Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
Human Rights News & Events

This is the last edition of the Center’s listserv for 2007! The Center’s weekly listserv announcement will recommence
on a regular basis in January 2008. Happy Holidays and safe travels from all of us at the Center!

WCL Events


1. RESTORING HABEAS: A PANEL DISCUSSION ON AL ODAH v. UNITED STATES and BOUMEDIENE v. BUSH,
Tuesday, November 27, 4:30pm - 5:30pm, rm. TBD.
On December 5, the Supreme Court will, for the third time, hear cases involving the detention of noncitizens at Guantanamo Bay. Finally, in two joint cases, Al Odah v. US and Boumediene v. Bush, the Court will decide whether Congress' efforts to strip the Guantanamo detainees of the fundamental right of habeas corpus violates the constitution's Suspension Clause. Join us for a panel discussion with Prof. Rick Wilson and Prof. Vladeck, on the history and legal issues involved in these two cases. This is an especially interesting event for 1Ls as you prepare for Constitutional Law next spring semester. Come learn how you can get involved with some of the organizing efforts surrounding the upcoming oral arguments. Food will be served! For additional information, please contact Mary Beth Gallagher at marybethgallagher@gmail.com.

2. TURKEY: AT THE CROSSROADS OF SECULAR WEST AND TRADITIONAL EAST,
Wednesday, January 9, 2008, 9:00am - 5:00pm, rm. TBD.
Today, as we face growing tensions between secular ideals and an assertion of Islamic identity, Turkey is more important than ever. This one day conference explores the topic of “secularism” in Turkey by looking at the legacy of Mustafa Kamal Ataturk, the founder of Modern Turkey, as well as comparing that to other secularist movements of the region. The Conference also addresses European and Turkish relations, the question of the Turkish accession to the European Union (EU), and the tension between secularism and an assertion of an Islamic identity. For more information contact Amir Tejani at atejani@wcl.american.edu.

3. OPPORTUNITIES DAY,
Thursday, January 10, 2008, 12:00pm - 6:00pm, 6th Floor Dining Room and rm. 603.
A day of opportunities for first-year law students (and other students new to the law school) to learn what they need to know for getting the legal job of their dreams, to access literature and ask questions about the many programs that they may find themselves engaged in during their first summer and beyond. Students will have the opportunity to meet with faculty who will discuss various projects and how 1Ls can become involved. A luncheon presentation with Kimm Walton, the "Legal Job Goddess", will also be held. For more information contact Dean Jaffe at djaffe@wcl.american.edu or at (202) 274 4030.

Community Events

 

1. SASA! A FILM ABOUT WOMEN, VIOLENCE and HIV/AIDS, Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 12:30 - 2:00 pm, Population Reference Bureau, 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW Suite 520, Washington, DC.
This powerful film follows the lives of two women – Mama Joyce in Tanzania and Josephine in Uganda – as they share their experiences of domestic violence, how it led to their HIV+ status, and how their positive status led to more violence. Now they and others in East Africa are using their power to become activists in their own communities to prevent these dual pandemics. This short film is an inspiring look at two women’s lives and a call to action for everyone to begin working to prevent violence against women and HIV infection now. Introduction and post-screening discussion with Chanda Chevannes, co-producer of SASA! Please RSVP no later than November 20, 2007 to Jui Shah at jshah@path.org. Bring your lunch; soft drinks and dessert will be provided. Please note that seating is limited by the size of the room.

