Introducing the Faculty of the Leitner Summer Human Rights Institute
The Leitner Summer Human Rights Institute (SHRI) is taught by a faculty of renowned scholars, practitioners, and leaders in the fields of international, institutional, and “grassroots” human rights practice. They bring decades of teaching, advocacy, research, and policy development to help prepare participants with the theoretical and practical tools needed to further human rights across the globe. With their expertise and experience covering a range of subject matters, our faculty offer a rigorous, hands-on, in-depth, and inspirational experience.
Faculty Roles and Vision
SHRI is headed by Professor Paolo Galizzi, Faculty Director and Clinical Professor of Law at Fordham Law School. Professor Galizzi comes to us with a robust background in international law, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility, having led several research programs and legal clinics in those areas. His leadership will help ensure that the program’s curriculum is contemporary, forward-thinking, and globally minded, seamlessly melding academic theory with real-world practice.
International Perspective: Faculty Profile
Our faculty members are leading scholars and practitioners whose work has defined the field of human rights in every region of the world. They include Professor Gay McDougall, Distinguished Scholar-In-Residence and former United Nations Independent Expert on Minority Issues. Professor McDougall has served as a member of UN treaty bodies and has been a leader in global justice initiatives, bringing participants in the SHRI into unparalleled proximity to some of the most pressing issues in minority rights and international justice.
Our PVH Corp. Fellow in Corporate Social Responsibility, Professor Emily Smith Ewing, specializes in business and human rights. She consults with multinational corporations and NGOs and teaches ethical compliance and sustainable practices.
Professor Martin S. Flaherty is the Leitner Family Professor of Law and one of the co-founding directors of the Leitner Center. He is known for widely influential scholarship on US constitutional law and advocacy before international tribunals. In his courses, Professor Flaherty empowers students with the tools to critically assess continuities and ruptures in this complex landscape of human rights protection.
Professor Elisabeth Wickeri is currently the Executive Director of the Leitner Center as well as Director of the Asia Law and Justice Program. She draws upon her extensive experience in Asia to bring into focus key issues in economic, social, and cultural rights. Professor Wickeri’s research and advocacy have been instrumental in several Southeast Asian countries in effecting important legal reforms.
Professor Ramya J. Kudekallu, Telford Taylor Human Rights Visiting Instructor, teaches gender justice, migration, access to justice for vulnerable groups, and related issues arising through her fieldwork experiences assisting NGOs around the world. In her teaching, she brings lived experience into the classroom and gives students critical policy-making insights.
International expertise is even more expansive when you include our dynamic collaborator overseas, Dr. Kwaku Agyeman-Budu, Sr. Legal Advisor and Head (Law Centers) at GIMPA-the Ghana Institute on Management and Public Administration. Given his background working with African regional human rights systems and efforts at legal reform, Dr. Agyeman-Budu provides critical insight into both local realities and global trends. International students also participate under the guidance of John Y. Mensah, a Law Lecturer at the University of Professional Studies Accra, who specializes in children’s rights laws and legal education, connecting SHRI participants to cutting-edge issues at the frontiers of education and youth advocacy.
Areas and Fields of Interest
SHRI’s curriculum reflects the constantly evolving and interdisciplinary landscape of human rights law. Of our faculty’s collective expertise, here are just a few of their specialized areas of expertise:
- Business and Human Rights: Corporate responsibility and accountability, supply chain transparency, and ethical investment
- Civil and Political Rights: Freedom of expression, assembly and association, due process protections in criminal justice proceedings
- Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: The right to health, education, social security, and equality in diverse settings
- Women’s Rights: Gender-based violence, child protection, and international advocacy for women’s rights
- International Justice: The role of international criminal tribunals, transitional justice systems, and foreign approaches to accountability for mass atrocities
- Vulnerable Groups: The rights of minorities, migrant workers, refugees, and other disadvantaged groups
The faculty interact with participants through lecture-style presentations, dynamic roundtable discussions, and case studies.
An Interconnected Room: Hybrid and Global
SHRI’s hybrid delivery model invites participants from throughout the world to learn from our world-renowned faculty in person, at Fordham Law School in New York City, as well as remotely, via live online. Our faculty are dedicated to creating an inclusive and productive environment-whether leading real-time discussions, masterminding collaborative projects, or providing one-on-one mentorship. This hands-on learning model gives every participant, no matter where in the world they are located, direct access to thought leaders and peers from a variety of backgrounds.
Contributions to the Human Rights Field
Beyond teaching, the SHRI faculty are fully engaged in cutting-edge research and policy work and in front-line advocacy. Many are advisers to international organizations, co-counsel on landmark legal cases, and authors of influential scholarship. The program faculty regularly convene public lectures, workshops, and community partnerships, thereby offering program participants access to New York’s dynamic human rights community. This combination of scholarship and practice is what defines SHRI and distinguishes it.
Connect With Other Human Rights Leaders
In learning from the faculty of the Leitner Summer Human Rights Institute, participants in the program are not only gaining knowledge, but also entering into a global community of human rights defenders, academics, and practitioners. From diverse backgrounds and a wide range of expertise, the faculty of SHRI creates connections that last far beyond the weeks of summer study. On into their professional pursuits, students become advocates with NGOs, international organizations, and law firms, as well as academics and scholars across the world, building on the network originally created at SHRI.
Contact and Application Information
The 2024 Leitner Summer Human Rights Institute will be June 10-21 in hybrid format. Applications are now open, and space is limited. Interested potential participants can find more information about our exceptional faculty and program curriculum or apply at https://leitnersummerhumanrightsinstitute.org/, [email protected], or (832) 939-9983. You may also drop by and see us at 1500 Louisiana St Ste 11, Houston TX 77002. We welcome any interested potential participants to reach out with any questions and we encourage early registration to guarantee a space in what has proven to be a life changing experience.