Information for Students

The Global Rights Innovation Lab Clinic (GRIL) is a new clinic at UC Berkeley Law. GRIL Clinic is building the first law school-based multidisciplinary lab space where graduate students from law, data science, and related technology fields create and apply digital tools to serve clients advancing global rights and social justice. We leverage cutting-edge digital technologies like data analysis, machine learning, digital forensics, and AI to uncover hidden patterns, build compelling cases, and forge new justice pathways.

Informed by our stakeholder interviews and student focus groups, we identified a suite of service opportunities that the GRIL Clinic can provide to human rights organizations. These fall into three service categories that employ data science to support advocacy goals: (1) developing legal cases; (2) undertaking advanced data analysis and modeling to support policy and advocacy goals; and (3) using data visualization to create digital storytelling. Through the practical experience afforded by these different lines of work, GRIL students will acquire relevant and valuable skills for an evolving job market.

By joining GRIL, you’ll gain skills to bridge the gap between traditional legal practice and innovative, data-driven technologies. Students work in a multi-disciplinary, dynamic, learning environment, exploring where digital technologies can elevate and transform global rights advocacy. Law students will gain experience designing and implementing legal research and advocacy strategies that leverage data science methods and insights for human rights clients. Data science and technology students will apply data analytics, modeling, and visualization techniques to drive human rights advocacy goals and serve organizational clients.

By joining GRIL you will gain:

• Data Literacy: Acquire/apply the skills to understand, interpret, and communicate various types of data and data science methods relevant to legal advocacy work. This includes understanding statistical methods, working with large datasets, and using data visualization tools to present information effectively.
• Project Evaluation Skills: Help evaluate projects and explore how GRIL can evolve further, contributing to the clinic’s growth and impact.
• Substantive Knowledge: Learn the fundamentals of international human rights law, the data science pipeline, and the current debates on the intersections of human rights and technology.
• Cross-Disciplinary Communication Practice: Translate legal needs into data science problems and data science results into legal arguments and advocacy strategies for live clients.
• Multidisciplinary Collaboration Experience: Learn effective collaboration practices within multidisciplinary teams to advance cutting-edge, technology-driven solutions in service of human rights and social justice organization clients.

We welcome graduate students interested in human rights, social justice, and technology. Whether you’re new to these fields or an expert, GRIL provides training and gives you the opportunity to apply your field knowledge (in law or technology) to hands-on problem-solving and advocacy cases. Imagine working in a dynamic, collaborative space supervised by human rights and data science experts alongside passionate colleagues from diverse disciplines.

Yes. GRIL is cross listed at Goldman School and the I School.

Yes. GRIL units are valid for the i) International Law Certificate, ii) Law & Technology Certificate Program, and iii) Public Interest and Social Justice.

Students who enroll in two (2) consecutive semesters will be able to satisfy the Option 2 writing requirement.

Students will be assigned to teams working on a primary and secondary project. Topics include: justice for crimes of war; violations of international human rights; identity-based discrimination; and criminal legal reform to address the impacts of the climate emergency on the prison population.

We have identified three key types of projects: i) casebuilding, ii) digital storytelling, and iii) contributions to policies and standards for the use of technology in human rights work. To facilitate broader practice experience, GRIL students will participate in a variety of projects and build a portfolio of work, which may include student-initiated projects.

Enrollment in the seminar (2 units) and the clinic (4 units) is by permission of the instructor. The seminar meets on Wednesdays 3:35-5:25pm.

You can contact any of the multidisciplinary clinic faculty: the clinical director, Laurel Fletcher (lfletcher@clinical.law.berkeley.edu) or the clinical supervisor, Valentina Rozo Ángel (vrozo@clinical.law.berkeley.edu). We look forward to getting to know you!