Students
A maximum of 18 law students are selected to participate in the Global Human Rights Clinic. Human Rights LL.M. students will be encouraged but not required to apply for participation and will have enrollment priority. Students enroll in the clinic for the entire academic year for academic credit.
Students may also participate in a nine-week summer internship program. Each summer three law students are accepted into the summer program. The students work full-time on our human rights cases for monetary compensation.
All of our students have the opportunity to work on building relationships with international clients and Notre Dame Law School’s human rights alumni network, all while developing essential human rights lawyering skills. Students working in the clinic participate in all facets of its work, including its educational, advocacy and representation initiatives. In addition, all students have the opportunity to work on different aspects of case representation including conducting legal research, investigating facts, interviewing witnesses, drafting briefs, and participating in international, regional, or national court, tribunal or adjudicative proceedings in UN human rights treaty bodies. Depending on student certification requirements, experience, and degree program, students may be assigned to one area of the clinic’s work, focusing primarily on education, advocacy, or representation. Students will be given high responsibility assignments, acting as “first chair” in case representation and as co-authors or lead authors for other work, subject to supervision by staff attorneys and the Clinic Director.