations to Iraqis for the costs of war.

Pamela Spees, Senior Staff Attorney, Center for Constitutional Rights
Ms. Spees will discuss CCR’s role as a support player in the Right to Heal’s collaborative project to ensure the U.S. takes concrete steps for health care, accountability, and reparations.

Moderator:
Deborah Alejandra Popowski, Lecturer on Law, Harvard Law School

Dinner will be served.

Co-Sponsored By: HLS Advocates for Human Rights, Harvard National Security and Law Association, Islamic Society of Boston, National Lawyers Guild (Mass. Chapter), Veterans for Peace (Ch. 9, Smedley D. Butler Brigade), BC Law Holocaust/Human Rights Project, HKS Human Rights Professional Interest Council, HLS American Constitution Society, HLS Democrats, HLS Human Rights Journal, Harvard International Law Journal, HLS Muslim Law Students Association, Harvard Women’s Law Association, HSPH Muslim Student Group, MIT Amnesty International, MIT Center for International Studies, MIT Muslim Student Association, Northeastern Univ. Arab Student Association, Human Rights Caucus at Northeastern Univ. School of Law, Tufts Univ. New Initiative for Middle East Peace, Tufts Univ. Fletcher School Human Rights Project

Event: Human Rights Program Orientation – Sep 12

September 10, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Stop by WCC 2009 on Wed, Sep 12 for the Human Rights Program Orientation.


Join the Harvard Human Rights Program (HRP) in WCC 2009 on Wed, Sep 12 from 12-1:30pm for pizza, an overview of HRP opportunities, and how you can get involved.

Learn more about:

  • The International Human Rights Clinic
  • Summer funding for human rights internships
  • Post-graduate fellowships
  • Events and conferences
  • The larger human rights community at Harvard Law School

Get to know:

  • Clinical Instructors
  • Visiting Fellows from the Academic Program
  • Representatives from student groups focused on human rights, including HLS Advocates for Human Rights.

For more information, stop by WCC 3139 or email  hrp at law.harvard.edu. Hope to see you there!

Roundup: Updates from HLS Human Rights Program

August 7, 2012 / / 0 Comments

One of three reports released by HLS Human Rights Program this past week

In the past week, HLS Human Rights Program staff and students have been in the news with three reports:

Suppressing Protest: Human Rights Violations in the U.S. Response to Occupy Wall Street
From the HLS International Human Rights Clinic blog:
“The first report in our multi-clinic Protest and Assembly Rights Project series calls on New York City authorities to stop the pattern of abusive policing of Occupy Wall Street protests. Lead authored by our partners at NYU and Fordham, the report released today documents in painstaking detail how the New York police and other city officials violated the rights of Occupy protesters.”

Additional Reading:
14 Specific Allegations of NYPD Brutality During Occupy Wall Street (The Atlantic)
Accusations of Police Misconduct Documented in Lawyers’ Report on Occupy Protests (The New York Times)

At the Hospital There Are No Human Rights: Reproductive and Sexual Rights Violations of Women Living with HIV in Namibia
From the HLS International Human Rights Clinic blog:
“Despite repeated calls for reform, the Government of Namibia’s inaction raises serious concerns about violations of the sexual and reproductive rights of women living with HIV, according to a report released today at the International AIDS Conference by Harvard Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic, the Namibian Women’s Health Network, and Northeastern Law School.”

Additional Reading:
The Day After Victory: More Work Needed to Protect Rights of Namibian Women Living with HIV (HLS International Human Rights Clinic blog)

Explosive Situation: Qaddafi’s Abandoned Weapons and the Threat to Libya’s Civilians
From the HLS International Human Rights Clinic blog:
“Abandoned weapons that were once part of Muammar Qaddafi’s vast arsenal threaten civilian lives in Libya, according to a report released today by Harvard Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC), in partnership with CIVIC and the Center for American Progress.”

Additional Reading:
Report Finds Gaddafi Weapons Pose Threat to Civilians (The Tripoli Post)
Libya after Khadafy is littered with massive amounts of abandoned deadly weapons (The Boston Globe)
REPORT: Weapons Left Over from Qaddafi’s Arsenal Pose Serious Threats to Libyans (ThinkProgress)

Snapshot: Clinical Fair

April 4, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Tyler Giannini (R), Human Rights Program Clinical Director and Clinical Professor, chats with a student during last week's Clinical Fair (photo courtesy of HRP)

Thanks to all the clinics and students who made last week’s Clinical Fair a success! While Clinical Registration only comes once each year, the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs is available year-round to answer your clinical and pro bono questions. Don’t be shy about getting in touch!

Clinical Events: Feb 20-24

February 17, 2012 / / 0 Comments

As many of you know, there’s always an event (or two or three) to attend at HLS. A few clinical events are highlighted below but for a complete listing of HLS events, please visit the HLS calendar.

A Year after David Kato: The State of Ugandan Gay Rights Today
Tue, Feb 21, 12–1pm
WCC B015

HLS Advocates for Human Rights hosts a commemorative event in honor of the Ugandan gay rights activist David Kato, who was found murdered last January. Val Kalende, a fellow Ugandan and gay rights activist, and Mindy Roseman, Academic Director of the Human Rights Program, will will speak about Kato’s work and the current state of gay rights in Uganda today. From 1:30-2:30pm, Kalende will lead a discussion based on issues raised during the talk.

The Promises of Web-based Social Experiments
Tue, Feb 21, 12:30–1:45pm
Berkman Center for Internet & Society, 23 Everett St, 2nd Floor

The advent of the internet provides social scientists with a fantastic tool for conducting behavioral experiments online at a very large-scale and at an affordable cost. It is surprising, however, how little research has leveraged the affordances of the internet to set up such social experiments so far. In this talk, Jerome Hergueux will introduce the audience to one of the first online platforms specifically designed for conducting interactive social experiments over the internet to date.

Prosecuting the Recruitment of Child Soldiers as a War Crime before the International Criminal Court. A Critical Reading of the Lubanga Case
Thu, Feb 23, 12–1pm
WCC Suite 4133

As part of the Child Advocacy Program (CAP) Working Paper Lunch Series, visiting researcher and Fulbright grantee Mahyad Hassanzadeh-Tavakoli will discuss how the International Criminal Court’s Rome Statute – which stipulates that the recruitment and enlisting of children under the age of fifteen years into the national armed forces, or using them to participate actively in hostilities, is to be regarded as a war crime – has been handled by the Court in the Lubanga Case.

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