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Part Two of Two: Civil Rights Expand Globally with Columbia Law’s Human Rights Internship Program [by Erica Winter] As 125 Columbia Law School students near the end of their public service work this summer, we will take a look at the law school’s Human Rights Internship Program (HRIP). This program sends law students around the world, and around the United States, to work for public interest organizations seeking to improve human rights. In this second article of a two-part series, we
faculty.
among these are “school segregation, educational inequality, and criminal justice, particu-
continue our look at public interest programs administered by Columbia Law School’s Center
We were able to interview Professor Greenberg
for Public Interest Law. Last week’s article
via email, as he is lecturing in New Zealand this
discussed Columbia’s Public Service Fellowship,
summer.
larly the death penalty,” says Greenberg. Once in the program, Columbia Law students benefit greatly from the experiences they have.
upcoming expansions to the summer programs, Greenberg was motivated to start HRIP because
“They work on matters about which they care,”
he “had been involved in human rights, domes-
says Greenberg. “They try to solve novel prob-
As for HRIP, it is the “flagship program” among
tic and international, for 35 years and knew
lems or old problems in novel ways.”
Columbia’s public interest endeavors, says
people and organizations all over the country
Greenberg stays involved with HRIP, assisting
Harlene Katzman, Dean of the Center for Public
and the world. I thought that students would
students in finding groups to work with. “I have
Interest Law. Specifically, HRIP gives a Columbia
gain a good deal from working with those I
counseled on placements and have called or
Law student a stipend for the summer to do
knew and that they could well use student as-
written to people and agencies where students
human rights work anywhere in the world and
sistance. Moreover, it would help civil rights and
want to work to facilitate the placement,” he
pays for him/her to get there as well.
international human rights to grow.”
says.
There is also a 20-hour required training and
The phrase “human rights,” in fact, is not
Students are sent to preapproved placements
orientation program participating students
substantially different from “civil rights,” says
with organizations listed in a database at the
must complete for HRIP. The training program
Greenberg. Any difference is “historical and
Center for Public Interest. They can “go shop-
adds to the core first-year curriculum, says
arbitrary,” he says.
ping” through the database, says Katzman, to
and the law school’s loan repayment program.
find a human rights organization that fits their
Katzman, with instruction on topics not usually found in the first-year course schedule, such as
“In the U.S., we have used the terms ‘civil rights’
interests. The program has this list so that HRIP
the international convention of human rights.
and ‘civil liberties’ relating to constitutional and
administrators know the quality of supervision
“Supplementing the curriculum is very valu-
statutory rights,” says Greenberg. “Internation-
and the quality of work that will be available.
able,” says Katzman, and is one of the things that
ally, ‘human rights’ applied to similar freedoms,
“Students have very substantive experiences
set this program apart from other human rights
although protected, when they are protected,
over the summer,” says Katzman.
internships.
by different documents. To some extent, ‘human rights’ is coming to cover the U.S. freedoms too.
Regional program advisors are also in place to help students who have identified regions
The program’s origins, and the philosophy behind its beginning, are other distinguishing
As for the most important issues in human
of the world in which to work and are seeking
factors of HRIP.
rights currently—”it’s hard to rank the issues,”
further guidance. There are advisors for Latin
says Greenberg. “Certainly those that arise in the
America, China, Africa, and Eastern Europe,
In 1954, the United States Supreme Court ruled
context of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars now
among others.
on the landmark civil rights case Brown vs.
have priority,” he says, “but race relations remain
Board of Education. One of the attorneys who
extraordinarily important.”
Getting into the program is “very competitive,” says Katzman. Students are not required to find
argued that case before the Court, eventually winning that historic victory, was Jack Green-
Even with the high profile of international hu-
placements before they are approved for the
berg, Professor of Law and founder of HRIP in
man rights issues, there are still human rights
internship and its funding, so they start the ap-
1984, just after he joined the Columbia Law
concerns within the United States. Prominent
plication process early. Students must fill out an
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application; write essays; and then, if they move on the second round, do an interview with a panel of human rights attorneys who are alumni of HRIP. Those who are not accepted into the program can find other summer funding at Columbia—even some who are accepted to HRIP turn it down because they do not need the travel stipend included in the program. For students looking for an international human rights work experience, however, there is “no parallel to getting into HRIP,” says Katzman.
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