Global Justice Clinic - for LL.M.s
LW.10679 / LW.11210
Professor Ellie Happel
Professor Sienna Merope-Synge
Project Supervisors: Gabrielle Apollon, Sukti Dhital, S. Priya Morley, and Tyler Walton
Open to LL.M. students
Maximum of 2-4 LL.M. students
Fall semester
6 credits*
No pre-requisites or co-requisites.
Course Description
The Global Justice Clinic (GJC) seminar is a collaborative effort to learn about, reflect on, and apply domestic and international human rights and social justice strategies to respond to global injustice. The seminar teaches core skills involved in human rights work, including working with international and regional human rights bodies; power mapping and other tools to identify advocacy targets and determine strategy; research methods to advance human rights including social science methods, community led data collection, and open source investigation; report writing; and engagement with the media; and legal empowerment strategies. Students also address questions of ethical, political, and professional responsibility.
Qualifications for Applicants
Fluency in Spanish, Haitian Creole, and/or French is useful, but not required. While courses in International Law and International Human Rights Law are helpful, neither is required to apply. We in fact encourage students without traditional human rights backgrounds to consider GJC.
Credit Structure and Time Commitment Expected
This clinic is time-intensive. Students will be expected to devote approximately sixteen hours per week to their clinic project work in addition to the time allotted to preparing for the seminar, which includes written and audiovisual materials. Students also participate in a simulation exercise, a pitch to journalists, and submit short reflective pieces and self-assessments in writing. At times, projects may require student work during winter and spring breaks. We recommend that students speak to prior clinic students to get a sense of the workload and requirements.
Application Procedure
Students should submit the standard application, a resume, and a grade transcript via CAMS. Please note the languages you speak as well as other relevant skills in your application. Selected student applicants will be contacted for an interview.
The Global Justice Clinic accepts applications for a limited number of spaces for LL.M. students in the Fall semester only. Students should carefully consider the impact of the clinic on their other academic choices during their LL.M. year. The application deadline is different than for JDs, and is posted on the Clinic Application Timelines page. There is a separate application form for LL.M. students. Please use that form and submit it along with a resume and unofficial transcript to CAMS. Selected LL.M. students will be contacted for interviews in the summer as part of the selection process.
* 3 clinical credits and 3 academic seminar credits are awarded for the semester.