Legal Pathways hosts legal professionals to speak on Campus to students and the community about legal issues currently impacting society.  These talks are designed to inspire deeper understanding and discussions on legalities impacting students, city, state, national and world issues.

 

Fall 2025


Angel Cabrera Silva, S.J.D. Assistant Professor 
Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs
School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences

The Right to Democracy

In a request submitted last December, Guatemala asked the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to issue an advisory opinion on the “Right to Democracy.” While the request raises multiple legal questions, the main point under consideration is whether states are required to guarantee democracy as a human right, and if so, what is the scope of protection of this right? Dr. Cabrera and colleagues are submitted an Amicus Curiae on the Right to Democracy (an independent brief in support of the Guatemalan request) in early November.

This request arrives at a critical moment. Across the Americas, the legitimacy of democratic governance is rapidly deteriorating as governments slide towards authoritarianism. In this context, the Court’s opinion will impact the way international organizations and transnational networks influence the consolidation or further erosion of Latin-American democracies. 
UW Tacoma Assistant Professor of International Law & Human Rights Angel Cabrera Silva will explain his work and will engage in a question-and-answer period. Dr. Cabrera Silva is a Mexican human rights lawyer and holds an S.J.D. and LL.M. from Harvard Law School and an LL.B. from the University of Guadalajara. 
This talk is open to all community members and will kick off the Legal Pathways Legal Speaker Series, where we will host a legal professional currently working on issues that impact our communities right now.