About Us

WHO WE ARE

We are a student-run asylum clinic.

Our mission is to provide pro-bono forensic medical evaluations for individuals seeking asylum in the U.S. on account of torture or other forms of persecution experienced in their home countries. As medical students, we conduct these evaluations in collaboration with experienced clinicians and are affiliated with Physicians for Human Rights.

We work to increase awareness about the challenges faced by asylum seekers amongst healthcare providers and the general public.

The Los Angeles Human Rights Initiative is run by a dedicated group of medical students and faculty advisors. After receiving cases from PHR or through direct attorney referrals, we schedule a time for a volunteer clinician and medical student to meet with the client to perform a forensic medical evaluation. Evaluations can be held in a private office space provided by the client’s attorney or in a clinical space available to the evaluating clinician.

Any licensed clinician affiliated with UCLA can volunteer with the Los Angeles Human Rights Initiative. Please contact us if you would like to work with the Los Angeles Human Rights Initiative and are not currently affiliated with UCLA.

WHAT WE DO

The Los Angeles Human Rights Initiative is founded on three pillars:

1. Education: We hold annual trainings to teach medical students, residents and physicians to conduct forensic medical evaluations for people seeking asylum in the United States

2. Service: We perform forensic medical evaluations in partnership with Physicians for Human Rights and our legal partners, which include the UCLA Law Asylum Clinic and Public Counsel.

3. Advocacy: We work to educate health professionals and the general public about the asylum process and issues affecting the health of refugee and immigrant patients via guest speakers, community programs and other outreach efforts.