The Human Rights Institute serves as the focal point of international human rights education, scholarship, and practice at Columbia Law School. The Institute currently focuses on a number of key themes, and, throughout the year, hosts a wide array of symposia, lectures, and other events to bring practitioners and scholars together.

Founded in 1998 by the late Professor Louis Henkin, the institute draws on the law school’s deep human rights tradition to support and influence human rights practice in the United States and throughout the world. The institute and the Human Rights Clinic have become increasingly integrated over the years, enabling us to multiply our impact on the field and engage students more fully in our work.

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Publications from 2022

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Document: Columbia Law School Holds Sixth Annual Human Rights Student Paper Symposium, Human Rights Institute

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Report: Socialist Republic of Vietnam v. Pham Thi Doan Trang, David McCraw and Human Rights Institute

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Report: The Crime of Sedition: At the Crossroads of Reform and Resurgence, Adam M. Smith, Charlene Yim, Marryum Kahloon, and Human Rights Institute

Publications from 2020

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Article: Reimagining Reproductive Rights Jurisprudence in India: Reflections on the Recent Decisions on Privacy and Gender Equality from the Supreme Court of India, Dipika Jain and Payal K. Shah

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Document: Submission to the US State Department Commission on the Unalienable Rights, Catherine Coleman Flowers and JoAnn Kamuf Ward

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Report: Government of Thailand & Chaiwat Limlikhitaksorn v. Wuth Boonlert & Samak Donnapee, Human Rights Institute and Lionel Blackman

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Report: In Search of Answers: U.S. Military Investigations and Civilian Harm, Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) and Human Rights Institute

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Report: Thailand v. Does 1-5 of the Organization for Thai Federation, Human Rights Institute and Demetra Sorvatzioti

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Report: Turkey vs. Ahmet Tuna Altınel, René Provost and Human Rights Institute

Publications from 2019

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Document: Red Mining: Mining and the Right to Water in Porgera, Papua New Guinea, Human Rights Institute and Earth Institute

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Document: Submission to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review of Yemen, Mwatana Organization for Human Rights, Human Rights Clinic, Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), and Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR)

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Report: Advancing Racial Justice and Human Rights: Rights-Based Strategies for the Current Era, Human Rights Institute

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Report: Flushed and Forgotten: Sanitation and Wastewater in Rural Communities in the United States, Alabama Center for Rural Enterprise (ACRE), Human Rights Institute, and Institute for the Study of Human Rights

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Report: Red Mining: Mining and the Right to Water in Porgera, Papua New Guinea, Human Rights Clinic and Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict and Complexity (AC4)

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Report: Trial Monitoring of People v. Cansu Pişkin (Turkey 2019), Human Rights Institute and Stephen J. Rapp

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Report: Trial Monitoring of People v. Miti et al. (Zambia 2018), Human Rights Institute and Beth Van Schaack

Publications from 2018

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Document: 2018 IAOHRA Gender Equity Toolkit, Human Rights Institute and International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies (IAOHRA)

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Document: Are Rights a Reality? Evaluating Federal Civil Rights Enforcement, International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies (IAOHRA) and Human Rights Institute

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Document: Comment in Response to Proposed Rulemaking: Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds, Brittany Thomas, Nahal Zamani, and JoAnn Kamuf Ward

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Document: Saudi Arabia Must be Held to Account for Human Rights Violations in Yemen, Human Rights Clinic and Mwatana Organization for Human Rights

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Document: Submission to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review of Yemen, Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies, Human Rights Clinic, and George Warren Brown School

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Report: Submission to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review of Saudi Arabia, Mwatana for Human Rights and Human Rights Clinic

Publications from 2017

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Document: Joint Civil Society Statement on Armed Drones, Sophia Wistenhube

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Document: Joint Submission to the Human Rights Committee: Draft General Comment 36 on Article 6, on the Right to Life, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Human Rights Clinic, International Commission of Jurists, Open Society Justice Initiative, and Rights Watch (UK)

