Research and Project Assistance
RESEARCH ASSISTANCE FOR JUDGES
The Center accepts requests from judges around the world to conduct pro bono legal research on issues relating to women, violence, and access to justice. Research may include provision of topical resources or more in-depth analysis of discrete issues. The Center faculty, staff, and law students will provide the following information upon the request of a judge in any country:
- Legal memoranda relating to legal issues involving gender-based violence.
- Reports covering a particular issue surrounding gender-based violence that affects women and girls' access to justice.
- Legal materials outlining the international or domestic legal frameworks relating to gender-based violence.
- Training manuals or other guides to educate and inform relevant stakeholders about the issues affecting access to justice for survivors of gender-based violence.
Once a judge submits a request, a Center staff member will contact her or him to confirm whether we can handle the request and to set a timeline for delivery of the work-product.
For examples of Center work products prepared in response to judicial requests, please click here.
Judges Registration and Request for Legal Assistance
Judges may register with the Center here and send us an email to request legal research assistance. Please include the specific question or issue on which you seek legal research assistance.
CLINICAL PROJECT ASSISTANCE
The Center faculty, staff, and students also work with judges, legal professionals governmental and nongovernmental organizations on selected in-depth projects that work toward improving access to justice for victims of gender-based violence in their respective country. For example, a judge or local organization leader may be concerned about a particular barrier women face accessing the courts, or may have a particular need for assistance to improve women and girls’ access to the justice system. A project may involve developing materials for training judges, law enforcement agents and victims on the implementation and adjudication of law and its impact on women. Other projects may involve legal action related to the improvement of access to justice for victims of gender-based violence.
Examples of specific types of projects include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Research on relevant domestic and international legal issues related to gender-based violence and access to justice.
- Designing, preparing and implementing judicial, legal or advocacy trainings.
- Investigating and reporting on relevant issues.
- Drafting practice manuals and bench memoranda.
Typically, the projects that we select either:
- Begin in August and are completed by December of that year; or
- Begin in January and are completed by May of that year
A team of law students supervised by Cornell Law School faculty members will work on the project.
For examples of our current and past projects, please click here.
To request additional information or project assistance, please send us an email. Please include a description of the project and your desired end-product, goals and timeline.