The International Human Rights Clinic, based at The Protection Project at The Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies, is a program that aims at promoting education and information sharing in the fields of Clinical Legal Education, Human Rights Legislation Drafting, and Human Rights Research and Teaching. The Clinic brings together scholars, practitioners and students in human rights from the United States and abroad in an effort to build the capacity of legal institutions, civil society organizations in providing clinical legal education in the fields of human rights, access to justice and promotion of the rule of law. The Clinic also aims at collecting and analyzing national and international human rights legislation for the purpose of designing, in cooperation with experts from around the world, the basic principles and guidelines of human rights drafting. The work of the Clinic is divided into three main programs:
The Clinical Legal Education Network
Drafting Human Rights Legislation Expert Group
The Association of Scholars of Trafficking in Persons
International Human Rights Clinic: International Law & Organizations Program & The Protection Project
The Clinical Legal Education Network
The scope of the Clinical Legal Education Network is to promote the establishment of Legal Clinics at legal institutions across the world and especially in countries where these is an urgent need for increased access to justice for vulnerable sectors of society. The Network aims at strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations and students of law and international relations to effectively participate in the promotion of the rule of law in their respective countries by gathering expertise on human rights clinical education and sharing this information with partner institutions and other interested organizations. Over the years, The Protection Project has partnered with legal institutions from Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq in establishing Legal Clinical Programs for students to assist victims of trafficking in persons, victims of domestic violence, migrant workers and victims of labor exploitation. For an overview of the program and the list of the members of the Network please click here.
Drafting Human Rights Legislation Expert Group
The Group is a permanent panel of experts in international human rights and criminal justice with wide expertise in drafting human rights legislation at the national and international levels. In the world today there are many organizations and institutions whose purpose is that of drafting model legislation in human rights that national decision makers can refer to when drafting domestic law. The Group aims at consolidating the knowledge of these organizations and serving as a forum to discuss the development of human rights legislation and the guiding principles of human rights drafting. To promote this aim, The Protection Project organizes conferences and expert group meetings around the world and drafts Model Laws and National Action Plans on human rights issues including a The Elements of a Model Law on Trafficking in Persons, a Model Law on Violence Against Women, a Model Law on Child Protection, and an Action Plan on Trafficking in Persons. For an overview of the program and its activities please click here.
The Association of Scholars of Trafficking in Persons
The Association of Scholars of Trafficking in Persons seeks to create a forum for professors and scholars in the field of trafficking in persons. The purpose of the Association is to promote information sharing among experts in trafficking and serve as a platform for constructive dialogue in the field of international trafficking of persons by engaging its members in joint initiatives, conferences, and other activities. To foster the development of this network of scholars, The Protection Project has created and constantly updates its database of professors’ syllabi on trafficking in persons and related issues. For a description of the program and instruction on how to join the Association please click here.
International Human Rights Clinic: International Law & Organizations Program & The Protection Project
The International Human Rights Clinic: ILAW & TPP is designed to teach students skills for careers in international human rights advocacy and protection. These skills will be taught through the use of simulations, discussions, case studies, and clinical work. Each student taking the course has the opportunity to gain practical experience in international human rights through clinical work with The Protection Project. Such work may include, writing a human rights report, drafting a model law or fact-finding mission, developing human rights education materials and programming, conducting research, etc. While engaged in clinical work, students in the course will have an opportunity to collaborate with other students in clinics at universities both domestic and abroad. Moreover, students in the course may have the opportunity to participate in conferences and panels on international human rights issues. To view the course syllabus please click here.
