Partners in Justice: OHIO and ProBono.Org at 30 Years of the Constitution
A group of eleven Ohio University students recently returned from Law, Justice & Transition to Democracy in South Africa, a study abroad programme co-directed by Larry Hayman and Dr. Haley Duschinski. Now in its third year, the programme coincided with the 30th anniversary of the adoption of South Africa’s Constitution, widely regarded as one of the most progressive in the world.
Developed in partnership with Advocate Shafie Ameermia, National Director of ProBono.Org and a former Visiting Professor at Ohio University, the programme immerses students in the study of constitutional law, human rights, and access to justice in a global context. Through this collaboration, students engaged directly with the institutions, advocates, and communities working to give meaning to constitutional rights in everyday life.
Travelling through Cape Town and Johannesburg, students explored South Africa’s legal and historical landscape. Visits to sites such as the District Six Museum, Constitution Hill, and Soweto underscored the legacy of apartheid and the ongoing struggle to realise equality. Along the way, students examined how rights guaranteed on paper, such as access to housing, healthcare, water, and education, remain contested in practice.
The academic core of the programme challenged students to grapple with these issues firsthand. Each student developed a constitutional case addressing contemporary human rights questions, including access to healthcare, freedom of protest, and indigenous land rights. These projects culminated in a moot court competition, where students presented oral arguments before South African legal scholars and practitioners.
Ohio University students and faculty meet with Adv. Shafie
Ameermia and Enver Surty, former Deputy Minister of Justice, at
Pro Bono National Office in Johannesburg
A hallmark of the programme is its engagement with leading voices in law and justice. Through ProBono.Org, students met with advocates and public leaders working to expand access to legal services and strengthen democratic institutions. These interactions highlighted a central lesson of the programme: that constitutional rights are not self-executing, but depend on sustained effort by lawyers, judges, and civil society.
“Thirty years after its adoption, South Africa’s Constitution remains both aspirational and unfinished. For OHIO students, studying law in this context offers a powerful reminder that access to justice is not guaranteed, but rather it is built, contested, and continually renewed.”
Through its partnership with ProBono.Org, Ohio University continues to provide students with a transformative opportunity to witness that work firsthand.
