Jobs in International Human Rights Law
International human rights law is a form of international law that concerns itself with the protection of human rights around the world. The number of jobs in human rights organizations, law firms, the United Nations, and the International Court of Justice has increased over the last several decades in response to continued human rights abuses that previously went unreported. In addition, globalization has caused a growth of interconnectedness that makes it harder to hide violations of international human rights law.
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History
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International human rights law dates back to ancient documents such as the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, the Bible, the Hindu Veda's, the Analects of Confucius, and the Quran. These texts are ancient examples of the first written rights of human beings. The Magna Carta, the French Declaration of the Rights of Man, and the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights are more modern examples of human rights law. Following World War II, the planet became horrified by the atrocities perpetrated under Nazi and Japanese tyranny, which caused international criminal courts to be formed to convict war criminals. This was followed by the formation of the United Nations to prevent future conflict and protect human rights. On December 10, 1948, the UN adopted the Universal Declarations of Human Rights, which outlines specific human rights that every human being deserves.
Significance
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International human rights law proliferated around the globe through the 20th century, following the shocking atrocities of World War II. Such atrocities and war crimes continued to occur during the rest of the century and into the 21st century, but these crimes were increasingly monitored and reported by human rights organizations utilizing the skills of dedicated observers, lawyers, executives, and administrative staff. This trend is significant because the number and severity of international human rights violations has decreased significantly since the first five brutal decades of the 20th century.
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Types of Jobs
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Human rights lawyers play the most prominent role in international human rights law. Behind the lawyers are the paralegals and administrative staff who assist lawyers in upholding international law. Many of the low-level paralegals and administrative staff continue their education and rise through the ranks to become lawyers or fill other important roles.
Function
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Lawyers prosecute, investigate, and defend violators of human rights law. This means studying evidence and researching domestic as well as international human rights law pertinent to each case. Paralegals and administrative staff play their roles through assisting with research, investigation, and overall administrative support. At the highest level, the United Nations Human Rights Council addresses the nature of violations and makes recommendations for prosecution and sanctions against individuals and governments. When an individual is prosecuted, the case is sent to the International Court of Justice, which handles all judicial matters within the UN.
Considerations
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International human rights law is an emerging field that has not formally established any educational pathways, points of entry, or routes of advancement. Although this field is growing, it is still very small, with a limited number of general openings and even fewer relating to legal jobs specifically. Job openings for lawyers or paralegals do occur at various human rights organizations, watchdog groups, and non-governmental organizations, but these jobs are highly competitive. Competitiveness for such jobs is due to the highly idealistic nature of the applicants. Many high-profile lawyers who have already been successful sometimes move into international human rights law.
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References
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