Pursuing justice through science, technology, and law.

 

Based at the world’s top public university, we investigate human rights violations and international crimes; set standards for practitioners; and train the next generation of human rights defenders.

 

 

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What’s Happening

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February 25, 2026

Youth choice and voice: A Q&A with Michaela Anastasia Austin exploring a new model of foster care

HRC in the News — #Verified by the Human Rights Center: Youth choice and voice: A Q&A with Michaela Anastasia Austin exploring a new model of foster care, interviewing Research Fellow

Image description: A view of the Bay Bridge from downtown San Francisco shows trees on the right side, a building on the left side, and a man crossing the street with a dog. Text reads: Family and Me 2.0: A New Model of Foster Care for Youth Impacted by Commercial Sexual Exploitation in San Francisco

February 25, 2026

Berkeley Human Rights Center releases three-year evaluation of novel foster care model centering Bay Area youth impacted by commercial sexual exploitation

Berkeley, CA — The Human Rights Center (HRC) at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law has published the final evaluation of the Family and Me (FAM) 2.0 foster care model, designed to support youth impacted

A police officer pointing out of his car window with a women seen in the background recording on her phone

January 29, 2026

Protesters, immigration agencies battle – on social media

HRC in the News — USA Today: Protesters, immigration agencies battle – on social media, HRC’s interviewing Alexa Koenig. Left: A person holds a phone as a federal agent looks on

A hand holding up a stopwatch almost running out of time to another person in a blue suit

January 27, 2026

Corporate ‘60 Minutes’ censorship is a reminder that journalism must evolve or die

Commentary — The Daily Californian: Corporate ‘60 Minutes’ censorship is a reminder that journalism must evolve or die, authored by HRC Investigative Lab student Kyle

A hand wearing a tech device reaches over a glowing blue digital touchscreen.

January 24, 2026

Innovative but Precarious: The Challenge of Running Open-Source Investigations Labs at Public Universities

Commentary — OpinioJuris: Innovative but Precarious: The Challenge of Running Open-Source Investigations Labs at Public Universities, co-authored by Alexa Koenig.

A woman smiles pensively at the camera.

February 25, 2026

Youth choice and voice: A Q&A with Michaela Anastasia Austin exploring a new model of foster care

HRC in the News — #Verified by the Human Rights Center: Youth choice and voice: A Q&A with Michaela Anastasia Austin exploring a new model of foster care, interviewing Research Fellow

A police officer pointing out of his car window with a women seen in the background recording on her phone

January 29, 2026

Protesters, immigration agencies battle – on social media

HRC in the News — USA Today: Protesters, immigration agencies battle – on social media, HRC’s interviewing Alexa Koenig. Left: A person holds a phone as a federal agent looks on

A hand holding up a stopwatch almost running out of time to another person in a blue suit

January 27, 2026

Corporate ‘60 Minutes’ censorship is a reminder that journalism must evolve or die

Commentary — The Daily Californian: Corporate ‘60 Minutes’ censorship is a reminder that journalism must evolve or die, authored by HRC Investigative Lab student Kyle

A hand wearing a tech device reaches over a glowing blue digital touchscreen.

January 24, 2026

Innovative but Precarious: The Challenge of Running Open-Source Investigations Labs at Public Universities

Commentary — OpinioJuris: Innovative but Precarious: The Challenge of Running Open-Source Investigations Labs at Public Universities, co-authored by Alexa Koenig.

People wearing all black walking through white smoke.

January 21, 2026

Why Documenting ICE’s Violent Raids is Only Half the Accountability Battle

HRC in the News — Tech Policy Press: Why Documenting ICE’s Violent Raids is Only Half the Accountability Battle, interviewing Alexa Koenig.  Left: Onlookers and demonstrators walk

A picture of a women working at a broadcast desk, with white text in the middle

December 23, 2025

KQED Newscast on CECOT Segment

HRC in the News — KQED Newscast: about HRC’s Investigations Lab, which was set to be featured in a 60 Minutes segment “Inside CECOT” before it was pulled just hours

A women wearing all black speaks to a room of students

December 10, 2025

Investigating sexual and gender-based crimes online

Commentary — #Verified by the Human Rights Center: Investigating sexual and gender-based crimes online, Alexa Koenig interviewing Bellingcat researcher Kolina Koltai. Left: Koltina Koltai

Portrait of a smiling woman with blonde hair.

December 9, 2025

Israel rejects Gaza war crime allegations

HRC in the News — DW News: Israel rejects Gaza war crime allegations, interviewing HRC’s Alexa Koenig (5.00–14:20) about documenting allegations of war crimes. 

A women in a dark room with her computer reflecting onto her classes

December 3, 2025

A milestone in standards for CRSV investigations: The open-source practitioners guide to the Murad Code

HRC in the News — Centre for Information Resilience: A milestone in standards for CRSV investigations: The open-source practitioners guide to the Murad Code, featuring the HRC and IICI

A hand wearing a tech device reaches over a glowing blue digital touchscreen.

November 27, 2025

Symposium on Open Source Investigation Labs: AI for Open Source Investigation

Commentary — OpinioJuris: Symposium on Open Source Investigation Labs: AI for Open Source Investigation, co-authored by Guillén Torres. 

A man bends down to tend crops in the middle of long rows of farmland during sunset.

September 1, 2025

Who controls California farmland? The hard-to-find answer is disturbing

Commentary — San Francisco Chronicle: Who controls California farmland? The hard-to-find answer is disturbing, co-authored by HRC Student Fellow Meredith Song. Left: Fresno County farmer

A person wearing a white T-shirt with bold black text that reads

July 23, 2025

Too Hot to Handle – Garment Workers in the Era of Extreme Heat

Student Fellowship in the News — WARDROBE CRISIS with Claire Press: Too Hot to Handle – Garment Workers in the Era of Extreme Heat, featuring 2024 student fellowship alumna Cara Schulte.

People sit around a table. They appear to be in conversation.

March 21, 2025

On the ground with UC Berkeley Public Health’s Bhavya Joshi in Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp

HRC in the News — UC Public Health: “Reaching the furthest behind, first:” On the ground with UC Berkeley Public Health’s Bhavya Joshi in Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp, a feature on

A woman carrying a large metal bowl walks through a refugee site with makeshift shelters made of fabric and tarps. The shelters are clustered closely together, and trees are scattered in the background.

November 4, 2024

Reproductive Health in Refugee Camps: A Lifeline Amid Compounded Crises

Student Fellowship in the News — UC Global Health Institute: Reproductive Health in Refugee Camps: A Lifeline Amid Compounded Crises, featuring 2022 student fellow Bhavya Joshi. Left:

A women with long hair standing at a podium

December 12, 2023

Fighting Uphill Battles, Human Rights Center Student Fellows Stay Resolute in Their Work

Spotlighting 2022 fellow alumnus and keynote speaker Anthony Ghaly and 2023 fellow Maria Fernanda Quintero Sirtori.