International Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Clinic: Clinical Methods

In the past half-century, human rights advocates have transformed a marginal utopian ideal into a central element of global discourse and practice. This Clinic gives students the opportunity to work directly with the actors and organizations behind this remarkable development as they navigate the vast challenges faced by human rights advocates and victims. In addition to operating within the human rights framework, students will also have occasion to study and contribute to efforts to resolve situations of tension and ongoing conflict using tools of transitional justice and conflict mitigation. The course aims to help students develop a broad range of multidisciplinary human rights advocacy skills--including factual documentation; litigation before national, regional, and international institutions; community empowerment strategies; and client enfranchisement and representation--through in-class sessions, role play exercises, and engagement in, and critical assessment of, clinical projects in human rights. This Clinic involves both a weekly seminar as well as work directly with clients and partner organizations (i.e. Clinic Projects). Together, these experiences give students the chance to reflect upon a number of foundational questions including: What are the origins of the human rights movement and where is it headed? What does it mean to be a human rights activist? What are the main challenges and dilemmas facing those engaged in rights promotion and defense? How is conflict resolution consistent with human rights advocacy? When and where are these approaches in tension? Students will also be confronted with the ethical and strategic issues that arise in the course of doing human rights work and balancing the often differing agendas of western international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) and their counterparts in the (frequently non-western) developing world. In some sessions, part of the class will be devoted to presentations by students and clinical rounds in line with greater Mills Legal Clinic model. These presentations will consider one or more issues that arise in the course of students' own engagement in advocacy projects through the Clinic. During the course of the quarter, in addition to their work for their clients and partners, students will also be required to write several short, critical reflection papers or thought pieces (2-4 pages, double-spaced, or 500-1,000 words) on the readings, their Clinic Project(s), and/or human rights events on campus. Special Instructions: General Structure of Clinical Courses. The Law School's clinical courses are offered on a full-time basis for 12 units. This allows students to immerse themselves in the professional experience without the need to balance clinical projects with other classes, exams and papers. As a general rule, students enrolled in a clinic are not permitted to enroll in any other classes, seminars, directed research or other credit-yielding activities within the Law School or University during the quarter in which they are enrolled in a clinic. Nor are they allowed to serve as teaching assistants who are expected to attend a class on a regular basis. There is a limited exception for joint degree students who are required to take specific courses each quarter and who would be foreclosed from ever taking a clinic unless allowed to co-register. These exceptions are approved on a case-by-case basis. Clinic students are expected to work in their clinical office during most business hours Monday through Friday. Students are also expected to be available by e-mail or cell phone when elsewhere during those hours. Because students have no other courses (and hence no exams or papers), the clinical quarter begins the first day of classes and runs through the final day of the examination period. Students should not plan personal travel during the Monday to Friday work week without prior authorization from the clinical supervisor. The work during a typical week in a clinic is divided into three components. First, as they are for practicing attorneys, most of the hours of any week are taken up by work on client matters or case work/projects (this time includes meetings with instructors to discuss the work). Again, as is the case for practicing lawyers, in some weeks these responsibilities demand time above and beyond "normal business hours." Second, students will spend approximately five-to-seven hours per week preparing for and participating in weekly discussions or other group work in their individual clinic (scheduling varies by clinic). Third, over the course of the quarter each clinic student (with the exception of those enrolled in the Criminal Prosecution Clinic) is required to prepare for and attend inter-clinic group sessions. Students will be awarded three separate grades for their clinical quarter, each reflecting four units. The three grades are broken into the following categories: clinical work product (i.e., the students' substantive contributions); clinical methods (which includes consideration of the students' lawyering skills, leadership, and professionalism); and clinical coursework (which focuses on the students' seminar participation, simulations, and reflection papers). Grading is pursuant to the H/P system. Elements used in grading include: Attendance, class participation, written assignments, professionalism, ability to work with others successfully, creative thinking, peer review, and commitment to the clinical enterprise. Enrollment in a clinic is binding; once selected into a clinic to which he or she has applied, a student may not later drop the course except in limited and exceptional cases. Requests for withdrawal are processed through the formal petition and the clinical faculty review process described in the clinic policy document posted on the SLS website. Students may not enroll in any clinic (full-time or advanced) which would result in them earning more than 27 clinical units during their law school career. The rules described here do not apply to advanced clinics for students who are continuing with a clinic in which they were previously enrolled. For information about advanced clinics, please see the course descriptions for those courses. For more information about clinic enrollment and operations, please see the clinic policy document posted on the SLS website.