Training law students on structural discrimination, international human rights mechanisms, and multidisciplinary approaches to systems change

The Program 

In 2014, ICAAD led a Universal Periodic Review (UPR) & Human Rights Lawyering program with the Leitner Center for International Law & Justice at Fordham School of Law. Co-Founders Hansdeep Singh and Jaspreet Singh conducted the course as Clinical Supervising Attorneys. The in-person and virtual program provided experiential learning to students from the Leitner Center International Human Rights Clinic, led by Director Chi Mgbako.

Clinical courses offered in law school are formative for young lawyers. These courses provide law students an opportunity to work on real world problems and begin applying their legal skills even before graduation. In this course, students:

• Learned how to define structural discrimination;
• Identified how structural discrimination manifests in society;
• Conducted analysis on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) to identify sources of structural discrimination that impact women and minorities globally; and
• Drafted UPR Reports that will be submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Council as part of ICAAD’s advocacy to strengthen accountability within the UPR system.

The 12-week course included a speaker series with global experts discussing how they see structural discrimination in their respective fields. Three of the sessions are highlighted below:

Looking at Structural Discrimination through the Lens of Gender Discrimination: Perspectives from Academics & Advocates 

Lesley Wexler – Professor of Law at Illinois School of Law; expertise in international humanitarian law, human rights law, and sex discrimination. 

Roshika Deo – International Woman of Courage Awardee by the U.S. Dept. of State; human rights advocate; and recently ran for parliament in Fiji.

The Role of Impact Litigation in Addressing Structural Discrimination Domestically

Tejinder Singh – Counsel, Goldstein & Russell, P.C.; expertise in Supreme and Appellate court litigation on issues of civil rights, financial regulation, privacy rights, and environmental protection.

Daniel Mach – Director of ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief; engages in a wide range of religious-liberty litigation, advocacy, and public education efforts nationwide, and often writes, teaches, and speaks publicly on religious freedom issues.

Looking at Structural Discrimination through the Lens of Gender Discrimination: Perspectives from the Judiciary

Judge Marjory Fields – Counsel Bedlock Levine & Hoffman LLP; retd. Family Law & Supreme Court of NY Judge. She has published articles and lectured extensively around the world on the topic of domestic violence, human rights of women, family law, and jurisprudence.