2. AN EVENING WITH THE UNITED NATIONS:  REFORM & THE FUTURE OF THE UNITED NATIONS, Tuesday, November 27 2007, 6:30pm, Mary Graydon Center at AU
As Director of the United Nations Information Center, Mr. Davis is the United Nations' Senior Representative in Washington.During Mr. Davis' distinguished career, he has served as theDirector for Global and Functional Affairs in the State Department's Bureau of Legislative Affairs, Deputy Head of the Public Affairs Division for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Head of Center for Public Affairs of the OECD's Washington Office, and served in the State Department's Bureau of Legislative Affairs and on the White House's National Security Council (NSC) staff. If you have any questions or concerns please contact committee chair William Meeker at sisgsciac@gmail.com or (858) 692-2116

3. RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS NORMS, Monday, December 10 2007, 2:00 - 5:15 pm, AAAS Headquarters, 1200 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
In observance of International Human Rights Day, the AAAS Science and Human Rights Program is hosting a symposium to explore the implications of international human rights principles and standards for scientists and the conduct of science. Three scientists and a prominent member of the human rights community will help us consider why scientists and scientific societies should be concerned about international human rights norms, and the responsibilities that follow. Click here to RSVP.

Announcements & Professional Development Opportunities

 

1. THE CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITARIAN LAW IS LOOKING FOR A DEAN'S FELLOW!!
*** Applications due Monday, November 26, 2007 at 5:00pm***
The Center is looking for an enthusiastic student to take a high level of responsibility for the Center's exciting programming. The Dean's Fellow will provide support to our many fun events and interesting projects, assist with marketing Center events, manage the Center listserv, and help create innovate new programming. This is a great opportunity to get involved in the Center's substantive programs. Attention to detail, organizational skills, familiarity with Microsoft Office programs, and proven interest in human rights issues are essential. Experience/skills in brochure/flyer design are a plus. A minimum commitment of 10 hour/week is required. To apply: send a cover letter, resume and short writing sample (max. 5 pages), to Amelia Parker at aparker@wcl.american.edu by Monday, November 26, 2007 at 5:00pm. Please indicate that you are applying for the Center's Dean's Fellow position in the subject line. PLEASE NOTE: Dean's Fellowship positions are open to full-time or part-time 2L, 3L, 4L and LLM Students - as well as part-time 1L students.

2. WCL RETURNS TO GULF COAST! BOTH LEGAL AND NON-LEGAL ASSISTANCE STILL NEEDED! DONATIONS WELCOME.
December 26, 2007 - January 6, 2007
The Office of Public Interest is working with WCL Action for Human Rights and the Student Hurricane Network to mobilize ALL members of the legal community to join together to work on service projects in New Orleans during winter break. Between December 26 and January 6, professors, lawyers and students will be traveling to New Orleans to assist with continuing legal and community service projects that developed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Last year, WCL sent 39 participants, to date the largest delegation from any single law school in the country, with most schools sending groups of 10-15 participants at any given time. The SBA has pledged over $19,000 to assist with student food, lodging at a local hostel and van rental for the trip. The organizers of Alternative Winter Break hope to add to this wealth of resources by inviting faculty, staff and affiliated lawyers, to join in the effort. Whether you are available for a couple of days or a couple of weeks, please consider joining our student volunteers in New Orleans over winter break. Assistance is needed with both legal and non-legal projects. Volunteers wishing to participate in legal projects must be able to commit a minimum of five days (exclusive of Sundays). Volunteers participating in physical labor such as gutting of deteriorated structures and/or building of new structures can volunteer for as little as one day. Legal assistance is needed by attorneys with expertise in the following areas: Criminal Justice, Juvenile Justice, Housing/Landlord Tenant, Immigration, Environmental Law, Historic Preservation, Succession Worker's Rights, and Community Development. Interested faculty, staff and affiliated lawyers should contact wcl.awb@gmail.com if they have any questions. If you cannot go down to New Orleans, please consider making a donation to Action for Human Rights in support of the trip.

