Human Rights

Centers & Intellectual Life

People talking

A multitude of NYU Law centers and programs address human rights through various lenses—the domestic and international, the cultural, business and law, and constitutional. Throughout the year, centers host prominent speakers from within the academy, government, and the field of human rights:

The Brennan Center for Justice is a non-partisan law and policy institute that seeks to improve our systems of democracy and justice. The center’s work ranges from voting rights to campaign finance reform, from ending mass incarceration to preserving Constitutional protection in the fight against terrorism.

The Center for Human Rights & Global Justice (CHRGJ) has built a reputation for its academic and clinical work in human rights subjects—including counter-terrorism; corporate abuses; caste discrimination; gender-based violence; economic, social, and cultural rights; and extrajudicial executions.

The Reiss Center on Law and Security is a non-partisan multidisciplinary research institute established in 2003 to focus on cultivating an informed dialogue and conducting groundbreaking research on the vital legal, policy, and strategic questions that will shape the national security field for years to come.

The China and International Human Rights Law Research Program, built around an expanded partnership between the Law School and Human Rights in China, focuses its work on teaching and research related to international human rights and China.

The NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights takes on the most pressing issues at the intersection of business and human rights, focusing on how companies address human rights challenges in their core business operations. The center offers classes, conducts research, and carries out projects on current business and human rights challenges.

The Public Interest Law Center (PILC) is a national model for the promotion of public service. PILC not only coordinates and promotes the Law School’s public interest and government service activities but also counsels students individually on their careers.

The Robert and Helen Bernstein Institute for Human Rights is a research center that promotes cutting-edge scholarship, advocacy, and education on human rights issues in the US and abroad. The institute acts as the coordinating hub for existing human rights work at NYU, including CHRGJ and the US-Asia Law Institute.

The US-Asia Law Institute (USALI) promotes the rule of law and human rights in Asia, including both domestic and international law. Known as one of America’s preeminent research centers for the study of law in mainland China and Taiwan, USALI works to improve popular, professional, and scholarly understanding at home and abroad through its publications and exchanges concerning comparative and international law.

Journals and publications include International Journal of Constitutional Law (I·CON), the Review of Law and Social ChangeJust Security, and the Journal of Law & Liberty.