The Essex Human Rights Centre Clinic

Background

The Essex Human Rights Centre Clinic was established in 2009 by the Essex Human Rights Centre with the support of the School of Law of the University of Essex. The Clinic offers a forum for students to supplement their academic programme with the development of the practical skills necessary for the advancement of human rights in a professional setting. In addition, the Clinic fosters cooperation between practitioners and academics, whose complimentary knowledge and skills are essential in improving analysis, informing practice, and advancing innovative approaches to contemporary challenges in the field of human rights.

The Clinic is a unique student-led initiative that brings together law, social sciences and humanities based students who pool their respective knowledge and skills to produce responses to requirements from external partners under the supervision of qualified Essex academics, all internationally renowned as experts in their respective fields. In its efforts, the Clinic is global in perspective, inclusive and participatory in decision-making and collaborative in method.

Student Development

As participants in the Human Rights Clinic, students work in a professional settingand develop the necessary skills of effective human rights practitioners, including the ability to manage multiple responsibilities simultaneously under time and resource constraints; participate in project development, strategy and coordination; engage in public speaking and the facilitation of public events; identify, secure and coordinate with external partners and funding sources. Clinic participants will have the opportunity for various capacity building sessions, beginning with the annual Clinic weekend induction once required, which is followed by a series of training sessions over the course of the year. The Clinic prepares graduates for an increasingly diverse, competitive and international professional life.

Objectives

The Essex HR Clinic has the following objectives:

• Accomplishing the purpose and mission of the University of Essex as a means of helping to fulfil its economic, social, and cultural obligations by addressing global challenges and questions of social justice;
• Effectively and holistically addressing selected human rights issues and the needs and interests of real people;
• Providing a realistic context in which students can practice their general transferable knowledge and applied skills in a way that complements their overall programme of learning;
• Building student awareness of ethics and conduct issues in human rights;
• Providing students with direct experience regarding the role and challenges of providing advice and assistance, of organising and running clinical projects, and generally of the human rights/legal profession in delivering human rights services, securing access to justice and realizing human rights;
• Facilitating and empowering students to take a more active and reflective role in their learning and future professional development.

In all its efforts, the Essex HR Clinic is global in perspective, inclusive and participatory in its decision-making, and collaborative in method.