Curriculum Guide · Courses

Professor R. Taylor

J.D. Seminar 034 (cross-listed) | 5 credit hours (year long)

This year-long experiential seminar is designed to support students participating in the Human Rights Institute/Georgetown Human Rights Action fact-finding project. These projects give students an opportunity to work as human rights investigators—researching a human rights problem in depth, conducting extensive interviews on the subject, drafting a comprehensive report on their findings, and engaging in related advocacy. Through this course, students will gain the substantive background and skills needed to carry out this work. Each year, Georgetown Human Rights Action and the Human Rights Institute identify a new topic on which to work. In 2010-2011, the selected topic is Safe Repatriation for Persons with Mental Disabilities. In the fall, the weekly seminar will cover relevant substantive law and policy on this subject, as well as fact-finding skills and methodology. In January 2011, we will travel as a group to conduct interviews on this subject. In the spring, students will draft a final report and engage in advocacy surrounding their findings; there will be seven 2-hour class sessions to guide students through these processes. Over the year, students will be expected to devote an additional 110 hours outside of class time to this project; all students must submit a record of this time. Grading for all credits will occur at the end of the spring semester. The letter grade will be based on individual memos and advocacy assignments, a joint pre-mission memo, co-teaching a class session, and a joint final report.

Recommended: International Human Rights.

Students may not concurrently enroll in this seminar and a clinic (except Street Law) or Animal Protection Litigation Seminar, or Community Lawyering Seminar: Dismantling Structural Racism and Creating Social Change, or Consumer Advocacy and Government Regulation: Personal -Care Products and Dietary Supplements, or U.S. Voting Rights: A Practical Perspective.

This is a 5 credit, experiential course. Two credits will be awarded for the 2-hour weekly seminar in the fall; 1 credit for the field work in the fall semester; 1 credit for the seven class sessions in the spring semester; and 1 credit for field work in the spring semester. This course requires Professor Permission to enroll and spaces will be allotted through the Human Rights Institute/Georgetown Human Rights Action application process in Spring 2010. Interested students should contact Professor Rachel Taylor at rst@law.georgetown.edu. In Spring 2011, this class will meet from 11:10 a.m. until 1:10 p.m. on the following dates: 1/21, 2/4, 2/18, 3/4, 3/25, 4/8, and 4/29. The seminar portion will be graded. The 2 credits of field work are mandatory pass/fail and count toward the 7 credit pass/fail limit. Grading for all credits will occur at the end of the spring semester. The letter grade will be based on individual memos and advocacy assignments, a joint pre-mission memo, co-teaching a class session, and a joint final report.