From a social extension perspective, students in the Legal Clinics at the College of Law, USFQ, under the guidance and supervision of Clinical Professors, take on real cases for the benefit of the community. These cases are characterized by their pursuit or defense of a public interest, beyond individual benefit or interest. Through litigating typical or paradigmatic cases, the aim is to influence laws, public policies, and state practices, generating impact across significant segments of society. Cases often involve pertinent issues in Constitutional Law, Human Rights, and Administrative Law.
From an academic perspective, the Legal Clinics is a year-long program that combines learning the key aspects of strategic litigation and professional practice with the handling of cases of public interest in specialized areas of the Legal Clinics at the College of Law, USFQ.
Students confront situations similar to those they will encounter in professional practice, in an environment that fosters reflective learning with only the guidance of the professor (who cannot replace the activity of the students). This approach encourages reflection, argumentation, debate, and writing about personal experiences in case management.
Profiles of Clinical Professors for August
- Evidence Reasoning Clinic, led by Professor Catherine Ricaurte Herrera, who works on projects related to legal argumentation and evidence in legal proceedings from the perspective of the public interest.
- Criminology Clinic, led by Professor Viviane Monteiro Santana, who engages in projects related to criminology, penology, and victimology from the perspective of the public interest.
Specialized Clinics:
Clinical Professors for January
- Public Law Clinic, led by Professor Juan Pablo Aguilar, who works on constitutional, administrative, and administrative litigation matters from the perspective of the public interest.
- Mediation Clinic, led by Professor Jaime Vintimilla, who focuses on alternative dispute resolution in matters of public interest.
- Business Law Clinic, led by Professor Barbara Terán, with the support of Attorney Lizeth Torres, who works on constitutional, administrative, and administrative litigation matters from the perspective of business law.
- International Law, Human Rights, and Humanitarian Law Clinic, led by Professor Hugo Cahueñas, who works on constitutional and international matters from the perspective of disaster law, human rights, and international public law in general.
- Law and New Technologies Clinic, led by Professor José Sebastián Ponce, who works on topics related to new technologies and artificial intelligence from the perspective of public interest.
- Grave Violations of Human Rights Clinic, led by Professor Juan Pablo Albán, who works on criminal, constitutional, and international matters in cases involving serious or systematic human rights violations, including international crimes and other human rights offenses.
- Human Rights Clinic, led by Professor Gabriela Flores, who works on constitutional and international matters related to human rights violations.
For more information about the course, contact jalban@usfq.edu.ec.
