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Speakers & Events

The Human Rights Institute hosts a year-long program of speakers and events at Columbia Law School. The Institute invites eminent human rights scholars and practitioners to address current issues of interest in the human rights field. Events range from panel discussions on emerging human rights issues, to more informal, intimate discussions with advocates and academics about the intricacies of practicing human rights law. The events provide a unique opportunity for students to engage directly with leaders in the human rights field. Events are open to law students, faculty, and frequently the greater Columbia University community and general public. Students are invited to share their ideas for events, and the Institute often co-hosts events with student groups.

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Upcoming Events

HRI 2021-22 Event Series: Twenty Years after 9/11: Addressing an Enduring Legacy of Harm

Prosecuting a President for Crimes Against Humanity - The trial of Hissène Habré​ (Register on Zoom here)
Thursday, October 14 | 12:10- 1:10 pm EST

On May 30, 2016, the Extraordinary African Chambers, a tribunal formed through an agreement between the African Union and Senegalese government, convicted Hissène Habré, the former leader of Chad, of crimes against humanity, war crimes and other offenses for murdering and torturing thousands from 1982-1990. It represented a rare successful prosecution of a Head of State for grave international crimes in the courts of another country, and was achieved through 20 years of relentless advocacy of survivors and victims' families, in coordination with international advocates.

Professor Sharon Weill, co-editor of the new book, "The President on Trial: Prosecuting Hissène Habré" (co-eds: Kim Thuy Seelinger, Kerstin Bree Carlson), convenes this panel of key advocates to reflect on this landmark trial and its lessons: attorney Delphine K. Djiraibe of N’djamena Chad who co-initiated the Habré prosecution; Reed Brody, formerly of Human Rights Watch and an architect of the victims’ campaign; and Dr. Ndeye Amy Ndiaye, a lawyer with the Extraordinary African Trial Chambers. The event will be moderated by Sarah Mehta, Trial Watch Project Director at HRI.

Past Events

Event Series Highlights: 

  • Innovations for Advancing Women’s Rights: Beijing +25 & Beyond (2020-21)

  • COVID-19: Advancing Rights and Justice During a Pandemic (Spring 2020)

  • Peacebuilding and Human Rights (Spring 2020)

  • Culture and Human Rights: Critical Conversations about Resistance, Protection, and Priorities (Fall 2019)

  • Resist, Decolonize, Create: Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute 20th Anniversary Series (Fall 2018, Spring 2019)

Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Programs

Podcasts and Videos of Past Events

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