About Us
Our Mission
The Human Rights Brief exists to inform, engage, and empower the next generation of human rights advocates by producing timely, accessible, and student-driven legal analysis on critical human rights and humanitarian law issues worldwide. Through thoughtful scholarship, public dialogue, and global collaboration, we bridge the gap between academic insight and practical advocacy.
Our History
Founded in 1994, the Human Rights Brief is the oldest and largest student-run publication at American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL). Conceived by the founders of the Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law, Professors Robert Goldman, Claudio Grossman, and Herman Schwartz, the Brief began as a platform to elevate international legal analysis and shed light on the evolving challenges faced by human rights defenders around the world.
For nearly two decades, the Brief published three print issues per year, with timely articles addressing developments across regional human rights systems, the United Nations, and international courts and tribunals. At its height, the Brief reached more than 4,000 subscribers in over 130 countries, becoming a widely respected resource for human rights practitioners, academics, and students alike.
Today, the Human Rights Brief is a dynamic, fully digital publication that continues to uphold its founding mission while embracing new formats and platforms. Staffed by nearly 50 law students and guided by a faculty advisory board, the Brief produces approximately 70 articles per year, offering timely, accessible, and diverse perspectives on human rights and humanitarian law.
In addition to written analysis, the Brief now hosts public events, symposia, and the student-produced podcast Human Rights Unscripted, extending its reach beyond the page and into live dialogue with the global human rights community.
A Platform for Student Leadership and Global Engagement
As part of AUWCL’s Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law, the Human Rights Brief continues to play a critical role in advancing human rights education, student scholarship, and professional development. Through its commitment to editorial excellence, intellectual diversity, and engagement with practitioners worldwide, the Brief remains a powerful platform for shaping conversations—and careers—in the field of international human rights law.