Following a semester of rigorous study, law students in DePaul's International Human Rights Law Clinic visited the Southeast Asian country of Timor-Leste in January. The trip marks the midpoint of the clinic when students meet face-to-face with the survivors of mass atrocity crimes to gather essential testimony in the joint quest for justice. 

In 2019, after a six-year process, DePaul was awarded UN ECOSOC Special Consultative Status that allows DePaul’s International Human Rights Law Institute to develop and submit official reports and testimony to UN agencies. This means that students can participate in United Nations processes directly.  

The students are drafting a report to submit to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Truth, Justice and the Guarantee of Non-recurrence. This is the first step toward a complaint, seeking justice and reparations for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence committed during the Indonesian occupation. The students also support obtaining birth certificates for people who were born in these situations during the occupation and are now adults in their mid-20s.

“You can watch videos or read news reports from survivors, but to sit across the table from these women, seeing their facial expressions and being able to ask them questions motivates our work,” says Sarah Hilst, a third-year law student in the clinic.

The clinic integrates rigorous academic study with fieldwork in human rights advocacy. During the fall semester, law students read treaties and analyzed case studies to understand the Indonesian occupation of Timor-Leste. The conflict lasted from 1975 to 1999 and subjected people to starvation, massacres and other human rights violations. In January, students traveled to Timor-Leste to meet with Asosiasaun Chega Ba Ita (ACbit), a local organization advocating for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. 

“As we prepare to write a report to file with one of the international bodies, we’re thinking about all the people we met, what their definition of justice is, and what they want to see in their lifetime,” says De'Avion Hughes, a third-year law student in the clinic. “They’ve already been advocating for themselves, but sometimes it’s hard to get higher up on government officials’ to-do list. We’re here to put a megaphone to their issues.”

Access to the international justice system
Professor of Legal Practice Elisabeth Ward leads the International Human Rights Law Institute with a commitment to grassroots human rights advocacy. She has helped grow the institute’s practicum into a clinic, deepening its impact as a space for students to work on human rights projects in collaboration with grassroots organizations and legal advocates around the world.  

This unique access to the international justice system is coupled with a mission-driven approach — one that is ethical and collaborative, respects local expertise and avoids neocolonial dynamics. The clinic provides students with practical training in legal human rights advocacy — they document human rights violations, draft legal reports and submit them to UN human rights agencies and regional human rights courts.  

“For as long as I can remember, I have been drawn to questions of justice, accountability, and human dignity. DePaul’s Vincentian mission aligns with the values at the heart of international human rights law,” Ward says. “Watching students wrestle with complex questions of inequality, accountability, and justice and then carry that commitment forward into their career is one of the greatest privileges of my professional life.”  

Meeting clients and partners in Timor-Leste
The trip to Timor-Leste shows this approach in action. Students met with staff from ACbit, government officials, the vice minister of justice, and participated in dialogue sessions with survivors.

Students graduate with practical experience and a substantive work product, along with transferable skills in rigorous research and writing, strategic thinking, and client-centered advocacy. The experience confirmed the area of law Hughes would like to work in, finding parallels between the clinic and the personal injury law firm she currently works in.  

The International Human Rights Law Clinic is a College of Law Program of Excellence. Read more about how this program gives students opportunities to apply legal concepts to real-world situations and prepares them for their careers on the college’s website.