Human Rights and Legal Studies in South Africa

You’ll service disadvantaged South African communities as a Human Rights Intern in Cape Town. Supervised by a highly-important human rights lawyer on the African Police Civilian Oversight Forum, you’ll work with any number of shelters throughout the city and surrounding townships that provide services to victims of rights violations. By working directly with service providers and the people they are trying to assist, you will gain exposure to the challenges associated with protecting and exercising one’s human rights in South Africa. You can look forward to explore the fields of non-profit legal advising, social services, and community responses to human trafficking and domestic violence.

Under the mentorship of an experienced Human Rights Lawyer, you’ll participate in these Weekly Discussion and Reflection Themes:

Week 1: An introduction to human rights in South Africa

Week 2: Fundamental Rights and limitations of the law in South Africa

Week 3: Unpacking the complexity of gender-based violence and limitations of the law

Week 4: Criminal justice reforms: policing, prisons and the courts

Week 5: Socio-economic justice and collective rights: the challenges of achieving meaningful transformation

Week 6: Final reflection

Optional extra session: There will be a special advising session for all students preparing law school applications in the USA and/or preparing to find jobs in the field of human rights.