Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
Human Rights News & Events
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WCL Events
- TODAY: Unique Oppunity: the SAB (part of WCL Opportunities Day), Thursday, January 22, 4pm - 6pm, Rm. TBA
- WCL Opportunities Day, Thursday, January 22, 4pm - 6pm, 6th Floor Student Lounges
- Military Commission Practice and Jurisprudence, Friday, January 23, 9am - 5pm, Rm. 603
- Embracing Non-Traditional Families: The Annual Symposium of the Journal of Gender, Social Policy and the Law, Monday, January 26, 10:00am - 5:15pm, Rm. 603
- The Role of Presidential Leadership in Advancing Civil Rights, Friday, January 30, 9:00am - 5:00pm, Rm. 603
- REGISTER NOW! Effective Activism: Beyond the Courtroom, Friday, February 6, 10:00 am - 3:00pm, Rm. 401
- United Nations Committee Against Torture Project, Tuesday, February 10, 12:15pm - 1:15pm, Rm 603
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Community Events
* Note: Community events often change. Please check with the sponsoring organization before attending*- Gathering of Peace Presented by Peace Brigades International-USA, Thursday, January 29, 7:00pm - 9:30pm, Peace Mural Exhibition in Georgetown, 3336 M Street, NW
- Professional Grant Development Workshop, Monday - Wednesday, February 2 - 4, 2009, George Washington University
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Announcements & Professional Development Opportunities
- Special Opportunity: Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Fellow, United States House of Representatives
- Want to Join the Center's Student Advisory Board? Applications due January 26th!
- Help Improve the Center's Website
- Volunteer Opportunities with the Human Rights Brief
- Help LALSA Provide Scholarships to Local Latino High School Students
- Clinics Seek Volunteers for Translation and Role-Playing
- Professor Diane Orentlicher Seeks Dean's Fellow for Spring 09 Semester
- PIJIP Seeks Intern for Human Rights and Access to Medicines Legal Education Initiative
- Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Human Rights Legal Education Project Seeks Part-time Assistant
- Professor Claudia Martin Seeks Dean’s Fellow for Spring Semester
- Help Create a Database on the Applications of International Law in Domestic Court Decisions
- Help Organize the Inter-American Moot Court Competition
- Specialized Human Rights Program of the Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Seeks Dean’s Fellows
- Human Rights Essay Award! Call for Papers
- Help Organize the Summer Program Human Rights Film Festival
- War Crimes Research Office (WRCO) Opportunities
- War Crimes Research Office (WRCO) Seeks Dean's Fellow
- Apply NOW for the Summer Law Program in The Hague!
- The Impact Litigation Project Seeks Volunteers
- The Impact Litigation Project Seeks Two Dean's Fellows
- Administrative Volunteer Needed for Public Benefit Evening Clinic at Whitman-Walker Clinic
WCL Events
1. UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY: THE SAB (part of WCL Opportunities Day)
Thursday, January 22, 5pm - 6pm, Rm. 526
One of WCL's unique opportunities for students (1Ls through LLMs) is the Center Student Advisory Board (SAB). The SAB is a group of seven highly qualified and committed WCL students interested in human rights and humanitarian law who work closely with the Center over the course of a year to plan programming and provide advice. The SAB also participates in special "inside" activities of the Center and have access to SAB-only events and skills development seminars. Come learn more about the opportunity to join the SAB at Opportunities Day. Applications for the SAB are available at http://www.WCLCenterforHR.org and are due on January 26. For more information, call 202-274-4180 or humlaw@wcl.american.edu.
2. WCL OPPORTUNITIES DAY
Thursday, January 22, 4pm - 6pm, 6th Floor Student Lounges
Opportunities Day is an annual event for first-year law students to learn what they need to know to get involved with various organizations available at WCL, get the legal job of their dreams, and access literature and ask questions about the many programs that they may find themselves engaged in during their first summer and beyond. In addition to an information fair, students will have the opportunity to meet with faculty who will discuss various projects and how 1Ls can become involved. Highlighting the day will be a lunch presentation by Kimm Walton, the "Legal Job Goddess", on getting the job of your dreams. For more information on this year's Opportunities Day, please visit http://www.wcl.american.edu/studentaffairs/opportunities_day.cfm.