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Document: NGO Statement on Reported Changes to U.S. Policy on Use of Armed Drones and Other Lethal Force, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Amnesty International, Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), Center for Constitutional Rights, Coalition for Peace Action, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Human Rights Clinic, Human Rights First, Human Rights Watch, Interfaith Network on Drone Warfare, National Religious Campaign Against Torture, Open Society Foundations, and Reprieve

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Document: Possible Changes to U.S. Policies on the Use of Force in Counterterrorism Operations, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Amnesty International, Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Clinic, Coalition for Peace Action, Human Rights First, Human Rights Watch, Interfaith Network on Drone Warfare, National Religious Campaign Against Torture, Open Society Foundations, and OpenTheGovernment

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Report: Gender Equity Through Human Rights: Local Efforts to Advance the Status of Women and Girls in the United States, Human Rights Institute

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Report: Out of the Shadows: Recommendations to Advance Transparency in the Use of Lethal Force, Human Rights Clinic and Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies

Publications from 2016

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Document: Accountabilitea: Assam Tea Workers Demand Action from the World Bank and Tata, Promotion and Advancement of Justice, Harmony and Rights of Adivasis (PAJHRA); People's Action for Development (PAD); Accountability Counsel; NAZDEEK; and Human Rights Clinic

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Document: Implementation of Executive Order of July 1, 2016, Human Rights Institute

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Document: Using Thematic Hearings at the Inter-American Human Rights Commission to Advance U.S. Human Rights Accountability: A Resource for the Bringing Human Rights Home Lawyers' Network, Human Rights Institute

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Report: Human Rights Recommendations to the United States: A Desk Reference for State and Local Human Rights Agencies, Human Rights Institute

Publications from 2015

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Document: Access to Counsel in Civil Cases, Human Rights Institute

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Document: Federal Outreach and Mechanisms to Ensure Human Rights Implementation and the Federal, State and Local Levels, Human Rights Institute and International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies (IAOHRA)

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Document: New Human Rights Institute Report on Birmingham, Alabama Human Rights Dialogue and Efforts to Promote and Protect Human Rights in Cities Across the United States, Human Rights Institute

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Document: Public Acknowledgement and Investigations of U.S. “Targeted Killings” and Drone Strikes, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Amnesty International, Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), Center for Constitutional Rights, European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Human Rights Clinic, Human Rights First, Human Rights Watch, Open Society Foundations, and Reprieve

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Report: Bringing Human Rights Home: The Birmingham Mayor's Office Human Rights Dialogue, Human Rights Institute and Office of the Mayor of the City Birmingham

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Report: Conga No Va: An Assessment of the Conga Mining Project in Light of World Bank Standards, Inter-Institutional Platform of Celendín, The Unified Rondas of the Province of Celendín, The Frente de Defensa of the Jadibamba River Basin, The Frente de Defensa of the District of Huasmín, The Frente de Defensa of the Centro Poblado of Jeréz, The Frente de Defensa of the District of Sorochuco, The Frente de Defensa of the Interests of the Province of Hualgayoc - Bambamarca, and Human Rights Clinic

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Report: Engaging U.N. Special Procedures to Advance Human Rights at Home: A Guide for U.S. Advocates, Human Rights Institute

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Report: Human Rights Institute Annual Report 2014-2015, Human Rights Institute

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Report: Human Rights in the United States: Primer on Recommendations from the Inter-American Human Rights Commission & the United Nations, Human Rights Institute

Publications from 2014

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Article: Access to Justice: Ensuring Meaningful Access to Counsel in Civil Cases, Human Rights Clinic

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Document: Abuse and Potential Misuse of Resources in U.S. Terrorism Prosecutions, Human Rights Institute

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Document: Challenging Juvenile Life Without Parole: How Has Human Rights Made a Difference?, Human Rights Institute

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Document: Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute Joins Delegation at United Nations for Review of U.S. Human Rights Record, Human Rights Institute

