Donna and Spencer Gilbert Global Justice and
Human Rights Center
Mission
Based at the USC Gould School of Law, the Donna and Spencer Gilbert Global Justice & Human Rights Center engages students, scholars, and practitioners in interdisciplinary education, research, and projects that advance human rights and justice for all. The Center seeks to strengthen international law and institutions for atrocity prevention and accountability, refugee rights, and transitional justice in the wake of serious human rights violations worldwide.
Our Focus
Train and expand the next generation of human rights advocates with a deep understanding of how antisemitism, racism, and all forms of xenophobia and hate lead to violence and atrocity.
Engage in critical scholarship and thought leadership that fosters respect for universal human rights and counters injustice through international law and institutions.
Develop impactful policies and programs with victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and aggression to seek protection, accountability, and transitional justice.
Unique Scholarship & Education Opportunities
A. Peter Kezirian Jr. ’89 Fellowship in Public Service and International Law: Each year, the Center will award funding for students pursuing opportunities for work with non-governmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations or governments that advances human rights, accountability and the public interest through international law.
Distinguished Lecture on the Human Rights Legacy of the Holocaust: The Center will host a distinguished lecture honoring an international law jurist or scholar who will speak on the legacy of the Holocaust for the development of modern-day human rights and international criminal law at the national and international levels.
USC Gould Global Justice for Atrocities Study Tour in Europe: Participating students will have the opportunity to travel to Poland and Germany in July to learn about the history of the Holocaust, the Nuremberg Tribunal, and international criminal justice and human rights law.
Speaker Series: The Center will host or co-sponsor public lectures, academic and practitioner panels, career events, and film screenings locally, nationally, and globally to disseminate knowledge on human rights, and international criminal justice, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration and dialogue across the university.
Inspiring Students, Changing Lives
International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC)
Established in 2011, the International Human Rights Clinic trains the next generation of human rights advocates by engaging student attorneys in cases and advocacy that advance global justice for atrocity crimes, human trafficking, refugee rights, fair trial rights, and racial justice.
Justice and Accountability Initiative (JAI)
The Justice and Accountability Initiative documents war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and aggression; engages in strategic litigation; and promotes progressive development of international law and institutions.
Investment in Impact
“We are deeply honored to help establish a center that will empower future generations of lawyers and scholars to champion human rights around the world. Our family’s vision is to make the world better, more peaceful and more just, in every way we can.”
— Donna Gilbert
Contact the Center
Professor Hannah Garry
Faculty Director, Gilbert Global Justice and Human Rights Center
Founding Director, International Human Rights Clinic and Justice & Accountability Initiative
View Bio
Ann Strimov Durbin
Associate Director, Gilbert Global Justice and Human Rights Center
View Bio
Ann Strimov Durbin is inaugural Associate Director of the Donna and Spencer Gilbert Global Justice and Human Rights Center and Clinical Supervising Attorney at USC Gould School of Law. She is an international human rights attorney, policy advocate, and philanthropic strategist, driven by her parents' refugee experience to work tirelessly to ensure no person is targeted for who they are or what they believe. She leverages legal tools, advocacy, and strategic program design to challenge hate and oppression, counter impunity, and empower structurally excluded communities locally and globally.
In her consulting practice as a member of Strategy for Humanity, Ann has taken on executive leadership roles for her clients, crafted impactful grantmaking portfolios, and designed and overseen multiple programs promoting systems innovation across the sustainability, community development, atrocity prevention, and peacebuilding fields.
For several years, Ann directed global advocacy and on-the-ground programming for Jewish World Watch, working in coalition with other nonprofit organizations, funders, elected officials, educational institutions, survivors, and diaspora communities to secure passage of important human rights and anti-atrocity legislation. Ann also designed, supervised, resourced, and monitored programs for communities in challenging environments, including in Chad for Darfuri refugees, Bangladesh for Rohingya refugees, Syria, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda. At the Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, Ann managed a portfolio focused on human rights and international justice, while also engaging in donor education and developing new programmatic areas.
Ann has worked as a civil rights litigator with V. James DeSimone Law, prosecuting discrimination and constitutional rights violations, as well as advocating for law enforcement, criminal justice, and educational policy reform. She has also practiced international civil litigation alongside Paul Hoffman, holding perpetrators, including multinational corporations, to account for committing international law violations and atrocity crimes.
Ann holds a Juris Doctor from the UCLA School of Law, with certification in Public Interest Law and Policy, a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, and BAs in Philosophy and Political Science from Columbia University. Ann is a fluent Russian speaker and proficient in French.
USC Gould School of Law
699 Exposition Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90089-0071
Copyright © 2026 USC Gould. All Rights Reserved.