Make a Personal Impact
Students work on impactful human rights projects and use human rights in litigation in local courts on behalf of individual community members living in poverty.
Local Work with a Global Reach
Students will also get the chance to interact with international human rights legal systems, including U.N. Special Rapporteurs, U.N. Treaty Bodies, or the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Ensure Access to Justice for Immigrant Populations
The clinic provides free legal services to immigrants living in poverty in the St. Louis region. While other regional nonprofits offer immigration-related services, the clinic specifically focuses on the legal needs that are not within the practice of immigration law.
See Injustice and Address It
Students have opportunities to address domestic human rights injustices through their advocacy work. For example, students have advocated for the right to water and sanitation for residents in East St. Louis and have represented individuals sentenced to life without parole as juveniles in Missouri prisons.
Reaching Clients where they are
Students in the Human Rights at Home Clinic work with clients facing a host of legal issues that present roadblocks to their immigration status. From employment to plea agreements, each interaction with the U.S. legal system can affect their pathway to citizenship. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these issues were exacerbated for these clients. Clinic students continued to work, meeting their clients where they lived, often in a masked meeting on the driveway and in the end garnering positive results.
Learn from a leader
Professor Lauren Bartlett joined SLU LAW in 2019. A former legal aid attorney, she has a long history of providing access to justice for all and protecting the rights of the poorest of the poor in the U.S.
Student Attorney at Law
“Working with my client reminded me that sometimes a critical part of a lawyer’s job is to show up and stay the course. It was about doing little things throughout that six-month period – taking her to the courthouse to apply for the order of protection, having hard conversations about the events leading up to needing the order, checking in throughout the pandemic, and being willing to ask the right questions during the hearing.” — Onalee Chappeau, J.D., Class of 2020
Why litigation?
The Human Rights at Home Litigation Clinic gives students an up close look at how to litigate issues, particularly as they pertain to the human rights of our vulnerable neighbors. It is a chance to put a variety of core courses into practice inside and out of the courtroom.
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Where do SLU LAW grads work?
From the courthouse to the courtroom, SLU LAW grads can be found everywhere.
What other courses can I take?
Beyond clinic offerings, students can take other practical skills courses.
