2012 TOPIC: The Rights of Indigenous People and International Human Rights Law

We are no longer accepting essays for the 2012 Essay Award

Winners of the 2012 Essay Award will be announced on April 1, 2012.

Congratulations to our 2011 WINNERS:

English: Violet Odala
"The Spectrum for Child Justice in the International Framework: From ‘Reclaiming the Deliquent Child’ to Restorative Justice"

Spanish: Maria Carmona
"Incidencia de la Convención sobre los derechos del niño en la precisión del Ius cogens internacional"

 

Questions about Eligibility and Requirements?

About the Award

The Human Rights Essay Award is an annual competition sponsored by the Academy and seeks to stimulate the production of scholarly work in international human rights law. Participants have the flexibility to choose any subject related to the assigned topic. The essay has to be a legal article.

The Academy will grant two Awards, one for the best article in English and one for the best article in Spanish. The Award in each case will consist of:

• a scholarship to the Program of Advanced Studies in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

• travel expenses to Washington D.C.

• housing at the university dorms

• a per diem for living expenses

The best articles may be published in the American University International Law Review.

The 2012 Honor Jury deciding the Award will be comprised of:

Victor Abramovich, Executive Secretary, Human Rights Institute at Mercosur (SPA)
Gudmundur Alfredsson, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Strasbourg (ENG)
Dupe Atoki, Chair, African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ENG)
Cecilia Bailliet, Director, Masters Program in Public International Law, University of Oslo (SPA)
Eva Biaudet, Ombudsman for Ethnic Minorities in Finland (ENG)
Leonardo Crippa, Senior Lawyer, Indian Law Resource Center, Washington DC (SPA)
Rodrigo Escobar Gil, Member, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (SPA)
Beatriz Fernández, Policy Specialist, Human Rights, UNDP (SPA)
Claudio Grossman, Dean, American University Washington College of Law (SPA)
Lucie Lamarche, Research Director, G. F. Henderson Chair, University of Ottawa Human Rights Centre(ENG)
Margarette Macaulay, Judge, Inter-American Court on Human Rights (ENG)
Claudia Martin, Co-Director, Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Washington College of Law (SPA)
David Padilla, Former Deputy Executive Secretary, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (ENG)
Patricio Pazmiño, President, Constitutional Court of Ecuador (SPA)
Diego Rodríguez-Pinzón,Co-Director,Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law,Washington College of Law (EN)
Ezra Rosser, Professor, American University Washington College of Law (ENG)
Pablo Saavedra, Secretary, Inter-American Court on Human Rights (SPA)
Dinah Shelton, President, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (ENG)

Eligibility and Requirements: Complete list of rules

• Candidates must hold a law degree and have demonstrated experience or interest in international human rights law.
• Articles must not exceed 35 pages in length, including footnotes**, and must be double spaced using 12-point Times New Roman font, in letter size paper (8.5 x11) with 1 inch margins all around. Any essay which does not follow the guidelines will be reformatted and 5 points will be taken off. If the essay is longer than 35 pages, it will be automatically disqualified.
• Each participant must also include a curriculum vitae of no more than three pages in length explaining the experience or interest of the author in human rights issues. Please submit the CV as a separate file from your paper.
• The essay has to be a legal article, therefore it will include foot pages and citations. The absence of those will cause that the essay will be disqualified.
• Articles can only be submitted via email to hracademy@wcl.american.edu in Microsoft Word format.
• The deadline to submit articles is February 1, 2012, at 9:00 a.m. E.S.T.
• Winners will be announced on April 1, 2012 through our Web site.

*Scholarship is not applicable to enroll for ABA Credit. All expenses are subject to limitations.
**How to make footnotes and citations