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Program Overview

Welcome to the Leitner Summer Human Rights Institute

The Leitner Summer Human Rights Institute (SHRI), organized by the Leitner Center for International Law and Justice at Fordham Law School, is an intensive two-week program that offers students, practitioners, and advocates from around the world an in-depth, immersive introduction to international human rights law. In June of each year, SHRI brings together human rights advocates, attorneys, and diverse professionals from across the globe in New York City for a two-week intensive program in the heart of Manhattan.

The 2024 Summer Program will feature a dynamic hybrid format from June 10-21, 2024, allowing for both in-person and remote attendance. By taking part in SHRI, participants have the unique opportunity to engage directly with prominent legal experts and international practitioners in the field while networking with human rights leaders in NY. Whether you are looking to enhance your legal training, increase your knowledge base in international law and policy, or expand your professional network within New York’s human rights community, SHRI provides a platform to learn among distinguished experts and advocate alongside fellow practitioners and students committed to advancing international justice worldwide.

Program Format: A Full Immersion, Customized Learning Environment

SHRI is designed to maximize learning in a limited timeframe and to provide flexibility that accommodates the needs of its diverse, international participants. The course combines daily live lectures, conversations, and on-demand asynchronous material. Each day typically includes a morning plenary lecture from Fordham Law School faculty followed by optional breakout workshops and group discussion. Afternoon and evening programming focuses on concentrated topics and guest presenters from across New York’s rich ecosystem of human rights practitioners.

Participants may attend either from campus at Fordham Law School or via a robust online platform. All course readings, materials, and recorded lectures are made available throughout the course so that students may refer back to and more fully digest key themes. The Institute’s hybrid model ensures that whether you are joining the program from New York or abroad, you have full access to the Institute’s highly regarded curriculum and global community of interactivity.

Curricular Focus: Underpinnings and Frontiers of Human Rights Law

Throughout the SHRI curriculum there is an emphasis on combining an in-depth understanding of the theory that underpins international human rights law, with a vital grounding in the ways that these ideas are put into practice. The SHRI curriculum is structured into a series of modules, with each module being led by faculty recognized as leaders in their subject. Participants learn foundational topics before moving onto advanced and specialized subjects.

  • The history of international human rights law
  • Major treaties, institutions and mechanisms
  • UN mechanism and regional systems
  • Litigation and advocacy
  • Human rights in times of conflict
  • Cross-cutting issues (including intersectionality, environmental and digital rights)

The combination of academic rigor and practical application ensures SHRI graduates leave equipped with both knowledge and the applied skills necessary to advance human rights in their own context.

Program Themes: Navigating Contemporary Deep Dives into Human Rights

SHRI curriculum covers topical and timely issues at the forefront of the current human rights agenda. Through each session, participants will be prompted to engage in critical thinking and will receive practical and concrete solutions. Issues covered include the following:

  • Business & Human Rights: A discussion on international legal standards and best practices for corporate responsibility, including case studies on supply chains, migrant labor, and corporate liability.
  • Vulnerable Groups: A discussion on the protection of refugees, migrants, ethnic minorities, indigenous peoples, and other marginalized communities, with a focus on legal mechanisms and advocacy strategies for their empowerment.
  • Civil & Political Rights: An analysis of core civil and political liberties, including protections for the freedoms of expression, association, assembly, and the right to a fair trial/due process under international standards.
  • Economic, Social & Cultural Rights: An examination of the right to education, health, housing, and work, with an overview of key state obligations and monitoring and implementation mechanisms.
  • Women & Children: A discussion on women’s rights, gender equality, children’s rights, and eliminating violence against women and children.
  • International Justice: An analysis of institutions such as the International Criminal Court and ad hoc tribunals in relation to holding perpetrators of grave crimes accountable to justice.

Below are guest speakers and panel discussions with practitioners from leading non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and advocacy networks based in New York.

