Overview

This assignment is adapted from a final exam assignment in an international human rights law class at a law school. The style of the assignment is what law students call a “hypo” – a hypothetical situation, based on a fact pattern, which they must then analyze from a legal perspective. It requires students to analyze a human rights situation in another state (based on information provided by the instructor), identify potential violations, and argue for potential venues where a case could be brought. All of these elements can be modified to fit course needs/student level, as discussed below.

Learning Objectives
• Application of human rights law concepts to real-world situation
• Critically assess venues for human rights petitions; formulate and defend a coherent argument
• Practice thinking like a law student/lawyer

Potential Uses
• Human rights class
• International law class (if there is a human rights unit)
• Introduction to international relations (on a human rights unit)

This resource contains:
• Three example assignments (each with a report, instructions to students, and an appendix of human rights obligations for the state involved)
• Specifications-based grading rubric
• Instructions for how to make your own assignment using a different report and template for the appendix
• Potential discussion questions for class