The Humboldt Law Clinic on Fundamental and Human Rights – or in short: the Fundamental Rights Clinic – is an innovative and practice-oriented training program at the Faculty of Law of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. It offers students the unique opportunity to learn and work in a team for an entire year, often in an interdisciplinary way and always in close cooperation with practice. This connects academic study and practice – it provides students with the skills to become active themselves for fundamental and human rights, and it connects urban society, especially civil society initiatives, with the university.

It began in the winter semester 2010/2011 – first in English on human rights, then on exclusion and discrimination, and since then in cycles on fundamental and human rights. In this way, the Clinic has been a pioneer in practice-oriented training for constitutional democracy and in anti-discrimination law.

The reason for the Clinic is obvious: fundamental and human rights are central promises of the constitution and of international law, but they must be enforced and lived. This is exactly where the Fundamental Rights Clinic comes in. For 15 years it has been bringing together students and organizations from Berlin to work jointly on challenging questions arising from practice. In doing so, it particularly supports local civil society initiatives that are committed to ensuring that fundamental and human rights do not remain empty promises.

One cycle of the Fundamental Rights Clinic extends over one academic year: in the winter semester there is a foundation course on basic knowledge and skills for project work, with researchers and guests from practice, on fundamental and human rights also from feminist and decolonial perspectives, on diversity competence, on academic research and on products ranging from expert opinions to advisory guidelines to policy papers. During the lecture-free period, the internship takes place at the partner organizations. In the summer semester, the project work is carried out and it is discussed on site how the products can take shape. At the end, there is professional feedback for quality assurance and – if possible – publication.

Since its founding, 57 cooperations have been realized and more than 200 students have been trained. Many have described the Clinic as the most enjoyable and important part of their studies – only that really motivated them. In addition, the Clinic makes concrete contributions to a vibrant and engaged urban society.