Susan M. Akram

Susan M. Akram is a Clinical Professor of Law at Boston University School of Law, where she directs the International Human Rights Clinic. She teaches and supervises students engaged in international advocacy before domestic, regional, and UN human rights bodies. Her work focuses on immigration, asylum, refugee rights, forced migration, and human rights, particularly concerning the Middle East, Arab, and Muslim communities.

• BA with honors, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• JD, Georgetown University
• Diplôme in International Human Rights, Institut International des Droits de l’Homme, Strasbourg
• Masters of Studies, International Human Rights Law, University of Oxford

Her research spans immigration policy, racial targeting post-9/11, Palestinian refugee rights, statelessness, and international legal accountability. She has contributed extensively to legal discourse on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and U.S. immigration enforcement.

Her recent scholarship analyzes Palestinian refugee status, the Global Compacts on Migration and Refugees, safe third country policies, and the legal implications of military actions in Gaza. These works reflect a consistent focus on human rights protection, historical injustice, and legal advocacy for marginalized populations.

• Fulbright Senior Scholar Teaching and Research Award (1999–2000)
• Fulbright Senior Scholar Award for research and teaching at the University of Murcia, Spain

Akram has supervised students in high-profile cases, including the In Re A-H- litigation and advocacy for Guantanamo detainees. She has collaborated with NGOs such as Physicians for Human Rights and contributed to amicus briefs. Her work is supported by institutional affiliations and public engagement rather than traditional grant funding.

She leads the International Human Rights Clinic at BU Law and regularly teaches at Oxford University’s Refugee Studies Centre. She has also lectured at Al-Quds, Birzeit, and the American University in Cairo, and participates in international short courses on refugee law in Greece and the UK.