The educational value of IHL Clinics

IHL Clinics offer an unique opportunity for students and supervisors alike, as this teaching approach combines IHL education with IHL research. IHL Clinics enable students to apply legal theory to real-world problems and to produce research outcomes with tangible, societal impact.

The IHL Clinic movement

Since the KGF has established its own IHL Clinic in 2012, we have witnessed the emergence of a number of IHL Clinics around the world, and we have likewise been contacted by several scholars who seek advice and support in setting up an IHL Clinic.

While there is already an existing IHL Clinic Cooperation between four existing IHL Clinics, the KGF highly welcomes the emergence of a Global IHL Clinic Movement and seeks to further endorse the emerging momentum of clinical legal education in the field of International Humanitarian Law and related fields such as International Human Rights Law and International Criminal Law.

Paving the way to an IHL Clinic Network

Our current efforts aim at building a Global IHL Clinic Network. On the one hand, we envision to connect those who are already directing an IHL Clinic. On the other hand, the KGF is happy to provide practically-oriented support and expertise to those who wish to set up an IHL Clinic.

Objective of the mailing list

The mailing list is envisioned to function as a communication channel between various IHL Clinic directors and supervisors. This includes sharing of information about cooperating partners who seek to commission an IHL Clinic project, potential funding opportunities, academic visits to other IHL Clinics, joint publications or joint research for one cooperating partner, etc. The idea is to share information, help each other out, and to grow and further institutionalize together as a network.

Target audience of the mailing list
  • University lecturers who are planning to set up an IHL Clinic and seek to receive support;
  • IHL Clinic directors, who will be able and encouraged to share their experience in setting up and managing an IHL Clinic;
  • Individual researchers who would like to get in contact with existing IHL Clinics.

Join the Global IHL Clinic Network now!

Launch of the Global IHL Clinic Network in November 2021

On 29 November 2021, the Global IHL Clinic Network was officially launched by the first meeting of IHL Clinic Directors and persons interested in clinical legal teaching of IHL. Watch this video to hear the opening remarks and keynote address of the event.

Opening remarks by Dr. Robert Heinsch
Associate Professor for Public International Law at Leiden University,
Director of the Kalshoven-Gieskes Forum on International Humanitarian Law
Director of the Leiden International Humanitarian Law Clinic

Keynote address: The value of clinical teaching of IHL by Prof. Laurie R. Blank
Clinical Professor of Law, Emory Law School, Atlanta
Director of the Centre of International and Comparative Law
Director of the Emory International Humanitarian Law Clinic

Questions?

If you have any specific questions regarding the establishment of an IHL Clinic, please do not hesitate to contact us.

INFORMATION FOR COOPERATING PARTNERS

Are you a potential cooperating partner who wishes to commission a research project to an IHL Clinic?
KGF staff can put you in contact with an IHL Clinic from around the globe with the required skill set and temporal availability.

Contact us here

Interested to read about the benefits and challenges of setting up an IHL Clinic?
KGF director Dr. Robert Heinsch and Ms. Lotte Chevalier, LL.M. published an article on “The Educational Value of IHL Clinics: The Examples of Leiden and Bochum” in the December 2018 issue of the Journal of International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (JILPAC)/ Humanitäres Völkerrecht (HuV).

Read the publication here