Notes From the Field: The Inter-American Court of Human Rights

Elizabeth Wheeler*

Part 1: Introduction

This series of essays is intended to be an "inside look" at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in San José, Costa Rica. As a Legal Intern at the Court, my perspective has been shaped by working directly with the Legal Department, and I would like to point out that there are other important aspects of the work of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights which I did not include in these essays. Additionally, during my work at the Court, I was occasionally made privy to confidential information and deliberations that, for obvious reasons, I could not include here. Finally, I only interned with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights during the Summer of 2004, and that being the case, my "Notes from the Field" are limited in depth and discussion based on my limited time for observation.

That being said, since I have truly enjoyed my experience working with the lawyers and administrative staff, this article is in no way intended to be an impartial account of my experience at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights; quite the contrary, the following paragraphs contain my personal observations after two months of work and after studying the Court before my arrival. I continue to be honored to have worked in the presence of so many intelligent, interesting and dedicated individuals and feel extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to observe first-hand the "behind-the-scenes work" of international human rights tribunal.

My hope is that these essays can provide a more personal and inside-look into the Inter-American Court of Human Rights for the legal community, and will help to provide an understanding of the tremendous dedication, effort and accomplishment that goes into the work of judicial tribunal for human rights.

Part 2: The Location

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* Elizabeth Wheeler, J.D. expected 2005, is a student at Santa Clara University School of Law. This series of essays is based on her experience as an intern at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights during the summer of 2004.