The Lowenstein Human Rights Project is an extracurricular human rights group. Through the Lowenstein Project, small teams of students work on specific human rights issues, usually on behalf of, and with guidance from, a human rights or other public interest NGO. Teams conduct research, write memoranda, engage in advocacy activities, and organize events at the law school. The Lowenstein Project was founded in 1981 and named in honor of Allard K. Lowenstein, a U.S. Congressman and pioneering human rights activist. Jim Silk is the Project's faculty adviser. The Lowenstein Project regularly works with leading U.S.-based international human rights organizations as well as smaller organizations headquartered in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Most of the projects that students carry out through the Lowenstein Project are developed in cooperation with outside organizations. But students are also encouraged to initiate their own projects and solicit volunteers through the Lowenstein Project. The Lowenstein Project holds an organizational meeting each fall to recruit new members and discuss possible projects. Projects are typically semester-long and only in the fall, though they may sometimes extend into the spring upon agreement between students and supervisors.
If your organization is interested in working with the Lowenstein Project, please reach out to one of the student directors, whose contact information is listed at the bottom of this page. We are always looking for new projects and organizations that need our help the most.