Prof. Suzanne Goldberg, the Herbert and Doris Wechsler Clinical Professor of Law and the Director of the Sexuality and Gender Law Clinic at Columbia Law School, proposed and led the inaugural HRAP alumni study group in the fall of 2025. More than 30 HRAP alumni around the globe and members of the 2025-26 cohort attended the sessions which were co-led by1993 Advocate Luis Felipe Polo and coordinated by Brooke Blackburn, a master’s student in Anthropology at Columbia who has been the HRAP work-study student for the past two years. Multidimensional advocacy, strategic thinking and misinformation were among the topics discussed over the course of the study group.
At the conclusion of the study group, Prof. Goldberg said, “In the busy and demanding world of human rights advocacy, the study group offered a beautiful opportunity to reflect together, with colleagues worldwide, on strategies and practices across a wide assortment of issues. What does research tell us about effective persuasion strategies? What advocacy insights can we gain from social psychology? What more can we do to respond to disinformation? These questions sparked important conversations about theory and practice and generated ideas to bring back to work. I am grateful to the advocates for their time and thoughtful engagement - and hope everyone who participated found something that they can carry forward into their day-to-day work. I know I did.” Dr. Polo remarked, “It was a privilege to engage with such a thoughtful and committed group of HRAP advocates throughout the study group. The sessions created a rare space for honest reflection, shared learning, and dynamic exchange—bridging theory and practice through the participants’ lived experience, critical thinking, and generosity. The experience reaffirmed why this community continues to matter so deeply and left me inspired by the depth, courage, and integrity of the advocates’ work.”
The 2026 HRAP Alumni Study Group is currently under development and will start in March. Chris Grove, the former longtime director of ESCR-net and a SIPA alum, has agreed to lead the study group.
