The Loyola Genocide Justice Clinic (LGJC) is a program of the Center for the Study of Law and Genocide. The LGJC allows students the opportunity to work directly on behalf of victims of genocide and mass atrocities. Through real-world projects undertaken in collaboration with outside partners, including prosecutors at an international criminal tribunal, international lawyers and investigators working to build dossiers on current serious international crimes, and nonprofit organizations focused on finding creative solutions to promote restitution for genocide survivors and heirs, students gain distinctive and practical learning tools they can carry into a wide variety of professional settings.
Students will learn advanced techniques for conducting complex legal research and analysis, and how to write clear, concise memoranda that effectively explore and answer the question(s) presented. Pedagogical class sessions will complement and contextualize the research project work. Though students will receive some background in genocide law and international criminal law, the primary focus of the clinical experience is on advocacy, and challenges to advocacy, in an international criminal justice setting.
“The Center’s clinical program has helped me grow as a writer and researcher. The assignments are substantive, interesting, and complex, and the pedagogical portion of the class has consistently challenged me to think ever more deeply about the various challenges we as lawyers face in trying to make the world a better place.”
--JD student, Class of 2020
Clinic students meet twice a week for one hour each (meeting days and hours will be determined once students have enrolled). The first hour is devoted to class discussion regarding international criminal law topics and attorney skill development. The second hour is reserved for project work on an alternating biweekly schedule of case rounds and individual project team meetings.
Students must take, or have taken, prior to or concurrently with the clinic, at least one of these courses: Introduction to International Law, Law and Genocide, Law and the Use of Force, Law of War Seminar, International Criminal Law, International Protection of Human Rights.
Enrollment is open to 2L and 3L day and evening JD students, and LLM students.