Written by: Gloria Kosir

The University of Iowa College of Law received the highest possible rating (A+) for human rights law by National Jurist’s preLaw magazine and ranks among the top 12 law schools in the country for its program.

The magazine assesses schools on their curricular breadth, including concentrations, clinics, centers, and journals. Iowa Law has a strong commitment to teaching human rights both in the classroom and through hands-on experiences.

Clinical Associate Professor Hope Metcalf is leading Iowa Law’s latest venture: the Human Rights Initiative (HRI) Clinic. Metcalf joined the College of Law faculty in January 2025 from Yale Law School and has extensive experience in directing human rights clinics.

HRI is a non-partisan law clinic that provides students the opportunity to work for various organizations within the U.S. and internationally. Working in small teams, students collaborate on projects that protect and uphold what Metcalf refers to as “the basic guardrails for democracy.”

HRI partners with organizations across the globe to support human rights defenders who experience repression from governments, corporations, and other powerful interests based on their peaceful exercise of the rights to speech, association, and civic participation. Collaborating with prominent lawyers who “walk the walk,” as Metcalf puts it, inspires students to fully engage themselves with the work.

One example is Alfred Brownell, a Liberian human rights and environmental lawyer who has partnered with HRI on several projects. Brownell won the 2019 Goldman Prize for his work defending Liberian communities against unlawful land grabs by palm oil companies, which led him to flee the country for his own safety.

“Alfred brings the perspective that it’s not enough to just think about the environment—you have to actually think about the people who are most impacted. That’s what Human Rights Initiative aspires to do—defend the basic rights of frontline defenders. They have the most at stake, but they also have the know-how and dedication to tackle some of the world’s most challenging problems, whether that’s climate change or labor trafficking,” Metcalf said.

In supporting these organizations through diverse responsibilities and deliverables, students are gaining valuable cross-functional skills. Third year law student Madeleine Breunig has been enrolled in HRI since its pilot semester in spring 2025.

A formative experience has been working for Environmental Rights Agreement Initiative (ERA), a coalition of leading scholars and advocates across Africa. Drawing inspiration from their counterparts in Latin America and Europe, ERA believes that a regional treaty is necessary to turn the often-vague promises in human rights treaties into concrete protections for frontline defenders. The HRI team did a deep dive into the African human rights system so that the team could advise ERA on potential foundations for a general treaty grounded in African values, institutions, and law.  

“Clinics give you an opportunity to really get your hands wet, so to speak. I gained experience working with partners in other countries and hands-on experience in international law. One of my favorite aspects was working on things in a different setting than the classroom,” Breunig said.  

The projects develop students’ real working knowledge and skills that are applicable across sectors. Students analyze complex legal and factual scenarios, and they must do so across barriers of language, legal systems, and geography. Metcalf describes it as challenging work and is impressed with the eagerness and aptitude of her students.

“Based on what I’ve seen, my students here at Iowa have the smarts and grit to pursue careers in international human rights. But even if they decide to keep their practice closer to home, the time they’ve spent working with lawyers like Alfred will inform the way that they think about basic protections for democracy here at home,” Metcalf said.