3. MILITARY COMMISSION PRACTICE AND
JURISPRUDENCE
Friday, January 23, 9:00am - 5:00pm, Rm. TBA
This conference will examine the jurisprudence
being generated from the military commissions at
Guantanamo Bay and the Court of Military
Commission Review. Panelists will discuss issues
such as how well discovery works; the arguments
over personal and subject matter jurisdiction; what
issues are currently on the docket; collateral
litigation before the federal courts; and other related
topics. This program is presented by the National
Institute of Military Justice. For additional
information, please contact the Office of Special
Events & Continuing Legal Education by email at secle@wcl.american.edu or by calling (202) 274-4075 or register online at www.wcl.american.edu/secle/cle_form.cfm.
4. EMBRACING NON-TRADITIONAL FAMILIES: ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM OF THE JOURNAL OF GENDER, SOCIAL POLICY AND THE LAW
Monday, January 26, 10:00am - 5:15pm, Rm. 603
This symposium will consist of three panels all focused around themes arising from Professor Nancy Polikoff's groundbreaking book, "Beyond Gay (and Straight) Marriage." The panels will address feminist and comparative family law perspectives on non-traditional families, and an activist perspective on what approaches should be pursued in the aftermath of the multiple state-level bans on gay marriage, the California gay marriage decision, and the passage of Proposition 8. This program is presented by Journal of Gender, Social Policy and the Law. For additional
information, please contact the Office of Special
Events & Continuing Legal Education by email at secle@wcl.american.edu or by calling (202) 274-4075 or register online at www.wcl.american.edu/secle/cle_form.cfm.
5. THE ROLE OF PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP IN ADVANCING CIVIL RIGHTS
Friday, January 30, 9:00am - 5:00pm, Rm. TBA
This conference will bring together leading historians, political scientists, and law professors for an interdisciplinary conversation about the role of presidents in advancing the civil rights agenda during the 20th century. Presenters will include award-winning scholars who have written books on presidents from Eisenhower to Bush II. The conference will feature three private round tables and one public session. For additional
information, please contact the Office of Special
Events & Continuing Legal Education by email at secle@wcl.american.edu or by calling (202) 274-4075 or register online at www.wcl.american.edu/secle/cle_form.cfm.
6. REGISTER NOW! BEYOND LITIGATION: EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY FOR PUBLIC INTEREST LAWYERS
Friday, February 6, 9:30am - 4:30pm, Rm. 401
Please join us for a one day, two-part event focusing on effective activism beyond litigation and the courtroom. American University chaplain and human rights advocate Joe Eldridge and AU adjunct professor Robert Tomasko will conduct a morning seminar focusing on strategic thinking, message-shaping, and advocacy. Jeremy Woodrum, director and co-founder of the US Campaign for Burma, will present an afternoon case study focusing on his organization���s far reaching efforts to promote human rights, accountability, and democracy in Burma. All are invited to attend and contribute their ideas. Lunch will be served. Register online at www.wcl.american.edu/secle/cle_form.cfm. For more information, call 202-274-4180 or email humlaw@wcl.american.edu.
7. UNITED NATIONS COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE PROJECT
Tuesday, February 10, 12:15pm - 1:15pm, Rm.100
Come learn about the remarkable UN CAT Project, a one-of-a-kind experiential learning opportunity for selected upper-level students to deepen their knowledge of international human rights law and partake in the Project's field component: accompanying UN CAT Chair Dean Claudio Grossman to the Committee's official meetings in Geneva, Switzerland, in November.
Also learn how to apply this spring for the fall 2009 Project. Panelists Dean Claudio Grossman (Chair of the United Nations Committee against Torture), UN CAT Project Coordinator Jennifer de Laurentiis, Professors Jamie Raskin and Darren Hutchinson, and student participants Alexandra Bradley, Anna Cabot, Gillian Chadwick, Amalia Greenberg, J. Hess and Solomon Shinerock, will discuss the UN CAT Project as well as the upcoming application process.
Register online at www.wcl.american.edu/secle/cle_form.cfm. For more information, contact Jennifer DeLaurentiis at
jdelaurentiis@wcl.american.edu.
