Human Rights Brigades primarily work with rural communities that are under-resourced and largely unaware of their own legal rights. Throughout the week, Human Rights Brigades volunteers shadow Panamanian lawyers to provide pro-bono legal consulting to rural communities. A free legal clinic provides opportunities for volunteers to not only receive experience with Panamanian legal professionals but also experience first-hand the obstacles to justice and the culture of legal misinformation in rural communities. Volunteers also work to provide capacity building and education-based workshops on various legal concepts to empower communities through education.

Being a law student who is highly keen on human rights issues, providing legal assistance to the Panamanians would be an ideal way to give back to society and learn key legal practices. It’s a privilege to be in a position to put a smile on someone’s face and doing so through resolving their legal problems of Panamanians will be heart-warming.

Panamanians deserve to know their human rights and its essentail to empower their community.