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My work with IHRC has been the most meaningful and rewarding part of my law school experience. I joined the Clinic in the Spring of 2023, and have participated as an advanced student ever since. My project centers on the 2017 French Duty of Vigilance Law which we are using to hold Carrefour, the seventh-largest supermarket chain in the world, accountable for human rights abuses in its seafood supply chain.

Immediately upon the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Mariupol became a focal point of the war as Russia’s grip tightened around the coastal city. About 540,000 people resided in Mariupol before the Russian armed forces attacked, but as the bombardment continued, the number of residents dwindled, due to death and displacement. On May 20, 2022, after a battle of three months, the city fell, and Russia claimed control. 

Compliance with 2022 Political Declaration Would Reduce Harm in Armed Conflict (Oslo, April 21, 2024) – The bombing and shelling of cities and towns during armed conflict has devastating consequences for cultural heritage and civilians, Human Rights Watch and Harvard Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC) said in a new report. Minimizing this harm should be addressed at the…

A reunion panel featuring Ariel Dulitzky LL.M. '99, Aminta Ossom '09, Paras Shah '19, Hina Uddin, '24 on the evolution of human rights practice and clinical teaching. Moderated by Susan Farbstein '04.

Haiti’s rapidly spiraling political and security crisis has brought the de facto Haitian government to the brink of collapse. As gangs assault key infrastructure and move closer to complete control, Haiti’s prime minister, Ariel Henry, is stuck in Puerto Rico and unable to return. Henry – an unelected leader whose sole source of support has come from outside of Haiti’s borders – has now finally also lost the support of the United States, making his resignation all but certain.

This piece was originally published by the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs. Presenting research to UN officials, business and NGO leaders, and grassroots activists in Geneva, Switzerland is not an ordinary law school assignment; for Taryn Shanes ‘25, the task was not only part of her clinic work, but the “linchpin” of her law school experience. Shanes travelled…

To shed light on the legal and ethical concerns they raise, the Gazette interviewed Bonnie Docherty, lecturer on law at Harvard Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC), who attended some of the U.N. meetings. Docherty is also a senior researcher in the Arms Division of Human Rights Watch. This interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity.

Victor Madrigal-Borloz joins our team this spring as a Practitioner-in-Residence, working with students on projects related to sexual orientation and gender identity. From 2018-2023, Victor served as the UN Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, appointed by the UN Human Rights Council. He is also a Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School…

French duty of vigilance law means Carrefour can be held accountable for slavery, human trafficking, torture in its tuna supply chain