Community Events
1. A GATHERING OF PEACE PRESENTED BY PEACE BRIGADES INTERNATIONAL-USA,
Thursday,
January 29, 7:00pm - 9:30pm, Peace Mural Exhibition in Georgetown, 3336 M Street, NW,
Peace Brigades International-USA is hosting a special evening to celebrate PBI's unique and successful approach to peace building and the defense of human rights through our principle of nonviolence. In a time of renewed hope for human rights nationally and internationally and in the wake of the 60th Anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights, PBI continues its important work defending human rights.
Come celebrate on Thursday, January 29, from 7-9 PM at the Peace Mural Exhibition in Georgetown (3336 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007) The organization suggests a $25 donation to enjoy the night, food and drink as well as the live music.
Peace Brigades International (PBI) is an international grassroots volunteer-based non-profit organization that promotes the transformation of conflicts and the protection of human rights. PBI sends teams of highly-trained field volunteers into areas of conflict and repression. Field volunteers provide physical accompaniment to threatened civil society actors and other groups threatened by politically-motivated violence. PBI, in existence since 1981, and its model have proven that external presence can deter political violence. PBI currently operates field projects in Colombia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Mexico and Nepal and has previously worked in El Salvador, Haiti, East Timor, the Balkans, Sri Lanka and in Native American communities in North America.
For more information visit: www.peacemural.org/events/a-gathering-of-peace-with.
2. PROFESSIONAL GRANT DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP
Monday - Wednesday, February 2 - 4, 2009, George Washington University
Sponsored by the Grant Training Center, this intensive three-day grant proposal workshop is geared for: 1) those who wish to strengthen their grant writing skills and 2) beginners who wish to acquire and master the techniques of preparing, writing and winning proposals from various funding agencies. The center of attention will be on how to effectively tell the story that leads to funding, be it for the researcher in the sciences and social sciences, educator and non-profit professional.
Space is limited, and since this class fills-up quickly, it is on a first-come-first serve basis. Workshop fee: $595.00, including tuition, materials, certificate of completion, and continental breakfast. Rebate of $50.00 per person is given for two or more registrants from the same organization. To register, please visit http:/www.granttrainingcenter.com. To register by phone or for more information call (866) 704-7268.
Announcements & Professional Development Opportunities
1. SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY: TOM LANTOS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION FELLOW, UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
The Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and the Co-Chairs of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the United States House of Representatives (formerly the Congressional Human Rights Caucus), Congressman Jim McGovern (D-Mass) and Congressman Frank Wolf (R-Va), are offering two unpaid special joint fellowship opportunities for qualified WCL students. Fellows will work in the office of the Commission on Capitol Hill and participate in all aspects of the Commission���s work, assisting in researching and preparing hearings, researching legislation, investigating cases and other duties as may arise. This Fellowship requires a minimum commitment of 20 hours/week. Due to the complexity of the work and to ensure the maximum benefit to both student and the Commission, the Fellowship will run from June - December 2009 (summer plus semester). The fall semester will be an Externship placement with WCL credit. The Fellowship is not compensated.
Applications for the Fellowship are due 12pm, Friday, February 6, 2009 to Center Program Associate Brett Schwartz at bschwartz@wcl.american.edu. Please include a CV, 2 references (one non-academic) and your answers to the following questions in a cover letter (answers to each question should not exceed one page):
��� How has your experience prepared you to work for the Commission?
��� What do you see as the opportunities and/or limitations of working on human rights issues inside the US Congress?
��� What do you think is the most pressing human rights issue in the world today and why?
Preliminary screening will be done by the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law in February with final candidates to be interviewed by the Commission soon thereafter.
2. WANT TO JOIN THE CENTER STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD?
APPLICATIONS DUE JANUARY 26!
The Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Student Advisory Board (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. The SAB focuses on assisting the Center in developing programming that reflects student interests and priorities. SAB members meet with the executive director weekly and commit to at least 15 hours of work with the Center per month. SAB members are selected in January and are active through the Spring, Summer and subsequent Fall semesters.
In exchange for the time and energy that the SAB provides, the Center organizes monthly skills development workshops for SAB members. Past skills workshops have explored public speaking, op-ed writing, and grant writing. SAB members also receive special invitations to many outside events, including awards dinners and meetings with human rights advocates.
Applications for the 2009 Student Advisory Board are due on Monday, January 26, 2009 at 3pm. Questions? - email the Center at humlaw@wcl.american.edu or stop by our table at the WCL 2009 Opportunities Day, scheduled for Thursday, January 22nd in the WCL Cafeteria.
