Legal Support
HRA offers expertise in international human rights law, including filing amicus curiae briefs, providing expert witnesses, strategic advice, and resource materials for other lawyers.
Litigation
Key Issues
HRA has submitted briefs on various issues, such as the juvenile death penalty, immigrant rights, prison conditions, torture, defense of sanctuary workers, and internationally recognized rights of disabled persons.
Testimony and Advocacy
HRA has testified in deportation proceedings regarding temporary refuge for those fleeing armed conflict and provided expert testimony on statutes of limitations for crimes against humanity.
Among HRA’s most recent briefs are:
HRA Amicus in Smith v. Ryan, Death Penalty (U.S. Supreme Court)
HRA Amicus in Fisher v. The University of Texas, Affirmative Action (U.S. Supreme Court)
HRA Amicus in Henry Hill, et. al. v. The United States of America, Juvenile Sentencing (Inter-American Commission on Human Rights)
HRA Amicus in Graham v. State of Florida, Juvenile Sentencing (U.S. Supreme Court).
HRA Amicus in Coral v Martin Final, Affirmative Action (California Supreme Court).
HRA Amicus in Hill v. McDonough, Lethal injection as cruel and unusual punishment (Court of Appeal, Eleventh Circuit).
HRA Amicus in South African Apartheid Litigation, Court of Appeal, 2nd Circuit.
HRA Amicus in Roper v. Simmons, A juvenile death penalty case (U.S. Supreme Court).
HRA Amicus in Sosa v. Alvarez-Machain, an Alien Tort Claims Act Case (U.S. Supreme Court).
HRA Amicus in Grutter v. Bollinger, an Affirmative Action case (U.S. Supreme Court).
HRA Amicus in Williams v. Texas, a Juvenile Death Penalty case (U.S. Supreme Court, cert petition).
In addition, HRA Board members have been involved in Bowoto v. Chevron, an Alien Tort Claims Act case based in San Francisco