The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law

Human Rights Legal Education and Researchpromiseinstitute.law.ucla.edu

The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law is a non-profit academic research center founded in 2017 that runs human rights clinics, lecture series, and impact litigation for UCLA Law students, affected communities, and international scholars across Los Angeles and Europe.

Company typePrivate
Founded2017
HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
Headcount1–10
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law does

The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law is a non-profit academic research institute founded in 2017 by Dr. Eric Esrailian using proceeds from the Armenian Genocide film "The Promise." It operates as UCLA's designated hub for human rights education, research, and advocacy, with a second operating location in Amsterdam and The Hague through The Promise Institute Europe, launched in 2023. Its portfolio spans two student clinics (the Human Rights Litigation Clinic and the Human Rights in Action Clinic), an annual lecture series (Judging International Justice), and a set of research projects covering accountability for international crimes, indigenous land defenders, and human rights in the Americas. Its technical practice is centered on open-source digital investigation (OSINT) methodology used to document environmental harms, war crimes, and atrocity crimes for use in litigation and international advocacy.

The institute generates no commercial revenue. It is funded through a combination of UCLA School of Law institutional support, philanthropic donations led by founder Eric Esrailian, and grants from partner organizations, supplemented by event co-sponsorship contributions capped at roughly $500 per event. Its go-to-market is community-led rather than commercial: it reaches UCLA Law students through admissions, coursework, and clinical programs; reaches affected communities through clinics and impact litigation (for example, Garcia v. City of Los Angeles and Mirmehdi v. USA); and reaches international scholars and practitioners through symposia, visiting faculty programs, and partnerships with organizations including the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, Kirkland & Ellis, McGuireWoods, UC Berkeley Human Rights Center, NYU Global Justice Clinic, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International. Output is delivered as reports, amicus briefs, court cases, symposia proceedings, and a newsletter distributed through the institute's website, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram channels.

Recent strategic activity includes a 2024 watershed ruling in Garcia v. Los Angeles with terminating sanctions, a Ninth Circuit-upheld preliminary injunction on unhoused property rights, a 600-attendee Aurora Prize and Human Rights and Humanitarian Forum convened in 2024, the appointment of Faculty Director Anna Spain Bradley to the MacArthur Foundation Chair in International Justice and Human Rights in 2025, and an annual symposium on Human Rights and Artificial Intelligence launching in 2026.

The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law firmographics

Firmographics

Name: The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law
Legal name: The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law
Website: https://promiseinstitute.law.ucla.edu
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2017
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 1–10 employees
Short description: The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law is a non-profit academic research center founded in 2017 that runs human rights clinics, lecture series, and impact litigation for UCLA Law students, affected communities, and international scholars across Los Angeles and Europe.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law industry classification

Industry

Product category: Human Rights Legal Education and Research
NAICS: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Legal Services (5411)
SIC: Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Educational Services (8200)
akta.pro primary industry: Law School Research Centers & Institutes (e.g., Law & Economics, Human Rights) (EDAHAIAJ)
akta.pro secondary industries: Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA), Human Rights Monitoring, Documentation & Advocacy (BPADAGAK), Legal Literacy & Public Legal Education (Know Your Rights) (EDAAAFAI)

Keywords

Human rights education
Human rights research
Human rights litigation
International justice advocacy
Human rights law clinic

Where The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Los Angeles
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

Philanthropic Donations: Funding from Dr. Eric Esrailian and proceeds from The Promise film, along with donations from supporters. The institute is a UCLA entity receiving university support and external philanthropy.
Event Co-Sponsorship: Provides co-sponsorship opportunities to UCLA entities for events advancing human rights mission. Financial support generally up to $500 max for events focused on international law or human rights analysis.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Other	One time	Event Co-Sponsorship for UCLA entities

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law is an academic research institute delivering human rights education, clinical legal training, and advocacy programs through coursework, two student clinics (Human Rights Litigation Clinic and Human Rights in Action Clinic), the Judging International Justice lecture series, multi-year research projects (Americas, Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh accountability, Indigenous Land Defenders), court cases, amicus briefs, reports, and symposia, supported by UCLA School of Law infrastructure with a sister institute in Amsterdam and The Hague.