3. HELP IMPROVE THE CENTER'S WEBSITE
The Center is always looking for new ways to improve our website to help you get the information and resources that you need. Please take a moment to fill out our 6 question, confidential survey about the site. The survey should take no longer than five minutes to complete but your responses will greatly help us fulfill the needs of our diverse group of online visitors. To access the survey, please visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=3yCkXudsuSOB3Q0vnQiRng_3d_3d.
4. VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE HUMAN RIGHTS BRIEF
The Human Rights Brief (HRB) is looking for students interested in human rights to participate in two new projects that the HRB has undertaken this Spring. We encourage all interested full-time and part-time JD students, as well as LLMs to apply.
The following two opportunities to help are available:
Rapporteurs for the Prevention of Torture and Other Ill Treatments Conference, February 23, 2009 ��� The HRB will publish a special issue in conjunction with a high-level conference that Dean Claudio Grossman���s office is organizing along with the Geneva-based Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT). As a rapporteur, you will sign up to attend one or more panels during the conference, transcribe the proceedings, and then work with the HRB staff to edit and finalize your transcription. The conference will convene a diverse group of high-level international experts, including policymakers, lawyers, civil servants, NGOs and scholars, to analyze key national, regional, and international legal frameworks and review detention practices that can prevent torture and other ill-treatment. Issues to be discussed include: whether adequate legal frameworks are in place at the domestic level; how laws are applied and detention practices are reformed; and the access of independent experts to all places of detention.
Bloggers, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Hearings, March 16-27, 2009 ��� Bloggers will be responsible for attending two or more selected hearings in either English, Spanish, Portuguese or French before a panel of commissioners at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) here in Washington, DC. Bloggers will be responsible for summarizing the hearings and writing a brief reflection/commentary that focuses on the interaction between the commissioners, the State parties and the petitioners; the importance of the legal issues addressed at the hearings and general observations of the session. You may listen to past hearings at the following link: https://www.cidh.oas.org/Audiencias/select.aspx
Application: To apply for either position, please send a cover letter, a resume, and a writing sample (not to exceed three double spaced pages with one inch margins, 12 pt font in Times New Roman) to chief_hrb@wcl.american.edu.
Dates and Deadlines: The application is due January 28, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. and should be submitted electronically to chief_hrb@wcl.american.edu. If selected, please be prepared to attend an orientation meeting on February 13, 2009.
5. HELP LALSA PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS TO LOCAL LATINO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
Enjoy a meal at Chicken Out and support a local college-bound student! The Latino/a Law Students Association (LaLSA) asks for your support in our efforts to give back to the community. We are currently fundraising for a scholarship that we will award to deserving Latino high school student(s) in the area. We need YOUR help! Come out to Chicken Out on Thurs. Jan. 22, from 4-8 p.m. Tell them you are supporting LaLSA, and they will award us 20% of their profits from those sales. For more information, e-mail lalsa@wcl.american.edu. Thank you for your support!
6. CLINICS SEEK VOLUNTEERS FOR TRANSLATION AND ROLE-PLAYING
The International Human Rights Law Clinic and other clinics in the Clinical Program seek student volunteers who are fluent (nearly bilingual, not just "conversational") in another language for interpretation and translation work on clinic cases. There are also volunteer opportunities clinic-wide to work as simulation volunteers (play the role of "clients" or "witnesses" in simulations) or case investigators (examples of case investigation tasks may include gathering documents, attending witness interviews, and visiting places and institutions relevant to the issues in a particular case). Please see Maribel Yamat in the Clinic in Room 417 or email her at myamat@wcl.american.edu to complete a volunteer form. Maribel or the student attorneys in the clinic will contact you after you submit your volunteer form as needed. Pro bono pledge credit is available for each type of volunteer activity.
7. PROFESSOR DIANE F. ORENTLICHER SEEKS DEAN'S FELLOW FOR SPRING 2009 SEMESTER
She would like to hire either one Dean's Fellow for 20 hours/week or two for 10 hours/week. Students will assist Professor Orentlicher on a range of international law projects, including a research project on the impact of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in Bosnia. Applicants should send a cover letter indicating their interest, principal qualifications and the number of hours/week they are available, to Professor Orentlicher c/o her administrative assistant, Rosalena Thompson, at rthompson@wcl.american.edu (Room 475) as soon as possible, along with a resume and short writing sample.
