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LAW 807K: Policy Practicum: The Outlaw Ocean 3.0

Illegal fishing has long plagued the world's oceans, undermining economic development, national security, food security, and human rights -- and nowhere is this more starkly evident than in the Pacific Ocean. From cans of tuna to shrimp cocktail, the legality of how this seafood is caught and processed is often uncertain. A recent World Resources Institute study estimates that half of illegal marine trading networks come from the Pacific, totaling between 3.7 and 7.2 million tons of fish stolen from fishermen and coastal nations. Of further critical concern is the role of forced labor within the industry. This policy lab confronts the global environmental, human rights and privacy challenges associated with the existing framework of international laws and policies. The research delves into international laws that apply to the high seas, illegal fishing and forced labor and slavery to locate leverage points and explore innovative solutions, including how new technologies might be developed and deployed. The research contributes to the agendas of two organizations that are leaders in addressing Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in supply chains (FishWise), and idenfifying leverage points to reduce forced labor and slavery in fishing activities (Rights Lab, University of Nottingham). Effective solutions to these problems required broad collaborations among nations, international seafood companies, nonprofit organizations, and universities. Students will have the opportunity to explore one of the following two topics. The Supply Chain Risk Tool (SCRT), co-led by FishWise, encompasses the development of a tool to enable companies to identify and address risk of IUU fishing activities in supply chains. The role of the students will be to design a user research plan, which could help to identify users, needs, and processes that the SCRT could support. A Port Resilience Framework to Address Forced Labor, co-led by colleagues from the Rights Lab at University of Nottingham, will be an effort to apply a resilience framework to address modern forms of slavery in port communities. Students will be able to apply resilience concepts to ports by identifying key systemic issues, legislative assets and problems, local institutions, and policies or practices. The Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions serves as the liaison to both policy clients stated above and will also connect students with partners such as large seafood companies, and human rights and environmental NGOs. Students will produce policy briefs that will contribute to a third installment in a comprehensive public report issued by the Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions. The practicum seeks law students as well as graduate and well-qualified undergraduate students in such programs as earth systems, computer science, public policy, business, sociology, and marine biology. Elements used in grading: Attendance, Performance, Class Participation, Written Assignments, Final Paper. CONSENT APPLICATION: To apply for this course, students must complete and submit a Consent Application Form available on the SLS website (Click Courses at the bottom of the home
Last offered: Autumn 2021 | Units: 2-3

LAW 808M: Policy Practicum: Afghan Humanitarian Crisis: Policy & Legal Pathways to Resettle High-Risk Afghans

Client: American University of Afghanistan (AUAF). The fall of the Afghan government to the Taliban in August 2021 has created an urgent crisis for millions of Afghans. Those at particularly high risk of Taliban attacks and reprisals include women and girls, ethnic and religious minority groups, human rights advocates, journalists, and individuals who worked with or on behalf of the United States during the 20-year war in Afghanistan. The U.S. government was able to evacuate some of these individuals and their families, but hundreds of thousands more remain in Afghanistan, and many are seeking any opportunity for safe passage out of the country. They include thousands of staff members, former students, and other affiliates of the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF), a U.S.-funded institution in Kabul that has provided educational opportunities to thousands of graduates. The U.S. government has pledged to continue to support vulnerable Afghans who want to leave the country, but the situation remains highly uncertain. Afghans are eligible for humanitarian parole, a temporary status that could allow them to come to the United States. However, few Afghans have been granted this status. Other avenues for legal immigration, such as the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) process, have also faced substantial delays. The U.S. government will need to look for new and creative policy solutions to address the ongoing refugee crisis in Afghanistan. Students in this policy lab will advise AUAF in its efforts to pursue legal and policy options to support its students, alumni, staff, and affiliated families who are seeking to evacuate the country. Student researchers will track bottlenecks and other challenges in processing humanitarian parole, visas, asylum, and refugee applications. Research includes understanding the roles of U.S. government agencies, tracking updates to U.S. government policy regarding Afghan refugees, and proposing avenues for additional legal and policy advocacy that could help Afghans seeking to come to the United States. Students will gain experience with laws and policies related to immigration and refugees and leverage their research to improve the U.S. government's overall policy approach to the refugee crisis in Afghanistan. This experience will culminate in a policy brief and presentation for AUAF (Winter) and in a full report for U.S. policymakers (Spring) about potential policy and legal pathways to resettle Afghan refugees in the United States. This policy lab welcomes all students with a strong interest in immigrant and refugee rights. A background in law, public policy, political science, Central Asian studies, or human rights would be useful, but is not necessary. Dari, Pashto, or Farsi language capabilities are a bonus, but are also not necessary. We are also looking for students with experience in design thinking for social innovations. Students from the School of Law, Department of Political Science, Public Policy Program, Program in International Relations, Freeman Spogli Institute, Design School, Middle Eastern Language Program, are encouraged to apply. After the term begins, and with the consent of the instructor, students accepted into the course may transfer from section 01 (2 units) into section 02 (3 units), which meets the R requirement. Elements used in grading: Attendance, Performance, Class Participation and Written Assignments. CONSENT APPLICATION: To apply for this course, students must complete and submit a Consent Application Form available at https://law.stanford.edu/education/courses/consent-of-instructor-forms/. See Consent Application Form for instructions and submission deadline.
Last offered: Spring 2022 | Units: 2-3 | Repeatable 2 times (up to 6 units total)
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