Product overview

The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law is an educational and research institute (not a software technology product company) operating from two locations (Los Angeles and Europe). The institute offers a portfolio of educational programs including clinics (Human Rights Litigation Clinic, Human Rights in Action Clinic), research projects (Human Rights in the Americas Project, Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh Accountability Project, Indigenous Land Defenders Project), lecture series (Judging International Justice), and legal advocacy (court cases, amicus briefs). The institute also produces reports, symposia, and events, and maintains student fellowship and scholarship programs. The institute's founding is tied to The Promise film about the Armenian Genocide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Human Rights Litigation Clinic A clinic where UCLA Law students handle live human rights litigation under faculty supervision, including high-profile cases such as Garcia v. City of Los Angeles challenging the seizure and destruction of unhoused people's property. The clinic partners with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles and pro bono law firms including Kirkland & Ellis, McGuireWoods, and Schonbrun Seplow Harris Hoffman & Zeldes, and was recognized with a 2023 Pro Bono Award from LAFLA.
Human Rights in Action Clinic A clinical program in which UCLA Law students conduct applied human rights advocacy work, including research on indigenous housing rights in Los Angeles and international advocacy supporting communities such as the Garifuna in Honduras before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Human Rights in the Americas Project A multi-year project addressing human rights issues in the Americas, including advocacy before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and work on cases involving immigrants' rights and indigenous land defenders.
Justice & Accountability for Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh Project A research and advocacy project addressing impunity for international crimes perpetrated against Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh, including accountability advocacy and the right of return, conducted in partnership with the Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA and other university human rights clinics.
Justice for Indigenous and Peasant Land Defenders A project focused on protecting and advancing the rights of indigenous and peasant land defenders globally, producing the In Memoriam report on Indigenous Land Defenders of Brazil with Cultural Survival and UC Santa Cruz and contributing to the University of California Digital Investigations Network for OSINT-based documentation of environmental harms.
Lecture Series: Judging International Justice An annual lecture series featuring international justice experts, including Judge Dire Tladi of the International Court of Justice, connecting UCLA Law students and the public with global human rights leaders through on-campus and Hague-based programming.
Amicus Briefs & Submissions Legal submissions filed before international bodies including the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, including testimony on the climate emergency and human rights through a racial justice lens presented before the IACHR.

Quantifiable outcome

Watershed ruling in Garcia v. City of Los Angeles with terminating sanctions against City for fabricating evidence
+4 more outcomes

