Rights on the Front Line - Interview with Brian Dooley

Although Brian Dooley emphasizes that he is ‘not a lawyer,’ his extensive career as an activist, author, and senior policy advisor has placed him in a unique position to speak about supporting human rights defenders globally, including lawyers working in conflict zones.

In this interview, Brian reflects on the current challenges facing lawyers who are often marginalized and even threatened simply for doing their jobs. He highlights the dangers facing human rights activists and lawyers in America, particularly under the Trump administration, where they have been targeted and placed at risk. Commenting on the widespread attacks on lawyers, Brian notes, ‘you don’t need to prosecute somebody. You just need to say their name publicly...and then other people take it from there,’ referencing the targeting of immigration lawyers in the UK, where lists containing the names and addresses of lawyers were circulated on social media.

Brian argues that ‘reporting (these incidents) isn’t enough. In talking with those lawyers in Britain last year, they wanted police protection, they wanted the legal associations to come out earlier and more forcefully to protect them.’ He stresses that these conversations must continue, with a focus on amplifying the voices of those lawyers who have faced attacks—whether from the public or the media—and creating space for open, honest discussion.

Brian Dooley, Human Rights First

When discussing young people considering a career in human rights, particularly those not pursuing law, Brian offers his perspective, grounded in his own experience. He observes, ‘The whole landscape of activism has changed. It’s become much more formal, much more professional, much more institutionalized... The pathway has become too narrow and we more or less look at human rights as a professional movement but we need life experiences too.’ Brian suggests that local activism offers a practical way to begin a career in human rights, emphasizing the importance of experience and a deep passion for the cause.

Brian is currently working on a new book discussed in the episode and continues his work with Human Rights First.  A full link to conversation with Brian Dooley can be found here.

About Brian Dooley

As Senior Advisor, Brian supports Human Rights First’s work with human rights activists in hostile environments. Prior to serving as Senior Advisor, Brian directed Human Rights First’s engagement with the U.S. government and other partners to end threats and obstacles to human rights defenders.

From 2020 to 2023, he served as Senior Advisor to the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders. Prior to joining Human Rights First, Brian spent twenty years working for U.S., Irish, and international NGOs. He led Amnesty International’s work on partnering with national NGOs in the global South. Brian has also worked as Head of Media for Amnesty International in London and in Dublin and as Director of Communications for Public Citizen in Washington, D.C.

He is the author of several books about civil rights and U.S. politics. He had early experience on Capitol Hill, serving as a legislative researcher for Senator Edward Kennedy in the mid-1980s when he contributed to what ultimately became the 1986 Anti-Apartheid Act.

In 1981 and 1982, Brian lived and worked as an English teacher and community organizer in a black township in South Africa, which was prohibited under apartheid’s racial segregation laws.

Brian earned a PhD in the transnational history of rights from the University of East Anglia, an MPhil in Government and Politics from The Open University in London, and a B.A. with honors in Political Science from the University of East Anglia.