Human Rights Scholars Program
As promising leaders in human rights and social justice, Human Rights Scholars play a vital role in the daily life and future of the Rapoport Center. Scholars provide research and advocacy support, and work closely with the Rapoport Center's programs and planning over the course of the academic year.
Scholars will focus on a variety of activities, depending upon their background and interests, as well as the priorities and projects of the Center. Activities might include:
- working with legal and archival material on international and transnational human rights issues
- serving on an editorial board for a working paper series and collaborative journal project
- assisting in planning, organizing, and publicizing an academic conference and speaker series
- assisting with programmatic development
- mentoring undergraduate students and advising fellow law students on human rights work
- networking with other university centers and student organizations on human rights issues
- assisting with grant-writing and fundraising efforts
- developing and maintaining community ties
- coordinating human rights curriculum at the undergraduate and graduate level
- researching internships related to human rights and international law
Each Human Rights Scholar receives a $5,000 scholarship to commit 300 hours to the Center over the course of the year. One or more scholarship(s) will be awarded. Rising 2Ls and 3Ls are eligible.
Application
The application for the 2022-2023 session has now closed. Please check back during the Spring 2023 semester for the application portal for the 2023-2024 session!
Required Qualifications
- Commitment to research and/or activism in the area of human rights, international law, and/or social justice
- Excellent writing and editing ability
- Strong organizational and time management skills
The following qualifications may be preferred in some candidates:
- Proficiency in Spanish and/or Portuguese
- Experience with publication and design software (e.g. Adobe Creative Suite)
- Experience with scholarly research and editing
How to Apply
Qualified students should submit the following materials via our online application system.
- Cover letter
Please address some or all of the following: your background in human rights and social justice; your experience (if any) with Rapoport Center events and activities; future work you hope to do in human rights research or advocacy; and how you might contribute to the life of the Center, including projects or outreach you might want to propose - Resume/CV
Include any relevant skills and foreign language proficiency - Transcript
Unofficial is fine; should include current spring courses - List of three references
At least two must be Texas Law faculty; include contact information; full letters not required - Summer/fall plans
Document outlining your (1) plans for the summer, (2) list of fall courses, and (3) primary extracurricular activities for the upcoming academic year - Writing sample
An 8-10 page writing sample, preferably related to a human rights or social justice issue
Contact
Contact Cooper Christiancy at cchristiancy@law.utexas.edu.