Student Involvement

If you find yourself day-dreaming about human rights in your contracts lecture, you’ve come to the right place. The Center offers a variety of ways for students – yes, even first-years – to dive right into the human rights experience through experiential learning projects, our Student Advisory Board, human rights lectures and other creative opportunities to get involved.  Our door is always open! The Center fosters an environment of dynamism and creativity, a place to bring nebulous ideas and turn them into tangible realities.  Want to get involved?  Here’s how:

- Be an Activist
- Be a Writer or an Editor
- See It for Yourself
- Get Creative
- Build Your Resume
- Learn the Basics

BE AN ACTIVIST


Student Advisory Board
 The Student Advisory Board (SAB) is a group of talented, creative students with a passion for human rights advocacy. SAB’ers are at the core of the Center’s dynamism and creativity, helping us plan key events and programs throughout the year, generating ideas and serving as Center ambassadors among WCL students. Plus, SAB members hone their tangible skills for effective advocacy and activism through monthly skills-building seminars that teach them how to write grant proposals, budget and liaise with the media. And members attend special SAB-only events and networking opportunities. SAB’ers commit to the Center for one year. Applications become available at the start of spring semester, so stay on the look-out.

BE A WRITER OR AN EDITOR


Human Rights Brief
The Human Rights Brief, a student-run publication of the Center, reports on developments in international human rights and humanitarian law and provides concise legal analysis of cutting edge human rights issues. The Brief is unique not only in its style but also in that it offers first-year students a wide array of opportunity, including serving as articles editors, staff writers and contributors.  Established in 1994, the Brief maintains a strong commitment to supporting human rights practitioners and strengthening the community of human rights advocates around the world. Currently, the Brief reaches more than 6,000 subscribers in more than 90 countries. It is published three times a year and welcomes submissions from practitioners, students, and academics. Learn more!



SEE IT FOR YOURSELF


Experiential Learning Projects
Learning in a classroom is one thing, but it doesn’t give you the whole picture. Whether you know it or not, human rights are right here at home.  The DC area offers invaluable opportunity to witness, explore and further understand a variety of complex, powerful human rights issues. In an effort to cultivate new perspectives for students on human rights at home, the Center sponsors a series of semester-long Experiential Learning Projects (ELP). ELPs take students from the classroom into the field to interact with the real people that live the issues we often discuss in the law school classroom. Our goal is to humanize the learning experience, complicate participants' understanding of an issue and charge learning with transformative potential. Keep an eye out for applications in the fall semester by visiting the Center's home page at the start of the year.

GET CREATIVE


Human Rights Film Series
Each year the Center collaborates with the AU Center for Social Media (CSM) on the Human Rights Film Series. The Series is another take on the human rights world. The Center and CSM screen four exceptional documentary films that exhibit excellence in filmmaking and explore a variety of human rights issues. The documentaries showcase the power of film to educate the public about human rights. Students can get involved by drafting background sheets about the films and the issues they explore.  Interested? Check back with us in the fall for updated information on how to get involved.

BUILD YOUR RESUME


Professional Skills Seminars
Human rights is a multi-faceted field that requires attorneys to fend for themselves. That's why the Center offers periodic workshops to teach you the hands-on practical skills you don't necessarily learn in a classroom. In the past, the Center has brought in experts in grant writing and public speaking, all essential tools for a successful career in human rights. Check our home page often for upcoming workshops and seminars.


Summer 2012 Dean’s Fellowship

The Center is searching for Dean’s Fellows for the Summer 2012 semester to support an array of activities, including the planning and implementation of Center events and programming. Dean’s Fellows are considered part-time staff for the Center and are integrated into all Center programming and activities. The Center will prioritize 20 hrs/wk commitments. Successful applicants will have exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail, a demonstrated interest in human rights, proficiency in Microsoft Office, and exceptional writing skills in English. Only WCL students are eligible. To apply, send a cover letter and résumé to humlaw@wcl.american.edu with “Dean’s Fellow” in the subject line.

 

LEARN THE BASICS


Munching on Human Rights
If your first semester of law school is steering you away from your human rights aspirations, then grab the wheel and take back control. Join us for the Center's "Munching on Human Rights" series. This introductory lunchtime program is designed to engage, re-engage and educate students like you - especially 1Ls - about basic issues in international human rights and humanitarian law. Through a series of lunchtime discussions during fall semester, "Munching" gives you the chance to liaise in a less formal setting with WCL's world-renowned faculty and get a "taste" of international human rights law. Check back with the Center often for upcoming dates and times!

Nuts and Bolts of Doing Human Rights Work
The Nuts and Bolts of Doing Human Rights Work lunchtime series is designed to provide students a glimpse into the real-life experiences and challenges that face human rights practitioners out in the field. Panels feature students, faculty, and guest speakers who share their insights and stories.

Human Rights Defender Speaker Series
What drives human rights defenders to risk life and limb to stand up for what's right? In this lunchtime series, human rights defenders from around the world discuss the work they do and why they do it, sharing their personal journeys and a glimpse into the world of human rights advocacy. For more information on upcoming events, visit our home page.

 

HISTORY OF STUDENT INVOLVEMENT