Rule of Law Practice Lab
| LW.12987 / LW.12988 Professor Amrit Singh Open to 2L, 3L and LL.M. students Maximum of 10 students | Spring semester 4 credits* No prerequisites or co-requisites. |
Introduction
The last two decades have witnessed a steep rise in authoritarianism around the world, eroding decades’ worth of post-Cold War advances in democracy and the rule of law. In this context, the Rule of Law Practice Lab will engage students in devising and implementing legal strategies involving legal research, documentation, litigation and/or advocacy in close collaboration with local practitioners to defend democracy and the rule of law around the world.
Course Description
Fieldwork
The fieldwork component will engage students in working with local partners to devise and implement legal strategies (including legal research, documentation, litigation and/or advocacy) with respect to a particular democracy/rule of law issue in a particular country.
Seminar
The seminar component will focus on the theoretical, empirical, and skills-related aspects of defending democracy and the rule of law, while also adapting to issues surfacing in the fieldwork. It will include a mix of sessions focused on (i) what we mean by democracy and the rule of law; (ii) empirical trends in democracy and the rule of law around the world; (iii) how law can be used to attack or defend democracy and the rule of law; (iv) understanding litigation and advocacy procedures before relevant domestic, regional, and international fora; and (v) developing practical skills for engaging clients and local partners in different countries and delivering work product to them in line with their expectations.
Application Procedure
Students interested in applying for the clinic should submit the standard application, resume, and transcript online through CAMS. Selected applicants will be contacted for an interview.
* 4 credits include 2 clinical credits and 2 academic seminar credits.