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Projects & Cases

Established in 1998, the International Human Rights Law Clinic is engaged in cutting-edge research, policy work, and advocacy. The clinic has developed this work through human rights projects that utilize innovative approaches to promote the rights of victims and survivors of these abuses. It has

  • played a key role in efforts to bring to justice perpetrators of atrocities under dictatorships and circumstances of mass violence;
  • promoted rights that traditionally have been ignored and undervalued, such as economic, cultural and social rights; and
  • increased attention by judges, public officials, and activists in the United States to international human rights norms and institutions.

    The clinic provides legal support for these efforts. It sponsors projects that address these emerging issues through synergies created by an interdisciplinary approach. This cooperative effort draws on the considerable energy and resources of Berkeley Law students, faculty and staff as well as the university as a whole.

    In addition, the clinic consistently collaborates with activists and human rights organizations, as well as international and governmental agencies, to develop ongoing partnerships that promote human rights advancement and enforcement.

    The clinic currently works in the following areas:

    Promoting Human Rights Within the United States

    The clinic seeks to promote recognition and compliance by U.S. authorities with international human rights standards. These efforts include:

    Economic, Social & Cultural Rights

    Since 1998, the clinic has pioneered a rights-based strategy to combat poverty. It creatively surmounts barriers to enforcement of economic, social, and cultural rights while building the capacity of local groups to make use of these rights.

    Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights

    The clinic promotes compliance by the United States with international human rights standards in its efforts to combat terrorism. Its current work on this area includes:

    Accountability and Transitional Justice

    The clinic works to end and prevent atrocities, hold governments and their agents accountable for them, and assist societies rebuilding after mass violence. Projects include:

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