He teaches classes on a variety of subjects, including international relations, human rights, and immigration. Mr. Gitlitz has lived in a number of countries in Latin America and, in 2013, he published a book on unofficial legal structures in rural Peru. He has written a number of articles on human rights in the Americas, and he has long worked as an activist on these issues. Mr. Gitlitz has also dedicated much of his free time to volunteer commitments. He served as an Advisory Board Member for Human Rights Watch Americas from 1990-2000, was the Chair of the Task Force on Human Rights and Academic Freedom for the Latin American Studies Association from 1992-1994, and is a Board Member and former Co-President of the Hispanic Research Center in Larchmont.