3. GIVE A LITTLE, GET A LOT! JOIN THE CENTER'S STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD!
The SAB is a group of highly qualified and committed students interested in human rights and humanitarian law who work closely with the Center over the course of a year, developing programming, attending special events and trainings and promoting Center activities. Members of the SAB serve as liaisons between the WCL student body, the Center and the greater D.C. community. Members meet with the executive director weekly and attend monthly skills development workshops. They commit to at least 15 hours of work with the Center per month. They are selected in January and are active through the Spring, Summer and subsequent Fall semesters. Applications will be up on the website soon, so keep checking in! www.wcl.american.edu/humright/center/sab.cfm

4. SUMMER PUBLIC INTERNSHIP AT THE CENTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS
The Ella Baker Summer Fellowship Program, is a project of the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), a non-profit legal and educational organization dedicated to protecting and advancing the rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Students work with teams of lawyers on various legal issues, doing legal/factual research and writing on active CCR cases. They also work with the Education and Outreach Department on CCR’s various campaigns and produce documents for public distribution. To apply please send in the following: resume, list of three references, a brief legal writing sample and a cover letter that explains why you would like to work for social change in general and for CCR in particular, any experience you might have in community organizing or in movements for social change, and your interests and skills. 

        Timeline For 2L’s

  • November 23rd- All 2Ls should send an electronic version of application materials to ellabaker2008@ccr-ny.org by this date.
  • November 26th - December 14th- Interviews for 2Ls will be held.
  • December 21st- Final decisions for 2L candidates will be made by this date.

        Timeline For 1L’s

  • January 18th- All 1L applicants should send an electronic version of application materials to ellabaker2008@ccr-ny.org by this date.
  • January 28th - February 8th- Interviews for 1Ls will be held. Please note that the bulk    of available internships will be given to 2L students. We will conduct very limited interviews of 1L candidates.
  • February 15th- Final decisions for 1L applicants will be made by this date.

CCR annually offers two funded fellowships for law students under the Ella Baker Summer Internship Program but other funding may be available for law students who are unable to secure funding on their own. For more information about CCR, please see our website: http://www.ccrjustice.org. If you have any questions please contact An-Tuan Williams, Education and Outreach Assistant, at:
Center for Constitutional Rights
666 Broadway, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10012
Phone: 212-614-6466
Fax (212)614-6422|
E-mail: AWilliams@ccr-ny.org

5. CALL FOR PAPERS: GLOBAL GENDER JUSTICE SYMPOSIUM. Due January 15, 2008!
The Gender Justice Research Community at George Mason University is sponsoring a one-day Global Gender Justice symposium to be held April 17, 2008 on the Fairfax campus of George Mason University. The keynote speaker will be Chilean poet, essayist, and human rights activist Marjorie Agosin, winner of numerous awards for both her human rights work and her literary achievements. We seek proposals for papers and creative works on any topic related to human rights and gender in a global framework, with an eye toward fostering interdisciplinary discussions of issues that might include genocidal rape as a human rights violation, the impact of war on women and children, women and the worldwide peace movement, gender and human rights activism, and others. We currently envision 15-minute presentations by individual participants, but welcome proposals for other formats, particularly when necessary for collaborative and/or creative presentations. Further information about this symposium is available at http://ggj.gmu.edu/ . Send 300-word proposals and one-page curriculum vita to Dr. Tamara Harvey (tharvey2@gmu.edu or English Dept., George Mason University, 4400 University Dr., MS 3E4, Fairfax, VA 22030) by January 15, 2008.