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Document: Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault in the United States: A Human Rights Based Approach & Practice Guide, Women's Rights Project, Human Rights Institute, and Human Rights Clinic

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Document: Equal Access to Justice: Ensuring Meaningful Access to Counsel in Civil Cases, Including Immigration Proceedings, Human Rights Institute and Program on Human Rights and the Global Economy

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Document: The Need for Comprehensive Federal Outreach and Mechanisms to Support State and Local Implementation of the Convention, Human Rights Institute and International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies (IAOHRA)

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Report: Illusion of Justice: Human Rights Abuses in US Terrorism Prosecutions, Human Rights Watch and Human Rights Institute

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Report: "The More Things Change ...": The World Bank, Tata and Enduring Abuses on India's Tea Plantation, Human Rights Institute

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Report: The Need for Effective Federal Outreach and Mechanisms to Coordinate and Support Federal, State and Local Implementation of the Convention, Human Rights Institute and International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies (IAOHRA)

Publications from 2013

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Document: Civilian Harm from Drone Strikes: Assessing Limitations & Responding to Harm, Human Rights Clinic

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Report: Access to Justice: Ensuring Meaningful Access to Counsel in Civil Cases, Human Rights Clinic

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Report: Closing the Gap: The Federal Role in Respecting & Ensuring Human Rights at the State and Local Level, Human Rights Institute and International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies (IAOHRA)

Publications from 2012

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Article: "By Some Other Means": Considering the Executive Role in Fostering Subnational Human Rights Compliance, Risa E. Kaufman

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Document: Civilian Impact of Covert Drone Operations Overlooked, Human Rights Clinic

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Document: Drone Strike Casualty Estimates Likely Understated, Human Rights Clinic

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Document: International Human Rights are Taking Hold in U.S. States, Cities, and Towns, Human Rights Institute

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Document: United States’ Compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Human Rights Institute and American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

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Report: Annual Report 2011-2012, Human Rights Institute

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Report: Bringing Human Rights Home: How State and Local Governments Can Use Human Rights to Advance Local Policy, Human Rights Institute

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Report: Counting Drone Strike Deaths, Human Rights Clinic

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Report: The Civilian Impact of Drones: Unexamined Costs, Unanswered Questions, Human Rights Clinic and Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC)

Publications from 2011

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Article: Using Human Rights Mechanisms of the United Nations to Advance Economic Justice, Risa E. Kaufman and JoAnn Kamuf Ward

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Report: Enforcing the Rules: Government and Citizen Oversight of Mining, Erin Smith and Peter Rosenblum

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Report: Gender Justice in the Americas: A Transnational Dialogue on Violence, Sexuality, Reproduction, and Human Rights University, Human Rights Clinic, Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad Diego Portales, and Center for Reproductive Rights

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Report: Implementing Recommendations from the Universal Periodic Review: A Toolkit for State and Local Human Rights and Human Relations Commissions, Human Rights Institute

Publications from 2010

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Document: Human Rights and Domestic Violence: An Advocacy Manual, Human Rights Clinic

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Report: Contracts Confidential: Ending Secret Deals in the Extractive Industries, Peter Rosenblum and Susan Maples

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Report: Promises to Keep: Diplomatic Assurances Against Torture in US Terrorism Transfers, Human Rights Institute

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Report: State and Local Human Rights Agencies: Recommendations for Advancing Opportunity and Equality Through an International Human Rights Framework, Human Rights Institute and International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies (IAOHRA)

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Report: The Road to Rights: Establishing a Domestic Human Rights Institution in the United States, Leadership Conference Education Fund and Human Rights Institute

Publications from 2009

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Report: Climate Change and the Right to Food: A Comprehensive Study, Human Rights Institute

Publications from 2008

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Document: Human Rights, Social Justice and State Law: A Manual for Creative Lawyering, Program on Human Rights and the Global Economy, National Economic and Social Rights Initiative (NESRI), and Human Rights Institute