Lawyers Beyond Borders: Advancing International Human Rights Through Local Laws and Courts

Millions of people have suffered and continue to suffer torture, slavery, or violent deaths, with no remedy or recourse. Lawyers Beyond Borders reveals the inner workings of the advances and retreats in the quest for redress and restoration of human rights for those whom international legal-political systems have failed. It is about how a small group of lawyers and survivors navigated a terrain of daunting barriers to begin building, case-by-case, new pathways to justice for those who otherwise would have none.

Format: Hardback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 07 September 2021
Publisher: The University of Michigan Press

Despite international conventions and human rights declarations, millions of people have suffered and continue to suffer torture, slavery, or violent deaths, with no remedy or recourse. They have fallen, in essence, "below the law," outside of laws protection. Often violated by their own governments, sometimes with support from transnational corporations, or nations benefiting from human rights violations, how can these victims find justice?

Lawyers Beyond Borders reveals the inner workings of the advances and retreats in the quest for redress and restoration of human rights for those whom international legal-political systems have failed. The process of justice begins in the US, with a handful of human rights lawyers steeped in the American tradition of advancing civil rights through civil litigation. As the civil rights movement gained traction and an ample supply of lawyers, this small cadre turned their attention toward advancing international human rights, via the US legal system. They sought to build another piece of the rights revolution, this time for survivors of egregious human rights violations in faraway lands. These cases were among the most unlikely to be slated for victory: The abuses occurred abroad; the victims are aliens, usually with few, if any, resources; the perpetrators are politically powerful, resourced, and well connected, often members of governments, militaries, or multinational corporations. The legal and political systems structures are mostly stacked against these survivors, many who bear the scars of trauma and terror.

Lawyers Beyond Borders is about agency. It is about how, in the face of powerful interests and seemingly insurmountable obstacles—political, psychological, economic, geographical, and physical—a small group of lawyers and survivors have fought back against those who have perpetrated these crimes against humanity. Through their tireless efforts, they have sought to bring the perpetrators to justice, to hold them accountable for their actions, and to provide some measure of relief to the victims and their families.

The film follows a handful of these lawyers and survivors as they work to bring cases against some of the world's most notorious human rights violators. It explores the challenges they face, from navigating complex legal systems to overcoming political and social barriers to achieving justice. It also highlights the successes they have achieved, such as the landmark ruling in the case of the Khmer Rouge leaders in the International Criminal Court.

Lawyers Beyond Borders is a powerful testament to the resilience and determination of human rights advocates and survivors. It shows that, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, there is still hope for justice and that the law can be a powerful tool for protecting the rights and dignity of all people.

Weight: 562g
Dimension: 157 x 236 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780472132560