Washington College of Law acting dean Claudio Grossman characterizes the goal of international law as striving to achieve "a world open for participation and cooperation for the benefit of all." Through its Master of Laws (LL.M.) program, the Washington College of Law (WCL) at The American University helps students further that goal while providing them with a solid foundation in international law.
In Fall 1993, 156 student from 51 countries, many with special interests in the field of international human rights, entered WCL's LL.M. program. These students are pursuing their specializations under the guidance of renowned professors, many of whom have significant academic and professional backgrounds. WCL's faculty serve on fact-finding missions, sit on the boards of nongovernmental human rights organizations and actively litigate international human rights cases. Grossman, for example, was recently elected to serve on the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States (OAS).
Like the faculty, students at WCL are also active with various international human rights-oriented organizations and operations located in the Washington, D.C., area. Many current students work with the OAS, lobby the U.S. government, serve with numerous nongovernmental organizations, and intern with law firms practicing in the area of human rights. Recently, several LL.M. students spent two weeks in Miami, Florida, volunteering legal services to Haitian refugees seeking asylum in the United States. The project, arranged by WCL professors and Church World Service, gave the students firsthand experience with refugee issues and U.S. asylum procedures. Such experiences, as well as other networking opportunities, help many students find permanent jobs following graduation both in the United States and in their home countries.
Students at WCL who wish to combine practical experience with their human rights interests can also participate in WCL's Human Rights Clinic. This clinical education provides students with the experience of representing clients in U.S. immigration, deportation, and other proceedings.
WCL's Washington, D.C., location offers students a unique setting in which to explore their academic interests and professional goals. Research facilities available to students include the Library of Congress, the National Archives, the United Nations Depository and numerous private libraries. Students also can observe sessions of the U.S. Supreme Court as well as proceedings of the city, state, and federal governments.
The LL.M. program at WCL offers students from around the globe a unique opportunity to gain both academic and practical experience in the field of human rights. The law school's goal in offering this opportunity is to impart to the students a greater understanding, as well as due regard, for the subject. In so doing, WCL is able to expand the scope of awareness and to extend the respect for the application of international human rights both in the United States and abroad.
©Copyright 1994 The Human Rights Brief
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