6. 2008 SUMMER INTERNSHIPS AT THE CENTER FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
Domestic Legal Program (4 positions-NYC): During the past 20 years, CRR attorneys have been counsel in virtually every major U.S. Supreme Court case about reproductive rights. The Domestic Legal Program represents women, physicians and reproductive health care facilities throughout the country in litigation designed to preserve and improve access to a full range of reproductive health services, including abortion, contraception and reproductive technologies. Our active litigation docket includes challenges to restrictions on abortions and other reproductive health care services, discriminatory or restrictive abortion funding policies, violations of free speech rights of pro-choice persons and organizations, and prosecutions of women for drug use during pregnancy. In addition to litigation, the Domestic Legal Program uses a range of advocacy strategies, including legislative and human rights strategies,to strengthen protections for reproductive health. The Summer Intern program is ten weeks long. Applicants are encouraged to obtain funding from law schools or other sources; limited funding is available from the Center.
International Legal Program (4 positions-NYC): The International Legal Program collaborates with women’s rights organizations and advocates around the world to promote and defend internationally recognized reproductive rights through a range of legal strategies and global initiatives. Currently, our programs can be found in Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and Africa. Our activities include: international litigation to enforce reproductive rights norms in national, regional and international fora; developing advocacy tools and training materials to build the capacity and support the work of reproductive rights lawyers worldwide; monitoring and documenting violations of reproductive rights; and analyzing legal and policy developments relating to reproductive rights. The Summer Intern program is ten weeks long. Applicants are encouraged to obtain funding from law schools or other sources; limited funding is available from the Center.
Qualifications & Responsibilities: Law students are expected to have strong legal research and writing skills and a demonstrated interest in gender/women’s issues and reproductive rights. 2L’s, 3L’s and LL.M. students with prior knowledge of human rights law are strongly encouraged to apply. Non-legal internships are available on a limited basis.
Deadline: February 7th, 2008. However, applications will be accepted until all positions are filled.
Please send a cover letter (stating your program of interest), resume, writing sample and contact information  or two references to:
Domestic Legal Program Intern Committee
Center for Reproductive Rights
120 Wall Street, 14th Floor
New York, NY 10005
Fax: 917-637-3666
E-mail: resumes@reprorights.org
(If you choose to e-mail your application, please include "Domestic Legal Program Intern" in the subject line)

7. OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE LEGAL INTERN POSITION. Send in applications now!
The OSI Washington office seeks to hire a Legal Intern to work on United States civil liberties issues and immigration policy. Specifically, the qualified applicant shall research and prepare reports on civil liberties and immigration policy issues with particular attention to human rights and national security. The Legal Intern will work under the supervision of the Senior Policy Analyst for Civil Liberties and Immigration Policy, and his or her duties will include: (1) Performing legal research (including LexisNexis and other research tools); (2) Drafting legal memoranda, background papers, and other advocacy materials; and (3) Attending hearings or meetings and drafting summaries and analysis. For additional information about OSI, please visit www.soros.org.  Apply Immediately.  Interested applicants should mail or fax a cover letter and resume to:
Lynthia Gibson-Price
Administrator
Open Society Institute- Washington Office
1120 19th Street, N.W., 8th Floor
Re: Human Resources
Fax to: (202) 530-0128; or e-mail: osidcresume@osi-dc.org .

8. HELTON FELLOWSHIP PROVIDES SUMMER FUNDING FOR INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS WORK, Deadline to apply is February 15, 2008
Funded in part by contributions from ASIL members, Helton Fellowships provide financial assistance in the form of “micro-grants” for law students and young professionals to pursue field work and research on significant issues involving international law, human rights, humanitarian affairs, and related areas.  Helton Fellowship micro-grants are intended to ensure that these individuals have access to modest amounts of funding that can often stand between them and their first professional opportunities to become effective practitioners, experts, and scholars of international law. Fellows will undertake their project in association with an established educational institution, international organization, or non-governmental organization working in areas related to international law, human rights, and humanitarian affairs. ASIL does not assist in securing organizational sponsoring for Fellows. Deadline to apply is February 15, 2008. For more information, go to: http://www.asil.org/aboutasil/heltonindex.html

Top of Page

 

NOTE: If you would like to submit a human rights-related event or announcement to the Center’s listserv, please send an email to humlaw@wcl.american.edu.

To subscribe or unsubscribe to the Center’s listserv, please follow instructions at: http://roster.wcl.american.edu/cgi-bin/wa.exe?SUBED1=chrhlupdate&A=1.

The Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law compiles a newsletter at the start of each semester and distributes it to all students, faculty and staff as a resource for upcoming human rights events and opportunities at WCL. We hope you find it useful and look forward to seeing you at the many events that the Center and other offices and student groups have planned throughout the Fall. To access the Fall 2007 newsletter, please visit the following site: http://www.wcl.american.edu/humright/center/newsletter/fall07_newsletter.cfm

 

4801 Massachusetts Avenue, NW | Washington, DC 20016 | humlaw@wcl.american.edu | 202-274-4180
WCLCenterforHR.org