8. PIJIP SEEKS INTERN FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND ACCESS TO MEDICINES LEGAL EDUCATION INITIATIVE
The WCL Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property (PIJIP) offers one-semester internships related to our grant-funded research on human rights and access to medicine. PIJIP internships are open to all students, and 1Ls who are unable to receive Deans Fellowships are encouraged to apply. The intern will work on our Human Rights and Access to Medicines Legal Education Initiative - a joint project with the University of Pretoria which trains practitioners and Parliamentarians in Africa on the use of WTO-compliant use of generic medicines. Intern tasks related to this project will include compiling and reviewing documents for the syllabus of a short course to be co-taught in Pretoria by WCL professor Sean Flynn, as well as research into intellectual property issues associated with access to medicines internationally. For more information about this particular international health project, see PIJIP's webpage on it: www.wcl.american.edu/pijip/go/humanrights.
In Spring 2009, PIJIP will also begin a new collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization to study alternate funding mechanisms for medical research into diseases prevalent in Latin America. Intern tasks will include researching various existing proposals to address flaws in the current international patent system that lead to its failure to promote R&D into so-called "neglected diseases." For more information, or to apply, please contact Mike Palmedo mpalmedo@wcl.american.edu.
9. ACADEMY ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITARIAN LAW - HUMAN RIGHTS LEGAL EDUCATION PROJECT SEEKS PART-TIME ASSISTANT
The Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law - Human Rights Legal Education Project is looking for one part-time assistant for the Spring 2009 semester, with the potential to continue in the Summer semester. The assistant will be required to work 10-15 hours per week to provide administrative support in the implementation of research and educational projects in the US and Latin America (especially Nicaragua and Bolivia) and conduct research in international human rights law as needed. Excellent writing skills in English and fluency in Spanish are essential. Part-time 1Ls are encouraged to apply. The salary for this position is $12/hour. If you are interested in applying for this position, please send your cover letter, resume and short (10 pages max.) writing sample to Matias Hernandez, matias@wcl.american.edu, indicating "Part-Time Assistant Spring 2009" in the subject line.
10. PROFESSOR CLAUDIA MARTIN SEEKS DEAN’S FELLOW FOR SPRING SEMESTER
Academy Co-Director and Professor Claudia Martin seeks a Dean's Fellow for the Spring 2009 semester, who will be required to work 20 hours per week doing legal research in international human rights law. Legal research experience in human rights and international law, as well as working knowledge of Spanish, though not required, are a plus. This position pays $12 an hour. If you are interested in applying for this position, you should send your cover letter and resume to hracademy@wcl.american.edu. Please indicate “Prof. Martin Research Assistant Dean’s Fellow Spring 2009” in the subject line.
11. HELP CREATE A DATABASE ON THE APPLICATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL LAW IN DOMESTIC COURT DECISIONS
Prof. Claudia Martin, Co-Director of the Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, seeks students to serve as Assistant to the Editorial Board for the project Oxford Reports on International Law in Domestic Law. The project is sponsored by Oxford University Press and the Amsterdam Center for International Law at the University of Amsterdam and entails the creation of a database on international law in domestic court decisions representing countries from all over the world. The students will review a selection of cases submitted by reporters based in different countries, compare them to applicable guidelines, make comments and suggestions as to the final selection, communicate with reporters and guide them on how to write a report and commentary on the selected cases, review the report and commentary and make suggestions to the members of the Editorial Board. Since the cases come primarily from Latin America, knowledge of Spanish is essential. The reports will be produced in English, but the student will be required to consult the full text of the original decision as part of the review process. The final version of the report will be posted in the Oxford University Press database. These volunteer positions require 10 hours per week. If you are interested in this position, please send your resume to cmartin@wcl.american.edu indicating "ILDC Volunteer Spring 2009" in the subject line.
12. HELP ORGANIZE THE INTER-AMERICAN MOOT COURT COMPETITION
The Competition is looking for two highly-motivated dean’s fellow for the Spring 2009 semester to help organize the 14th Inter-American Human Rights Moot Court Competition. Join us as we recruit students, faculty and attorneys from around the world. Tasks will include implementing various marketing strategies, researching the Bench Memorandum, helping with fundraising efforts, designing the website, planning fun events, and much more. We are looking for a native (or extremely fluent) Spanish speaker for 10-20 hours a week (students will be compensated at $12/hour). Please send a cover letter and resume to the Competition at iamoot@wcl.american.edu as soon as possible. Please highlight any translation experience you may have in your cover letter. All students, particularly LLM students & former Competition participants, are encouraged to apply!
