263 sec. 001 - International Human Rights (Fall 2025)
Instructor: Laurel E Fletcher (view instructor's teaching evaluations - degree students only | profile)
View all teaching evaluations for this course - degree students only
Units: 2
Grading Designation: Graded
Mode of Instruction: In-Person
Meeting:
M 3:35 PM - 5:25 PM
Location: Law 170
From August 18, 2025
To November 25, 2025
Course End: November 25, 2025
Class Number: 32496
Enrollment info:
Enrolled: 0
Waitlisted: 0
Enroll Limit: 60
As of: 04/04 07:13 AM
This course offers an introduction to the theory and practice of human rights. We will critically examine the international and domestic laws, actors, and institutions that play a role in the protection of human rights. We will examine the major sources of international human rights law--including treaties, customary international law, international soft law, and domestic law. Key mechanisms of human rights protection also will be discussed including, multilateral organizations (e.g. the United Nations Security Council and Human Rights Council); international, regional, and national courts and tribunals; and quasi-judicial treaty bodies (e.g. the U.N. Committee Against Torture). The role of a range of non-State actors will also be discussed including international nongovernmental organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch; multi-national corporations; and armed opposition groups like ISIL.
We will discuss the conceptual foundations of human rights and key theoretical debates about the field with a focus on recurring questions regarding legitimacy, justiciability, compliance, and efficacy. We will consider the impact and application of digital technologies on the enjoyment and enforcement of human rights. Finally, we will consider critical perspectives on the human rights regime from feminists, Third World Approaches to International Law (TWAIL), and international LGBTI advocates.
Exam Notes: (TH) Take-home Final Exam
(Subject to change by faculty member only through the first two weeks of instruction)
Exam Length: 8 hours
Course Category: International and Comparative Law
This course is listed in the following sub-categories:
Social Justice and Public Interest
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Readers:
No reader.
Books:
Required Books are in blue
- International Human Rights
Philip Alston
Edition: https://humanrightstextbook.org/digital-book
Publisher: NYU Law, Creative Commons License
ISBN: 9798218482244
e-Book: Yes
e-Book procurement note: This is available with free access online!
Price: $38.05
Note: prices are sampled from internet bookstores. Law-school Bookstore prices are unavailable at this time.