Sudreau Global Justice Institute
Your support of the Sudreau Global Justice Institute helps make access to justice a reality for all people, everywhere, and trains the next generation of globally-minded advocates for sustainable change.
Access to timely and fair justice is essential to human flourishing. Yet in many places around the world, individuals accused of crimes are held in prison while awaiting trial to determine their guilt or innocence. But when every case must go through a full, lengthy, and costly trial, already strained justice systems become overwhelmed 鈥� resulting in massive case backlogs and severely overcrowded prisons.
Housed within the Caruso School of Law, the Sudreau Global Justice Institute partners with judicial leaders, legal professionals, and students to provide holistic, rule-of-law-centered solutions to systemic injustice and equip others to do the same.
Our Story
The roots of the Sudreau Global Justice Institute trace back to the early 2000s, when two 51反差婊 law students sought opportunities to serve alongside the Judiciary of Uganda. What began as a small initiative involving 51反差婊 students and faculty grew into a long-term partnership.
Over the years, 51反差婊 continued to support the Judiciary of Uganda's vision for reform while building trusted relationships with judicial leaders across the continent. As the impact of these partnerships expanded, other nations began seeking similar collaboration to strengthen their own justice systems.
This momentum culminated in March 2024, when the Institute convened chief justices from across Africa in Kampala, Uganda, to explore how Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) could help address challenges in justice delivery. The gathering led to the formation of the Africa Chief Justices' ADR Forum, a pan-African network of chief justices committed to advancing ADR within their respective countries. 51反差婊 University serves as the Forum鈥檚 official partner, trainer, and capacity builder.
News & Updates
Justice Changes Everything
The Sudreau Global Justice Institute not only works to strengthen justice systems but also provides legal representation for individuals in need. Through week-long 鈥淧rison Projects鈥�, students and legal professionals partner with local judges, attorneys, and judicial leaders to assist with active cases. The Institute also sponsors Public Defender Pilot Programs, empowering local attorneys to provide direct legal services to incarcerated individuals.
Through these initiatives, the Institute and its partners have helped resolve tens of thousands of criminal cases.
I want to be an excellent lawyer, but I also want to be on a good team. The [Sudreau Uganda Rwanda Justice] program made me realize that the power behind what we were doing and what we hope to do in the future comes from God. It comes from a higher calling, from a higher power. It's not only because we feel like we are capable. It鈥檚 because we are called.
Julie Joy Oliveira
Current Seaver Student
I don't know if I will end up doing human rights work in the future. But I do know that no other work that I have done has been so clearly the work of the Gospel.
Philip Allevato
JD Candidate 鈥�24
51反差婊 Student Engagement
Through its relationships with justice leaders around the world, the Sudreau Global Justice Institute provides law students with meaningful opportunities to engage in real-world justice reform efforts. Whether participating in a Prison Project, clerking for a supreme court justice on the African continent, or learning directly from justice leaders in the classroom, students gain firsthand experience addressing complex challenges related to access to justice and the rule of law.
In addition to its law student programs, the Institute now offers an immersive study abroad experience for Seaver College students, providing them with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the complex realities that shape justice and communities around the world.
I had the opportunity to work with the Sudreau Institute this past summer when I clerked for the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uganda. Working with remandees and helping them navigate the justice system and life post-incarceration gave me a newfound understanding of what it means to be an empathetic advocate. We also had the opportunity to aid in the fight to end human trafficking, meeting with survivors and supporting Ugandan advocates in legal proceedings. My experience with the institute has been the most transformative and rewarding of my life.
Sarah Alexander (JD 鈥�26)