Written by: Katie Linder

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

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

Iowa Law is home to the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights (UICHR), which provides interdisciplinary opportunities for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students to examine human rights from a variety of perspectives.

Last year, in affiliation with the center, Hope Metcalf, clinical associate professor at Iowa Law, launched the Human Rights Initiative (HRI) Clinic. Her clinic provides Iowa Law students the opportunity to work for various organizations on human rights work within the U.S. and around the world.

“Watching our students make that transition from student to professional is very exciting,” Metcalf said. “They enjoy and take a lot of inspiration from our partners, many of whom have escaped persecution for their defense of human rights. In our clinic, the students are working directly for people who walk the walk.”

During academic year 2025-2026, the UICHR offered 13 undergraduate courses as part of its undergraduate Human Rights Certificate program and center-affiliated faculty taught 11 law courses, reaching nearly 500 undergraduate and graduate students. The center hosted or co-sponsored 49 events, co-organized the 11th annual Iowa Human Rights Research Conference, and wrapped up a long-standing effort called Providing Legal Services for Refugees in Iowa (ALL Iowa) Project, which hosted a conference in September 2026 to close the initiative.

Under the guidance of UICHR Director and Associate Dean Adrien Wing as well as Iowa Law graduates and faculty members Brian Farrell (98JD), who serves as associate director of the center, and Amy Weismann (00JD), who serves as assistant director of the center, the center continues to be an essential resource for advancing human rights education.

“For more than 25 years, the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights has been dedicated to examining and responding to present and impending human rights challenges,” Wing said. “We are incredibly proud of our teaching, scholarship, and public engagement, and this latest A+ rating reflects our continued commitment to this important work.”