Outstanding Faculty: Learning from the Luminaries

The Institute’s faculty is made up of internationally renowned scholars and practitioners with decades of experience in the classroom. Participants have the opportunity to learn directly from:

  • Professor Paolo Galizzi, Faculty Director, Clinical Professor of Law, and Director of the Sustainable Development Law Initiatives
  • Professor Gay McDougall, Distinguished Scholar-In-Residence, former UN Independent Expert on Minority Issues
  • Professor Emily Smith Ewing, PVH Corp. Fellow in Corporate Social Responsibility and Adjunct Professor of Law
  • Professor Martin S. Flaherty, Leitner Family Professor of Law and Co-Founding Director of the Leitner Center
  • Professor Elisabeth Wickeri, Executive Director and Director of the Asia Law and Justice Program
  • Professor Ramya J. Kudekallu, Telford Taylor Human Rights Visiting Instructor
  • Dr. Kwaku Agyeman-Budu, Head of Law Centers at GIMPA and legal academic
  • John Y. Mensah, Lecturer in Law, University of Professional Studies Accra

This combination of expertise brings together a wealth of academic knowledge as well as a practical, commercial approach to learning. For more information about our faculty, visit the Faculty page.

Learning Beyond the Classroom: Building Community and Connections

The SHRI experience is not limited to rich discussions with participants across backgrounds and expertise – attendees have the rare opportunity to connect with New York’s human rights community directly. Experiences include:

  • Virtual and in-person networking receptions
  • Panels with leaders from organizations like Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the United Nations
  • Optional field visits to local NGOs and legal clinics for participants in New York in person
  • Group projects/case simulations modeled after issues lawyers face when working on human rights

In these spaces, you’ll gain meaningful relationships, as well as unique insights into potential career paths, emerging issues, and trends shaping the work.

Who Should Apply: For Global Learners and Practitioners

SHRI is open to a diverse group of participants, acknowledging the interdisciplinary and transnational nature of human rights work. It would benefit:

  • Law students and recent graduates seeking basic and advanced knowledge
  • Practicing lawyers and legal professionals seeking continuing professional education
  • Academics and researchers in law, international relations or political science
  • NGO staff, advocates and activists engaged in rights-based programmes
  • Professionals from business, government, healthcare or other fields who seek a human rights perspective
  • The public from any background who has a keen interest in advocating for human rights

Whether starting a new career in human rights policy or programming or seeking to integrate these values into your current profession, the SHRI offers the skills, credentials, and networking opportunities to make it happen. Learn more in our Program Overview.

Certificate and Professional Development

Participants who successfully complete the program earn a Certificate in International Human Rights Law conferred by the Leitner Center at Fordham Law School. Classes, which average 10-14 students, are comprised of a diverse community of international graduate law students, activists, and human rights professionals from around the world. The certificate recognizes substantial engagement with the substantive concepts and practical skills of the human rights field, and is highly respected by employers, educational institutions, associations, and professional organizations. It is particularly useful for those seeking careers in international law, advocacy, or global policy.

How to Apply and Prepare for SHRI 2024

The application process for Session 2024 is open. Interested applicants should apply early as seating for the program is limited and there is great interest. Participants must complete an online application form with their academic and professional history, submit a statement for consideration, and upload a current CV. Admission to the session is competitive, focusing on an applicant’s articulated interest in and potential contribution to that session’s learning community.

Those admitted to the session will be sent a formal orientation packet, links to pre-course requisite materials, along with instructions for accessing the online learning resource. In-person participants will also be sent additional materials covering an orientation to the Institute. Both in-person and online program participants are assisted by a dedicated program coordinator for the duration of the Institute session. For details, visit our Application Process page.

Join Us: Building Your Knowledge and Impact in Human Rights

Through participation in the Leitner Summer Human Rights Institute, you will join a global community of committed human rights advocates and defenders. No matter where you are in your career path or human rights work, SHRI provides an unparalleled academic, practical, and collegial experience. We welcome you to enrich your human rights work with us in New York City-or anywhere you are in the world.

If you have further questions, would like to hear more about the program fee schedule, or you are ready to apply, visit leitnersummerhumanrightsinstitute.org; contact us at [email protected]; or call (832) 939-9983. Our team members are happy to respond to all inquiries and guide you in completing the registration process. Join our SHRI 2024 cohort-alongside a diverse group of dedicated, like-minded individuals-and help grow a global community championing international human rights. For more ways to get in touch, see our Contact Us page.