Human Rights in Law and Society
Human Rights in Law and Society introduces the theory, politics, and sociology of human rights, focusing on the international legal regime and the consequences of its legalization.
Summary
Past student reviews · Alexandra Huneeus
One student noted the class could be challenging, though the instructor helped them understand the material better.
What you’ll be able to do
Articulate and analytically discuss the origins, structure, justification, and impact of the international human rights system. Students will know the main international institutions and treaties governing human rights in our world, as well as the main policy debates about human rights.
Articulate and analytically discuss human rights’ potential and limits in creating social and political change.
Recognize the challenges facing human rights law and institutions in light of the changing geopolitical world order.
Articulate and critically discuss the distinct ways in which various academic disciplines approach the same topic, revealing the structure of how we create knowledge.
Identify opportunities for employment or further study, assess their qualifications for these opportunities, and identify strategies for gaining the necessary knowledge and experience.
Develop and maintain portfolios of their written work and educational experiences to aid them in preparing applications and to learn how to present their materials.
Source: UW Guide
Grade history
↗All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors
Prerequisites
Course mapLEGAL ST/SOC 131,POLI SCI/LEGAL ST 217, or Junior standing
- LEGALST/SOC 131
- POLISCI/LEGALST 217
- Junior standing
This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.
Prerequisite text tree
- Any of
- LEGALST/SOC 131
- POLISCI/LEGALST 217
- Junior standing
Professors
Spring 2027No instructors recorded for this selection.
Historical instructors & teaching patterns
ALEXANDRA HUNEEUS is recorded teaching in Fall 2010, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Calendar & sections
Spring 2027Schedule loads here as you scroll.
| Section | Mode | Enrolled / capacity | Waitlist |
|---|
Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections.
Meeting source records
No records available.
Student experience
the class
Past student reviews · Alexandra Huneeus
Student feedback on the course was mixed, with some describing lectures as confusing and lacking clear goals, while others found them great and educational.
Recent recorded grades — Fall 2022: 3.60 GPA, 80.8% A/AB (n=78 letter grades); Spring 2023: 3.71 GPA, 87.9% A/AB (n=66 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.60 GPA, 76.9% A/AB (n=26 letter grades).
difficulty & workload
Past student reviews · Alexandra Huneeus
One student noted the class could be challenging, though the instructor helped them understand the material better.
Past student reviews · Alexandra Huneeus
A former student found the subject matter dull and the expectations unclear, making it difficult to determine the overall goal of the class.
Topics
- International human rights legal regime and legalization.
- Challenges to human rights law in a changing geopolitical order.
- Theory, politics, and sociology of human rights.
Skills
- Analyze the origins, structure, and impact of the international human rights system.
- Discuss the potential and limits of human rights in creating social and political change.
- Critically compare disciplinary approaches to human rights topics.
Grades
Latest available · Spring 2026— not enough history to project Spring 2027.
Grade distribution · % of letter grades
Grades over time
Through Spring 2026
More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data
Not enough comparable courses for Spring 2027 in UW–Madison.
Sources & history
Catalog & offerings
Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.
Catalog observation history
Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.
Selected offering source records
No offering records for the selected term.
Raw records
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Student reviews
Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.
Read original reviews
Grade history
Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.
Explore recorded gradesRecorded 2026-10-14
Model outputs & technical records
LLM outputs across runs
Full model traces
Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.
Model & dataset provenance
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