EPISODE · Jun 20, 2026 · 1H 2M
Professory Terry Coonan: Immigration Advocacy, Human Trafficking, and Interdisciplinary Human Rights
from Human Rights: Conversations Across Generations · host Bert & Meredith Lockwood
Professor Terry Coonan is the Founder and Executive Director of the Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights and Associate Professor of Criminology at Florida State University. Terry has created an interdisciplinary home for students and faculty working across law, film, social work, religion, and public service. Before he founded the FSU Center, Terry was one of Professor Bert B. Lockwood's students at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. He was also an Urban Morgan Fellow and the Managing Editor of Human Rights Quarterly, for which he was selected as the first UMI Fellow for the U.S. Department of Justice Honors Program. Over the decades, their relationship evolved from professor and student to colleagues and lifelong friends. Growing up, Meredith always knew Terry for his warmth, humility, and one of the most contagious laughs you'll ever hear. His work has taken him from Chile during the Pinochet dictatorship to immigration courts in the United States. Today, he continues to represent refugee and immigrant families facing immense challenges within the U.S. legal system. Along the way, he has trained judges, partnered with journalists, and worked with filmmakers to expand how human rights are taught and practiced. This conversation explores the experiences that shaped Terry's life and career. We discuss why he believes human rights are too important to be left to lawyers alone. This is an important episode that highlights the ongoing hardships facing refugees and asylum seekers in a rapidly changing world. SHOW NOTES Episode Transcript Here Professor Terry Coonan: Executive Director, Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights Threshold: A Dance Film: Produced by Professor Malia Bruker and choreographed by Professor Ilana Goldman, Threshold is a 360-degree dance film commissioned by the Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights. Drawing on the experiences of survivors of wartime sexual violence, sex trafficking, and other gender-based human rights violations, the film explores trauma, resilience, and healing through movement. Interdisciplinary Human Rights Major, FSU: Florida State University's interdisciplinary undergraduate major brings together courses across multiple disciplines and reflects the Center's belief that human rights are too important to be left to lawyers alone. Human Rights Quarterly Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights, University of Cincinnati College of Law
What this episode covers
Professor Terry Coonan is the Founder and Executive Director of the Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights and Associate Professor of Criminology at Florida State University. Terry has created an interdisciplinary home for students and faculty working across law, film, social work, religion, and public service. Before he founded the FSU Center, Terry was one of Professor Bert B. Lockwood's students at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. He was also an Urban Morgan Fellow and the Managing Editor of Human Rights Quarterly, for which he was selected as the first UMI Fellow for the U.S. Department of Justice Honors Program. Over the decades, their relationship evolved from professor and student to colleagues and lifelong friends. Growing up, Meredith always knew Terry for his warmth, humility, and one of the most contagious laughs you'll ever hear. His work has taken him from Chile during the Pinochet dictatorship to immigration courts in the United States. Today, he continues to represent refugee and immigrant families facing immense challenges within the U.S. legal system. Along the way, he has trained judges, partnered with journalists, and worked with filmmakers to expand how human rights are taught and practiced. This conversation explores the experiences that shaped Terry's life and career. We discuss why he believes human rights are too important to be left to lawyers alone. This is an important episode that highlights the ongoing hardships facing refugees and asylum seekers in a rapidly changing world. SHOW NOTES Episode Transcript Here Professor Terry Coonan: Executive Director, Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights Threshold: A Dance Film: Produced by Professor Malia Bruker and choreographed by Professor Ilana Goldman, Threshold is a 360-degree dance film commissioned by the Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights. Drawing on the experiences of survivors of wartime sexual violence, sex trafficking, and other gender-based human rights violations, the film explores trauma, resilience, and healing through movement. Interdisciplinary Human Rights Major, FSU: Florida State University's interdisciplinary undergraduate major brings together courses across multiple disciplines and reflects the Center's belief that human rights are too important to be left to lawyers alone. Human Rights Quarterly Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights, University of Cincinnati College of Law
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Professory Terry Coonan: Immigration Advocacy, Human Trafficking, and Interdisciplinary Human Rights
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