Upcoming events

Join the Women’s Initiative at the SIPA Institute of Global Politics and the Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute for a conversation on the future of human rights in US foreign policy with leaders from the Alliance for Diplomacy and Justice—including the former U.S. Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, and U.S. Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights.  This roundtable will feature insights from officials who previously shaped US policy on gender equality, labor rights, and the protection of vulnerable populations worldwide, as well as strategies to protect and defend human rights across the globe.

Speakers:

1. Opening Remarks by Rachel Vogelstein, Professor and Director of IGP Women's Initiative, Columbia SIPA
2. Jessica Stern-  Former U.S. Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons, Co-Founder and Co-President of the Alliance for Diplomacy and Justice, an organization co-founded by eight former ambassadors and envoys to center human rights within U.S. foreign policy
3. Rina Amiri,  Former U.S. Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights, advised governments on peace processes in the Middle East, the Gulf, Central and South Asia, and the Horn of Africa
4. Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta, Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, Deputy Executive Director at UNICEF and Senior Fellow at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and  served as President of the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)
5. Closing remarks by Kelsey Jost-Creegan, Acting Director/Senior Supervising Staff Attorney; Lecturer in Law Columbia Law Human Rights Clinic

When: Thursday, March 12, 2026 | 12:10pm - 1:10pm
Where: Columbia Law School | JG 105

Lunch will be provided. 

Please register below:

• Register with my Columbia UNI
• Register as a Guest

Join us for a movie:Water For Life which explores the collision of water rights, Indigenous beliefs, and resource extraction through the lives of three Latin American community leaders. The right to clean water is a global issue—in Latin America it has become a matter of life and death.

Narrated by Mexican actor Diego Luna with the original song Ko (Water) sung by Grammy Award-winning Mexican Mixtec singer Lila Downs and Chilean Mapuche singer-songwriter Daniela Millaleo.

Speakers:

• Will Parrinello (Producer/ Director)

When: Thursday, March 26, 2026  | 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Where: Columbia Law School | JG 107

Food will be served

Please register below:

• Register with my Columbia UNI
• Register as a Guest

Celebrating a Decade of Student Scholarship, Dialogue, and Faculty–Student Collaboration

The Human Rights Institute at Columbia Law School is delighted to invite submissions for the Tenth Annual Columbia Law School Human Rights Student Paper Symposium, marking ten years of elevating innovative student scholarship and fostering rich intellectual exchange on urgent human rights challenges.

Co-organized by the Human Rights Institute, Human Rights Clinic, Columbia Law School Human Rights Association, Columbia Human Rights Law Review, and the Columbia Journal of Transnational Law, this milestone anniversary symposium will bring together students, faculty, practitioners, and scholars for a full day of rigorous discussion, constructive feedback, and community building.

Founded by Professor Sarah Knuckey in 2017, for a decade, this symposium has served as a cornerstone of human rights engagement at Columbia—a uniquely collaborative space where students present their research and receive detailed commentary from leading academics and practitioners committed to mentoring the next generation of human rights thinkers. The 2026 symposium will also feature special programming reflecting on the evolution and future of human rights scholarship at Columbia Law School.

Event Details

Date: Friday, April 3, 2026
Time: 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM 
Location: Jerome Greene Hall (in-person)
Format: In-person sessions
Food: Light breakfast and lunch provided for all participants

Call for Submissions

We welcome submissions from Columbia Law School (J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D.) students engaging with any aspect of human rights—across law, policy, practice, advocacy, theory, and research methods. Papers may explore contemporary issues, historical inquiries, comparative perspectives, or forward-looking approaches to rights protection and accountability.

Selected presenters will:

• Present their research in curated thematic panels 
• Receive targeted, in-depth commentary from distinguished Columbia faculty and external practitioners

This year’s anniversary symposium will highlight the long-standing tradition of faculty–student partnership that has shaped human rights learning and mentorship at Columbia.

How to Apply

Application Deadline: February 16, 2026
Please submit your materials through the online submission form.

Required materials:

1. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
2. Abstract (500–750 words)
3. (If available) Draft paper or a detailed outline

Applicants will be notified of selection decisions by February 28, 2026.
Selected presenters must submit a full draft (15–30 pages) by March 20, 2026 to allow time for faculty and practitioner reviewers to prepare feedback.