Companies that use The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law

Customer profile

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

Aurora Humanitarian InitiativeflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024Co-hosted the 2024 Aurora Prize and first-ever Human Rights and Humanitarian Forum at UCLA with more than 600 global attendees. The Aurora Prize was awarded to Dr. Denis Mukwege.
Kirkland & Ellis LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLitigation partner in Garcia v. City of Los Angeles case challenging seizure and destruction of unhoused people's property. One of several law firm partners providing pro bono legal support.
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary litigation partner in Garcia v. City of Los Angeles case. LAFLA is the community partner that filed the initial complaint and has been central to the case throughout.
McGuireWoods LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLitigation partner in Garcia v. City of Los Angeles case providing pro bono legal support alongside other law firms.
Schonbrun Seplow Harris Hoffman & Zeldes, LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLitigation partner in Garcia v. City of Los Angeles case providing pro bono legal representation.
T.M.C. Asser InstitutecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost venue for the 2nd Annual Judging International Justice Lecture featuring Judge Dire Tladi in The Hague. Partner for international programming.
Cultural SurvivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in producing the Indigenous Land Defenders of Brazil: In Memoriam report documenting threats against indigenous land defenders.
UC Santa CruzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in documenting environmental harms and indigenous land defender threats in Brazil.
UC Berkeley Human Rights CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the University of California Digital Investigations Network for OSINT methodology research on environmental harms.
University Network for Human RightsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSent fact-finding delegation to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh as part of Justice & Accountability for Artsakh Project.
Harvard Law School Advocates for Human RightsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh accountability project fact-finding mission.
Global Justice Clinic at NYU School of LawminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on climate injustice report for Haiti and the case for reparations.
Atlantic Council's Strategic Litigation ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Iran Digital Archive Coalition preserving digital evidence of human rights violations during Woman, Life, Freedom movement.
Amnesty International Digital Verification CorpsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Iran Digital Archive Coalition for verifying digital artifacts recording human rights violations.
Human Rights Watch International Justice ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in organizing side event on Decolonizing International Justice at ICC Assembly of States Parties.
The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister institute at UCLA focused on Armenian studies. Joint programming on Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh issues and Armenian Genocide awareness.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Georgetown Law Human Rights Institute: Georgetown Law's flagship human rights center offering research, training, and advocacy. Highly comparable in programmatic mix (research, training, litigation support) and institutional setting.
UC Berkeley Human Rights Center: University-based human rights research and education center at a peer UC law/affiliated school. Already an explicit collaborator in the UC Digital Investigations Network alongside the Promise Institute, making it the closest programmatic peer.
Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute: Major law school-based human rights institute combining scholarship, advocacy, and clinical training. Comparable mission and elite-institution positioning.
University of Minnesota Center for Human Rights: University-based human rights center combining research, education, and applied advocacy on a similarly modest scale. Comparable in operating model to the Promise Institute.
Yale Law School Schell Center for International Human Rights: One of the most established university human rights centers in the U.S., combining litigation, advocacy, and scholarship. Comparable scale and mission, anchored at a top-tier law school.
Harvard Law School Human Rights Program: A leading university law-school-based human rights program offering clinics, courses, and advocacy. Harvard Law Advocates for Human Rights is an explicit Promise Institute partner on the Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh accountability project.
Northwestern Pritzker Center for International Human Rights: Law-school-based human rights center running clinics, research, and convening. Closely comparable in educational-clinical-research mix at a top U.S. law school.
University of Oxford Oxford Human Rights Hub: Oxford's cross-departmental human rights network linking the law faculty with practitioners and international bodies. Comparable in academic-practitioner convening role, particularly relevant given the Promise Institute's Europe hub in The Hague.
NYU School of Law Global Justice Clinic: Law-school human rights clinic focused on international advocacy and accountability. The clinic collaborated with the Promise Institute on the Haiti climate injustice and reparations report.

Emerging players

University Network for Human Rights: University-affiliated network coordinating fact-finding and advocacy across multiple institutions; the Promise Institute has participated in its Armenia/Nagorno-Karabakh delegation, making it a direct operational peer in collaborative human rights research.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries1 record

The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law

What does The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law do?

Is The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law a public or private company?

The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law founded?

The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.

Where is The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law based?

The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.

How does The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law make money?

Two revenue lines are on record. Philanthropic Donations are the primary driver. The others are event Co-Sponsorship.

Who are The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Georgetown Law Human Rights Institute, UC Berkeley Human Rights Center, Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute, University of Minnesota Center for Human Rights, Yale Law School Schell Center for International Human Rights, Harvard Law School Human Rights Program, Northwestern Pritzker Center for International Human Rights, University of Oxford Oxford Human Rights Hub and NYU School of Law Global Justice Clinic. University Network for Human Rights is listed as an emerging player.

Does The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law have an API?

No public API is recorded for The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law.

What industry is The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law in?

The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law's product category is Human Rights Legal Education and Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAIAJ, Law School Research Centers & Institutes (e.g., Law & Economics, Human Rights), with a secondary code of BPAGAFAA, Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy. Its NAICS code is 61131 and its SIC code is 8111.