Human Rights, Law and Advocacy
FYSEMR 41K
Subject & Catalog Number
Course Information
Description
Human rights practitioners confront numerous ethical, strategic, and legal dilemmas in their struggles for social justice. This first-year seminar explores the underlying legal frameworks in which human rights advocates operate and then use specific case studies to consider the various challenges they must grapple with in their work. The seminar is designed to encourage students to critically evaluate the human rights movement while offering an introduction to some of the essential tools and strategies used by human rights advocates, including advocacy, litigation, documentation, and report writing.
Students will consider tough questions, such as: How can human rights be harnessed to successfully influence and change behavior? What does responsible, effective human rights advocacy look like? How do we engage without perpetuating power differentials along geopolitical, class, race, gender, and other lines? How do we find ways to work in collaboration with directly affected communities? What does it mean to be a human rights advocate working on abuses affecting individuals and communities remote from yourself? How do you balance broader advocacy goals with the needs of individual survivors or clients? How do you determine when to intervene and devote limited resources to a given issue?
Finally, the seminar considers the limits of the human rights paradigm and established methodologies, such as litigation and “naming and shaming,” and explores alternative sources and forms of advocacy, including the role of community lawyering in the human rights context.
NOTE: This seminar will meet Wednesdays, 12:30pm-2:30pm.
Class Notes
First-Year Seminars are available only to first-year students. You may apply to both Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 First-Year Seminars via the FYS lottery between July 6 and August 6, 2026 at 11:59PM-midnight.
You may apply to as many seminars each term as you would like, but we recommend you apply to at least six in fall and three in spring.
As part of your application, you must provide a brief statement on why you are interested in each seminar. You will be notified of lottery results for both fall and spring seminars at 5 pm on August 11. If you are unsuccessful in the lottery, you may still join any seminar with open seats. A list of open seminars and instructions on next steps will be available on the First-Year Seminar Program website August 11 at 12 Noon.
Not Available for Cross Registration
