Human Rights Project - LAW00050I
- Department: The York Law School
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: I
- Academic year of delivery: 2025-26
Module summary
The module provides students with an opportunity to put into practice their understanding of international human rights law and advocacy through a group-based project conducted in partnership with a human rights organisation.
Professional requirements
N/A
Related modules
Co-requisite modules
Additional information
In International Human Rights Law 1 and International Human Rights Law 2, you will become familiar with international human rights law and mechanisms. In your other modules in Years 1 and 2, you will learn about law more generally and legal research methods. This module will give you an opportunity, in groups, to collaboratively work on a practical 'real life' human rights problem in partnership with an external human rights organisation.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 2 2025-26 |
Module aims
The Human Rights Project is a key part of the LLB in International Human Rights Law degree, providing a bridge between your developing legal knowledge and practice and its application to the complexities of a real-world human rights problem. The module provides an opportunity for you to work as part of a small group (in collaboration with other small groups) with an external human rights organisation both to address a challenging human rights situation and to reflect upon the challenges of human rights practice. Workshops will alternate between providing a forum to advance our collaboration and address the problem(s) posed by the project and an opportunity to learn about and reflect upon the key professional, practical and ethical dilemmas encountered in the practice of human rights.
Module learning outcomes
Subject content - At the end of the module, students should:
- Be able to critically reflect on the political, logistical, ethical, legal and methodological complexities of conducting a project related to human rights;
- Be able to explain the professional, practical and ethical challenges related to human rights practice;
- Be able to convey a comprehensive and in-depth knowledge of a human rights case study
Academic skills - At the end of the module, students should:
- Be able to engage in critical and reflective practice and exercise reflexivity;
- Be able to think critically about complex subjects;
- Be able to communicate effectively in both verbal and written forms;
- Be able to present complex concepts and topics confidently;
- Be able to work effectively in teams by acknowledging competing approaches and the value and challenges of collaborative and participatory approaches to problem-solving.
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 25.0 |
| Groupwork | 75.0 |
Special assessment rules
None
Additional assessment information
Students will be assessed based on: (i) their group 'project output' (4000 words, 75%), and (ii) an individual reflective essay (1500 words, 25%). Both are final assessments. The former will be their group's collaboratively developed and authored contribution to the 'solution' of the human rights problem posed by the case study from the human rights organisation external partner. The latter will be an individually authored reflection on the learning in the module, in relation to the module learning outcomes and the themes discussed in the workshops.
Effective group work and the application of students' research / knowledge to complex human rights problem is a learning outcome of this module, and the module is key to meeting our LLB's programme learning outcomes (PLO2: Apply and adapt problem-solving skills developed through problem-based learning - analysing facts, parties’ interests and objectives, and identifying legal and practical issues - to deal confidently, creatively and in a structured manner with new and unfamiliar problems that might be encountered in the practice of human rights law [Problem-solving/PBL]; PLO4: Holistically integrate and adapt well-developed legal, academic and interpersonal skills when engaging with clients, peers, civil society and other professionals; which could include skills in interviewing, researching, problem-solving, advising, negotiating, communicating, planning, case analysis and advocacy [Clinical]) The module provides an important bridge between the foundational discussion of human rights law and practice in Year 1 and Semester 1 of Year 2 and more independent, practice focused exploration of human rights law and practice in Year 3 (including by preparing students for the Legal Clinic (Human Rights) in Year 3).
The ability to reflect upon practice is a key to a sustainable human rights practice. Becoming a reflective practitioner is a programme learning outcome (PLO8: Record, reflect on and evaluate individual strengths, weaknesses and progress in personal learning and professional development, to then be able to identify and set future learning requirements and career goals to further improve individual knowledge and skills [Reflective]). The themes discussed in the workshops (and reflected upon in the reflective essay) will also support students' transition into human rights practice, including their clinical work in Year 3.
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 25.0 |
| Groupwork | 75.0 |
Module feedback
Feedback and formative assessment have a developmental purpose and are designed to help students learn more effectively by providing them guidance and advice on their performance and on how it can be improved and/or maintained. In this module, feedback will be provided:
- In workshops and group supervision meetings through comments by fellow students and academic supervisor;
- In meetings with the project partner through comments on your progress on the project;
- Through written and oral feedback by your supervisor (within a week from submission) and project partner on a draft of the project output (formative assessment).
Indicative reading
Farbman, Daniel. “Resistance Lawyering.” California Law Review 107, no. 6 (2019): 1877–1954.
Sarat, Austin and Scheingold, Stuart. "What Cause Lawyers Do For, and To, Social Movements: An Introduction". Cause Lawyers and Social Movements, edited by Austin Sarat and Stuart A. Scheingold, Redwood City: Stanford University Press, 2006, pp. 1-34.
Rabil, M. (2021). Secondary trauma in lawyering: an introduction. Wake Forest Law Review, 56(4), 719-732.
Finlay, L. (2002) “Outing” the Researcher: The Provenance, Process, and Practice of Reflexivity, Qualitative Health Research, 12(4); 531-545.
Front Line Defenders, Workbook on Security: Practical Steps for Human Rights Defenders at Risk. Dublin: Front Line, Available at: http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/files/Workbook_ENG.pdf
Mertus, J. (2009) Maintenance of Personal Security: Ethical and Operational Issues. In C. Sriram et al. (eds.) Surviving Field Research: Working in Violent and Difficult Situations. London: Routledge, pp. 165-176.
O’Flaherty, M. and Ulrich, G. (2010) The Professional Identity and Development of Human Rights Field Officers. In M. O’Flaherty and G. Ulrich (eds.) The Professional Identity of the Human Rights Field Officer, Surrey: Ashgate, pp. 7-32.
Wenger, E. (2011) Communities of Practice: A Brief Introduction, STEP Leadership Workshop University of Oregon, available at http://hdl.handle.net/1794/11736
West, M.A. (2012) Effective Teamwork: Practical Lessons from Organizational Research, 3rd ed., Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 172-198.
Wheelan, S.A. (2013) Creating Effective Teams: A Guide for Members and Leaders, London: Sage Publications, pp. 58-67.
NB: The majority of readings in the module will be developed in relation to specific projects.