History, Law & Society

The AUP Law Society is a student-led organization for students who want to understand how law operates across international business, diplomacy, human rights, environmental policy, and public affairs. While it naturally supports the History, Law, and Society Major, it also welcomes students in International Business, Politics, Journalism, History, and other related fields who expect to engage with legal frameworks in their academic or professional pathways.

Through its programming, the Society helps students begin to “think like a lawyer”: developing analytical reading skills, structured argumentation, persuasive writing, and informed discussion of contemporary legal issues. These competencies have cross-disciplinary value for careers in diplomacy, journalism, NGOs, consulting, international organizations, and the private sector. Situated in a major European legal and policy hub, such as Paris, the Society leverages AUP’s location to connect students with practitioners, scholars, and institutions engaged in international law, regulatory affairs, and global governance.

Typical activities include:

• Hosting guest lectures, seminars, and panels featuring legal professionals and scholars
• Facilitating networking opportunities with alumni and practitioners working in a range of legal and policy environments
• Collaborating with AUP faculty, departments, and student organizations on law-related events and publications
• Providing opportunities for students to develop legal writing, research, and professional skills
• Organizing discussions on emerging legal questions, landmark cases, and global legal trends

Open to all majors, the Law Society supports students who are exploring legal study, inspired by legal ideas, or seeking a deeper understanding of how law shapes international and domestic institutions.

Contact: lawsocietyaup.edu 

For more information, visit the Law Society's AUP Engage page.

For students passionate about human rights, international affairs, and social justice, the Global Humanitarian Awareness Club offers a space to engage with the issues at the heart of the History, Law and Society major. GHAC's mission is to educate and engage the university community on global humanitarian rights issues, fostering deeper understanding of the philosophical, historical, and political contexts that shape them — themes central to HLS coursework and career paths.

Founded in Fall 2024, the club brings these conversations beyond the classroom through events such as Human Rights Awareness Week, cultural exchange nights, advocacy campaigns, fundraisers, and collaborations with other campus organizations. Volunteer opportunities and more are continuously in development.

GHAC's broader vision is to cultivate a well-informed, empathetic community that actively participates in global humanitarian efforts and champions the dignity and rights of every individual — values that align directly with the interdisciplinary spirit of this major.

Students from all backgrounds and perspectives are welcome. To get involved, reach out to a club officer or sign up through Engage.

Contact: ghacaup.edu

For more information, visit GHAC's AUP Engage page.

The AUP Think Tank for Human Rights & Technology is a student-led platform advancing critical dialogue at the intersection of artificial intelligence, digital governance, and international human rights law. Operating under the UNESCO Chair for AI and Human Rights, the Think Tank brings together students, practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and alumni for workshops, roundtables, and substantive discussions that translate complex global challenges into actionable insight — making it a natural home for History, Law and Society students whose work spans legal frameworks, political structures, and human rights.

Programming explores themes directly relevant to the HLS curriculum: data sovereignty and digital decolonization, AI governance and regulation, information integrity, neurotechnology, and the implications of emerging technologies for conflict, democracy, and development. Past collaborators include UNESCO, the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, the OECD, and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

By bridging academic inquiry with practitioner expertise, the Think Tank prepares students to engage critically and constructively in shaping equitable digital futures — an increasingly essential skill set for careers in law, policy, advocacy, and international affairs.

Contact: aupthinkaup.edu.

For more information, visit the Think Tank's AUP Engage page.

Hibou magazine is a student-run online magazine on politics and culture. It is designed to create vibrant, nuanced dialogue on far-ranging topics. The magazine provides a platform and community for writers of all backgrounds to voice their experiences, investigate social issues, and pursue their artistic endeavors.
Hibou periodically publishes special legal issues featuring articles, essays, case notes, and blogs on contemporary topics. 
The Spring 2025 Special Law Issue prepared by the Editor-in-Chief Emily Gonzales (HLS & PPE major, ’25) includes a compelling collection of seven pieces, in which student authors explore how law serves both as an instrument of power and a site of contestation across varied contexts.

Several pieces examine democratic erosion—Lucie Reed’s article critiques the U.S.’s “autocratic legalism” under Trump, whereas Rebecca Loell scrutinizes conservative reforms proposed in the Project 2025 agenda. Grace Wilson’s work turns to European jurisprudence, highlighting Italy’s pushback policy and its implications for migrant rights. Hannah Ott evaluates the tension between women's rights and French secularism, illuminating how laïcité can constrain religious expression. Katya Bakulina analyzes Russia’s evolving trade laws amid escalating U.S. protectionism, pointing to economic policy as a legal battleground. Caiden Cellak questions whether AI can offer fairer outcomes in parole decisions, probing the intersection of technology and justice. Finally, Gloria Kabongo reviews the Dominic Ongwen ICC case to reveal shortcomings within international criminal law. Across these texts, a unifying thread emerges: law is neither neutral nor static but is shaped by and shapes political, social, and ethical struggles across local and global arenas.
This legal issue was initiated and supervised by Roman Zinigrad, and the articles were edited by faculty members with expertise in relevant fields: Kerstin Carlson, Peter Hägel, Susan Perry, Stephen W. Sawyer, Sofia Valeonti, and Roman Zinigrad, and by the Hibou student editors.

https://www.hibou-magazine.com/ 

The Center for Critical Democracy Studies was founded in 2016 to foster an interdisciplinary approach to questions of democracy. Purposely aligned with AUP's liberal arts curriculum, the Center encourages all fields from the natural and environmental sciences to the social sciences and humanities to explore democracy as a social state, a political regime, and a form of agency. Center-sponsored research is global, inter- and trans-disciplinary. The Center has received generous support from the Mellon Foundation and the Annenberg Foundation and received three multinational Horizon Europe projects supported by the EU research & innovation program. It sponsors the publication of The Tocqueville Review/La Revue Tocqueville, its online platform Tocqueville21, and the Analyse & Kritik journal. Offering a platform for the organization of conferences and events around key themes of democracy's past, present, and future, CCDS is committed to generating innovative pedagogies designed to foster critical thinking on the history, theory, and practice of democracy. The Center also sponsors scholars-in-residence who deliver talks and lead pedagogy seminars.

www.aup.edu/CCDS