News | International Human Rights Clinic

“Killer Robots’ Threaten Human Rights During War, Peace

Autonomous weapons systems pose grave risks to human rights during both war and peacetime, the International Human Rights Clinic and Human Rights Watch said in a recently released report. Governments should tackle the concerns raised by such weapons systems, known as “killer robots,” by negotiating a multinational treaty to address the dangers. 

International Human Rights Clinic Submits Legal Memorandum to Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General

Russia’s Aerial Attacks on Ukraine Amount to Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes, Perpetrators Must Be Held Accountable, According to Clinic’s Factual Investigation and Legal Analysis.

New Q&A Released to Aid Discussions on Civilian Protection from Explosive Weapons

Human Rights Watch and Harvard Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic recently released a new question-and-answer document on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. The paper was published in advance of a regional meeting on the topic, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from February 27-28, 2025.

Clinic Releases Key Recommendations for TPNW Trust Fund

February 28, 2025

IHRC has published new recommendations for designing an international trust fund on victim assistance and environmental remediation under the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

Clinic Alumni Reflect on Early Careers and Trends in Human Rights Practice

January 7, 2025

A group of recent Clinic alumni whose careers span human rights litigation, documentation, research, and advocacy returned to campus and shared their insights with current students during a panel discussion in September.

Watch: Human Rights Legal Education: New Frontiers in Social Justice

January 2, 2025

This event occured as part of Harvard Law School’s Fall 2024 Reunion weekend.Harvard Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this academic year, works at the cutting edge of education and advocacy to drive tangible change in human rights. In this session, clinical faculty and students will share insights about the evolution of human rights…

Watch: Jumping in to Human Rights Practice: Recent Alumni Reflect on a Shifting Field

October 24, 2024

On September 30, the International Human Rights Clinic hosted a panel discussion with recent Clinic alumni at the forefront of the human rights practice. Watch to hear about their personal journeys, from navigating early career challenges to celebrating unexpected wins.

Curbing the Trade in Policing Equipment to Rights Abusers Video: How to Make a Torture-Free Trade Treaty Effective

As the culmination of two semester’s work, in May the Clinic convened an expert roundtable and hosted a public event on torture-free trade with the Geneva Graduate Institute’s Global Governance Centre.

Clinical Project Leads to Academic Article in Harvard Human Rights Journal about the Role of Non-State Actors in Enforced Disappearances

The most recent print edition of the Harvard Human Rights Journal features an article co-authored by Clinical Director Susan Farbstein, Americas Director at the International Federation for Human Rights Jimena Reyes, and clinical alumni Sabrina Ochoa, JD ’24, Rebecca Gore, LLM ’23, Adriana Bones, JD ’24, Nitika Khaitan, LLM ’23, and Victoria Abut, JD ’24. The article, which grew of…

Reviewing the Record: Resources on Incendiary Weapons from Human Rights Watch and the International Human Rights Clinic at Harvard Law School

A June 2024 compilation of publications produced by Human Rights Watch and the International Human Rights Clinic on the issue of incendiary weapons.