People

Jennifer Prestholdt

As Interim Co-Executive Director, Jennifer shares responsibility for leading The Advocates for Human Rights and overseeing all aspects of the organization's operations. She is also responsible for program oversight, organizational communications, and working with the board of directors to implement the organization’s strategic plan. In addition, Jennifer directs the International Justice Program, supervising the organization’s international advocacy at the United Nations and capacity-building training for human rights defenders, as well as the Nepal School Project.

Jennifer served as Deputy Director of The Advocates from 2002 to 2024. In that role, she developed and led several transitional justice projects, including the Liberian Truth & Reconciliation Commission Diaspora Project. She also represented The Advocates in the United Nations' revision of the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death (2016), serving on the Legal Investigations Working Group. Prior to becoming Deputy Director, Jennifer practiced asylum law for seven years and directed the organization’s Refugee and Immigrant Program, where she specialized in gender-based asylum claims.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Jennifer deeply believes that we all have a part to play in making those rights a reality for everyone.

She has taught International Human Rights Law as an adjunct faculty member at the University of St. Thomas School of Law.

Jennifer has a B.A. in political science from Yale and a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, where she studied international human rights law and international refugee policy. She graduated cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School.

Other Published Work

"Refugee Participation in Peacebuilding: The case of Liberian refugee participation in the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission." The Journal for Peace & Justice Studies Volume 20, Number 2 (2010). Written by Jennifer Prestholdt and Laura A. Young.

"Fletcher Women Working to Promote and Protect Human Rights." Fletcher Women's Network Newsletter 5 (January 2009). Written by Jennifer Prestholdt.

"Five Reasons to Reject the Death Penalty." Star Tribune (September 2006). Written by Jennifer Prestholdt and Laura Young.

"Truth and Reconciliation in Liberia." Minnesota Public Radio - Midmorning Broadcast (17 November 2006) (Multimedia).

"Op-ed on Charles Taylor." Star Tribune (August 2003). Written by Jennifer Prestholdt.

Training Manual on Human Rights Monitoring (United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2001) (Professional Training Series No. 7; U.N. Doc. HR/P/PT/7) (with David Weissbrodt and Ben Majekodunmi).

"1995 Developments at the U.N. Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities." ACLU International Civil Liberties Report 27 (1996). Written by Jennifer Prestholdt and David Weissbrodt.

Publications

• Human Rights Tools for a Changing World - UN Advocacy
  January 29, 2024
• Human Rights Tools for a Changing World - National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs)
  November 4, 2022
• Labor Trafficking Protocol Guidelines: Identifying and Responding to Victims of Labor Trafficking 24 Years Old and Under
  January 31, 2019
• Discover Human Rights: A Human Rights Approach to Social Justice
  May 1, 2017
• Human Rights Tools for a Changing World: A step-by-step guide to human rights fact-finding, documentation, and advocacy
  January 1, 2015
• A Practitioner’s Guide to Human Rights Monitoring, Documentation and Advocacy
  January 3, 2011
• A House with Two Rooms: Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia Diaspora Project
  January 1, 2009
• Teaching Guide: The Road to Peace (Local and Global Transitional Justice)
  January 1, 2008
• Familiar Tools, Emerging Issues: Adapting Traditional Human Rights Monitoring
  January 1, 2004

News

• 2013-2022: Measuring Victory One Life at a Time
  June 15, 2023