13. SPECIALIZED HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRAM OF THE ACADEMY ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITARIAN LAW SEEKS DEAN’S FELLOWS
The Program is looking for two Dean Fellows to work 10-20 hours a week primarily in the coordination of the 2009 program. These positions will work closely with the Program Coordinator. Knowledge of Spanish and familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite is highly desirable.The positions are only available to Washington College of Law students. 1Ls are not eligible to apply. Please email a cover letter and resume to hracademy@wcl.american.edu with the subject “Dean’s Fellow - Spring 09”. In your letter please indicate the number of hours you would be interested in working.
14. HUMAN RIGHTS ESSAY AWARD! CALL FOR PAPERS
2009 Topic in English: 60 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: its contemporary normative impact
2009 Topic in Spanish: 60 anos de la Declaracion Americana de los Derechos y Deberes del Hombre: su impacto normativo actual
About the Award: This annual competition seeks to stimulate the production of scholarly work in international human rights law. Participants may choose any subject related to the assigned topic. The best articles may be published in the American University International Law Review. The Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law grants two awards, one for the best article in English and one for the best article in Spanish. Each award consists of a scholarship to the 2009 Specialized Human Rights Program, travel expenses, housing at the university dorms, and a per diem for living expenses.*
Eligibility and Requirements
- Candidates must hold a law degree.
- Submissions must be unpublished legal papers in English or Spanish, written solely by the candidate.
- Articles must not exceed 35 pages, including footnotes, and must be double-spaced using 12-point Times New Roman font.
- Articles must be submitted via e-mail to hracademy@wcl.american.edu in Microsoft Word format.
- The deadline to submit articles is February 3, 2009, by 10 a.m. (EST).
- Winners will be announced April 1, 2009, on the Academy website.
- A comprehensive list of rules is available at: www.wcl.american.edu/hracademy/hraward.cfm.
15.
HELP ORGANIZE THE SUMMER PROGRAM - HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL
The Summer Program of the Academy is looking for a volunteer to research films that can be shown during the Sum mer Program's Film Festival. If interested, please send an email to hracademy@wcl.american.edu with the title "Volunteer Film Festival."
16. WAR CRIMES RESEARCH OFFICE (WCRO) OPPORTUNITIES
The WCRO is looking for students (particularly 1Ls) interested in volunteering with the WCRO. Volunteer positions at the WCRO offer students exposure to the field of international criminal justice and the opportunity to contribute to the WCRO's work. Opportunities include:
Status Update Volunteers
Status Update Volunteers track developments at the International Criminal Court, International Criminal Tribunal for the ex-Yugoslavia, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Special Courts for Sierra Leone, and Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, and attend biweekly discussions with WCRO staff. No previous background in ICL is needed; this is a great way to learn more about ICL and to get involved in the work of the Office. Meeting times will be scheduled around the participants' availability. To sign up, e-mail warcrimes@wcl.american.edu.
Database Project
The WCRO also maintains a searchable database of jurisprudence from the ICTY, ICTR, SCSL and ICC. This database is periodically updated and made available to court personnel, non-governmental organizations and others in digital form through our website. Database volunteers monitor court jurisprudence and update the database for publication to digital media. To sign up, e-mail warcrimes@wcl.american.edu.
Research Volunteers
The WCRO maintains a list of law students interested in assisting our Dean's Fellows and Assistant Director with various types of research and spading help on an as-needed basis. Students who wish to assist in spading should have Blue Book knowledge, or at least previous experience in research or editing. To sign up, e-mail warcrimes@wcl.american.edu.
International Student Resource Panel
International students or those who have legal experience in countries other than the U.S. are encouraged to sign up for the WCRO's International Student Resource Panel. The WCRO maintains this list as a resource of people willing to contribute time to projects with a comparative law element. To sign up, e-mail warcrimes@wcl.american.edu.
17.
