Feminism & Gender Studies
Georgetown Law has a long tradition of leading work in feminism and gender studies. Recent faculty research has addressed critical legal issues such as LGBT rights, women’s human rights, the relationship between gay rights and religion, and sex discrimination.
Students interested in these areas can gain experiential training in clinics focused on domestic violence and women’s human rights. In the Domestic Violence Clinic, students represent victims of intimate abuse in civil protection order cases that often involve safety and housing provisions and temporary child custody, visitation, and support.
Students learn the extensive family law provisions applicable to their cases, as well as civil procedure, legal ethics, and how to navigate the criminal justice system by working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in prosecutions against their clients’ abusive partners.
The International Women’s Human Rights Clinic advances women’s human rights globally through partnerships with local women’s rights NGOs. Many of its partners are African lawyers who have completed their LL.M. degrees as part of Georgetown University’s Leadership and Advocacy for Women in Africa (LAWA) Program.
Students have worked with local lawyers on projects such as constitutional challenges to sex discriminatory laws, human rights reports documenting abuses against women’s human rights, and proposed legislation to bring previously discriminatory laws into conformity with regional and international human rights law.
Meet the
faculty
Experiential Opportunities
Domestic Violence Clinic
Students in the Domestic Violence Clinic (DVC) represent victims of intimate abuse in civil protection order (CPO) cases in the D.C. Superior Court.
International Women's Human Rights Clinic
The International Women’s Human Rights Clinic advances women’s human rights globally through partnerships with local women’s human rights non-governmental organizations (“NGOs”), as well as through research and scholarship.
Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law
The mission of The Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law is to explore the impact of gender and sexuality on both the theory and practice of law.
Women's Law and Public Policy Fellowship Program
Each year the Women's Law & Public Policy Fellowship Program offers Fellowship positions providing educational and professional development opportunities for attorneys who are dedicated to using their legal talents to advance women's rights.
