Upcoming Events
Thursday, January 19th at 5:30 p.m.,
Alumni Reception Center, UC Hastings:
"Enforcing Human Rights"

The Hastings to Haiti Partnership is hosting ESCDROJ graduate Gabrielle Paul at Hastings for two weeks in January 2012. Gabrielle will participate in an intensive two-week component of the UC Hastings Criminal Practice Clinic to inform her work developing ESCDROJ’s clinical education program.
Gabrielle will also speak at a symposium at Hastings (details below) on Thursday, January 19, 2012.

The Hastings to Haiti Partnership (HHP) presents the CLE Event:
Enforcing Human Rights in Haiti: Developing Complementary Domestic and International Legal Strategies

Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 5:30 PM
Reception 7PM

UC Hastings College of the Law
Alumni Reception Center
200 McAllister Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
*1 hour of CLE credit is available

Keynote Speaker: Gabrielle Paul
Haitian Law Graduate, co-founder the Criminal Justice Clinic, L'École Supérieure Catholique de Droit de Jérémie;
United Nations human rights officer
Additional Panelists: Kate Bloch, Professor and HHP Alum, UC Hastings College of the Law Blaine Bookey, Staff Attorney, Center for Gender & Refugee Studies Staff Attorney and HHP Alum ('09) Deborah McCrimmon, Associate, DLA Piper and UC Hastings/HHP Alum ('03) (moderator)

Two years after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, the government of Haiti, the United Nations and the international community have failed to effectively respond to a series of human rights violations of Haitians in particular gender-based violence against Haitian women and girls. This failure builds on a history of violations perpetrated with impunity in Haiti, but also a strong history of enduring social movements committed to ending impunity and seeking justice and accountability. This panel will focus on current human rights issues in Haiti and barriers to justice for victims of abuses, in particular women and girls. In addition, this panel will discuss legal strategies for overcoming those barriers, including the complimentary use of domestic, regional and international mechanisms as well as the importance of public interest lawyering and clinical legal education to advancing the rights of vulnerable groups.

Co-sponsored by: Hastings to Haiti Partnership • UC Haiti Initiative • Center for Gender & Refugee Studies • GJEL Accident Attorneys • The Law Cafe

Keynote Speaker Bio

Gabrielle was born in the town of Jeremie, Haiti. Prior to law school, Ms. Paul worked for the Panos Institute in Port-au-Prince, fighting against discrimination and stigma. She conducted interviews with people living with HIV/AIDS, provided counseling and participated in writing publicity messages. She then worked for the Association of Haitian Journalists, responsible for logistics, managed freedom of press issues and acted as liaison person with Reporter Without Borders. In 2003, she returned to Jeremie and attended law school at the Ecole Catholique de Droit de Jeremie, where she graduated in 2007. Since 2005, she works full time for MINUSTAH (United Nations Mission for the Stability of Haiti) in the Human Rights Department. Ms. Paul monitors and reports human rights violation’s victims’ complaints. She is a founding member of the Research Analysis and Legal Assistance Group (Groupe de Recherche, d’Analyse et d’Assistance Legale GRAAL) who is working in partnership with University of California Hastings School of Law, Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, Seton Hall and Florida International University to implement the first Criminal Justice Law Clinic in Haiti at the Jeremie Law School. Since 2010, she volunteers as the Research Analyst for GRAAL, acts as liaison with the Police’s juvenile protection/rape prevention unit, supports law students in finding information for their thesis and teaches in community leaders, youth and training on democracy, rights and civil responsibilities.