WAR CRIMES RESEARCH OFFICE (WCRO) SEEKS DEAN'S FELLOW
The War Crimes Research Office is seeking Dean's Fellows for Spring 2009. JDs (2L and 3L) and LL.M students are eligible to work on major legal research projects prepared exclusively for international criminal courts and tribunals on issues of critical importance to these institutions. Interested students with a background in public international law, particularly international criminal / humanitarian / human rights law, are especially encouraged to apply, as are those with prior volunteer experience at the WCRO. The time commitment will be a minimum of 20 hours a week; this position is remunerated at $12/hour. Please submit a resume and a cover letter, along with a short writing sample and a transcript (unofficial is fine) to Susana SaCouto, Director, War Crimes Research Office, by email at warcrimes@wcl.american.edu. The deadline for applications is Friday, January 16, 2009 at 5 p.m.
If you have any questions, please feel free to stop by our office at 4301 50th Street, NW, just a few blocks from WCL, call us at 202-274-4067, or e-mail at warcrimes@wcl.american.edu.
18. APPLY NOW FOR THE SUMMER LAW PROGRAM IN THE HAGUE!
The WCRO is accepting applications to the Third Annual Summer Law Program in The Hague, scheduled for June 1 - June 28, 2009.
Join us for this rare opportunity to learn and live in the heart of the international justice community. Examine critical issues of international criminal law and international legal approaches to terrorism while spending a month in the "International City of Peace and Justice" among the practitioners, courts and tribunals making history today. The Program has a maximum enrollment of 40 students. Students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, as we expect the program to fill up quickly.
Participants enroll in two courses, International Criminal Law: In Search of Accountability and International Legal Approaches to Terrorism in the 21st Century, and visit international tribunals like the International Criminal Court (ICC), International Court of Justice (ICJ) and International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). In 2008, students had the opportunity to observe proceedings in the Charles Taylor case, the former president of Liberia who is being tried in The Hague by the Special Courts for Sierra Leone (SCSL).
The brochure and online application are available online at www.wcl.american.edu/hague.
19. THE IMPACT LITIGATION PROJECT SEEKS VOLUNTEERS
The Impact Litigation Project is seeking 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls, and LL.M.s who can dedicate between 5-10 hours/week to the project. This is an ideal opportunity for students who have an interest in international human rights law to become familiar with international organizations in this field. Please let us know if you are interested in the project. For more information or questions, visit our website at www.wcl.american.edu/ilp/ or contact Agustina Del Campo at delcampo@wcl.american.edu.
20. THE IMPACT LITIGATION PROJECT SEEKS TWO DEAN'S FELLOWS
The Impact Litigation Project is looking for two Dean's Fellows for the spring with the potential to continue through the summer semester to work on freedom of expression cases. The Project receives grant funding to promote the rule of law and democracy within the region through international litigation of pivotal cases selected by experts for maximum ability to shape and change policy and legislation within the region, and to advance debate and changes to human rights standards. Candidates must be fluent in both English and Spanish, have excellent writing skills in both languages and have a proven interest in human rights issues. This is an excellent opportunity for 2Ls, 3Ls and LLMs to work with Dean Grossman and the lawyers at the Impact Litigation Project; gain experience in human rights international litigation; and get an inside look at impact litigation strategy-drafting. The Dean's Fellows will be required to work at least 20 hours per week researching and drafting legal memoranda as well as providing administrative support for the office. If you are interested in applying, please send an email with a cover letter, resume and short writing sample (10 pages max.) to Agustina Del Campo at delcampo@wcl.american.edu indicating "Dean's Fellow Spring 2009" in the subject line.
21. ADMINISTRATIVE VOLUNTEER NEEDED FOR PUBLIC BENEFIT EVENING CLINIC AT WHITMAN-WALKER CLINIC
We are looking for a volunteer the 2nd Tuesday evening (6pm - 9pm) of each month during our public benefit evening clinic at Whitman-Walker (WWC). This person would work with pro bono volunteer attorneys from the metropolitan area and staff of the legal services department of WWC. This person would be assisting with administrative duties tied to the public benefit clinic such as copying, faxing etc. Please contact Lee Brubaker, Legal Services Operations Manager at 202-939-7627 or lbrubaker@wwc.org with inquiries.
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 Spring semester. To access the Spring 2009 newsletter, please visit the following site: http://www.wcl.american.edu/humright/center/newsletter/spring09_newsletter.cfm
