Curriculum Guide · Courses

Professor Rachel Taylor

J.D. Practicum 034 | 5 credit hours

This year-long practicum 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 focus. In 2012-2013, the selected topic is Marginalized Communities and the Right to Safe Water. In the fall, the weekly seminar will cover the substantive law and policy relating to this subject, as well as fact-finding skills and methodology. In January 2013, 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 3-hour class sessions to guide students through these processes and students will be expected to have their own meetings during non-class weeks. Over the year, students will be expected to devote an additional 165 hours outside of class 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.

Recommended: International Human Rights. Prerequisites: Students must complete the required first-year program prior to enrolling in this course (part-time and interdivisional transfer students may enroll prior to completing Criminal Justice, Property, or their first-year elective).

Students may not concurrently enroll in this practicum course and a clinic (except Street Law) or another practicum course. Students may concurrently enroll in this practicum course and an externship.

THIS COURSE REQUIRES PROFESSOR PERMISSION TO ENROLL. Interested students should send a statement of interest and resume to Professor Rachel Taylor (rst@law.georgetown.edu) by 9:00 a.m. on Monday, May 21, 2012. Admitted students will be informed by early June. THIS IS A PRACTICUM COURSE.

This is a 5 credit course. 2 credits will be awarded for the 2-hour weekly seminar and 3 credits for approximately 15 hours of supervised work per week, for a minimum of 11 weeks. Both the seminar portion and the supervised work will be graded.

Students who enroll in this course will be automatically enrolled in both the seminar and practicum components and may not take either component separately. A student wishing to withdraw from the course will be withdrawn from both the seminar and field work components.