Curriculum Guide · Courses

Professor J. Ernst

J.D. Seminar 456 (cross-listed) | 3 credit hours

This seminar will explore numerous issues concerning women's human rights throughout the world (examples may include child marriage, HIV/AIDS, trafficking, domestic violence, property and inheritance rights, etc.). Important human rights instruments and mechanisms will be examined, such as treaties (e.g., the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women - CEDAW), treaty monitoring bodies (e.g., the CEDAW Committee), United Nations agencies (e.g., the Commission on the Status of Women - CSW, the United Nations Development Fund for Women - UNIFEM, and the United Nations Population Fund - UNFPA), as well as the influence of civil society and non-governmental organizations on the evolution of women's human rights. Guest lecturers with practical expertise in advancing women's human rights may be invited to join us throughout the semester. Each student will write a paper addressing a significant international women's human rights issue from a legal perspective, exploring state responsibility under the government's international human rights obligations, as well as domestic and international responses to the problem.

Priority for enrollment is given to students enrolled in the LAWA program or the International Women's Human Rights Clinic.