Vol. 32, Issue 1
January/March 2016
Newsletter
International Legal Dialogue
– Middle East North Africa
INSIDE
Notes from the President
2016 Annual Meeting Preview
12
I
Bilder, Anaya, and Richardson
Recieve ASIL Honors
3
n the final column of my presidency, I am pleased to report on
the successful conclusion of the Society’s first major conference in the Middle East, which was held at the Columbia
University Global Center in Amman, Jordan, on December 14 and
15, 2015. As noted in previous ASIL Newsletters (April/June 2014
and April/June 2015), this has been a collaborative endeavor,
involving Jordanian and other Middle Eastern partners in a dialogue on topical issues for the region. In addition to ASIL
Academic Partner Columbia University, which provided the venue
and material support through a grant from the President’s Global
Innovation Fund, we are grateful to the University of Jordan, the
Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution, the American Bar
Association Rule of Law Initiative, and the American Red Cross
for their contributions to the preparations for the event.
The four panels embraced both public and private international
law topics, with participation of speakers from Bahrain, Egypt,
Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, as
well as North America and Europe. The event attracted more
than 130 registrants from an even wider geographic range,
including several African countries and the Maldives.
Interest Group Spotlight
5
Member News
10
The opening session on “Arbitration in the Arab World,”
co-chaired by ASIL Counsellor Nassib Ziadé and George
Bermann of Columbia, featured an examination of problems in
recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards in Arab countries,
followed by a discussion of the effects of the political uprising in
the Arab world on international arbitration. The afternoon panel,
co-chaired by Mojtaba Kazazi and ASIL Executive Council
member Cymie Payne, focused on “Environmental Effects of
—continued on page 3
ASIL Exceeds $3 Million 21st Century Campaign Goal
Campaign Completed; Foundation Laid for Future Giving
$3 million
$2.5 million
$2 million
$1.5 million
$1million
In 2012, ASIL embarked on the five-year, $3 million 21st
Century Campaign to invest in the infrastructure of the
Society and expand its educational and outreach activities. Its aim was to strengthen the level of knowledge,
dialogue, and engagement among practitioners, policymakers, scholars, students, and members of the general public who wished to promote peace and justice
through greater understanding and use of international
law. In December 2015 the Society reached its $3 million goal.
Thanks to the participation of nearly 500 donors over a
four-year period, the campaign raised $3,044,808.
Many generous contributors and ASIL Patrons made
multiple-year gifts, including an anonymous Patron
match in December 2015. Through their generosity,
these donors have truly raised the bar, underscoring
the essential role of individual philanthropy in meeting
the needs of the Society. Throughout the campaign,
each donation was put to immediate use in accordance with the goals and priorities established at the
outset. Some of the major new assets created with
this investment are described below.
Establishment of the Howard M. Holtzmann
Research Center for the Study of International
Arbitration and Conciliation.
The Center, made possible by a generous gift from the
Jacob L. and Lillian Holtzmann Foundation, has become
the focal point for Society educational programs and
research on international arbitration and dispute resolution. Through the Center, conferences, programs, and
webinars are presented on current scholarship in the
field. Thanks to an additional grant from the
Holtzmann family, the Society undertook the archiving
—continued on page 7
Celebrating and Strengthening
Our Community
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF
INTERNATIONAL LAW
Notes from the Executive Director
T
he Annual
Meeting is
the one time
during the year that
a sizable proportion
of the membership
of our Society
comes together in
one place and for a
common purpose.
The meeting offers
an amazing array of activities that touch on
every aspect of international law. Yet with
so many diverse programs, gatherings, and
events taking place, it is sometimes difficult
for many of our members to feel themselves
a part of the whole. Up to now, there has
been no single moment during the Annual
Meeting when we come together as a
Society to celebrate our community and to
renew our commitment to our
common mission.
So this year, we are introducing some
changes to enable us to do precisely that.
On the afternoon of Thursday, March
31, we will hold a plenary Assembly,
combining elements from the annual
general meeting and the gala dinner that
we have held at previous Annual Meetings
to acknowledge the leaders, past and
present, who have guided and sustained
the Society. (See related story on page
12). The Assembly program will include
the presentation of our annual honors
and awards, remembrances of those we
have lost during the past year, and the
election and introduction of our incoming
officers and Executive Council members.
The centerpiece of the Assembly will be
a keynote address by Associate Justice
Stephen Breyer of the U.S. Supreme
Court, whose latest book, The Court and
the World, discusses the importance of
international and transnational law to the
Court’s jurisprudence. The Assembly will
conclude with the passing of the gavel from
our outgoing president, Lori Damrosch, to
incoming president Lucinda Low.
2
■
Following the Assembly, we will head to
the National Building Museum on Judiciary
Square for a Gala Reception. The Building
Museum is one of the grandest and most
beautiful public spaces in Washington, and
I believe it will be a very special evening.
We also will be hosting our annual Patrons’
reception at the museum to express
our appreciation to the members of the
Society whose generosity sustains our
work. Like the gala dinner we have held
for many years, the Gala Reception is a
ticketed affair. However, it is priced to
ensure that all Annual Meeting registrants
are able to attend.
Tillar House
2223 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
+1-202-939-6000
+1-202-797-7133 fax
www.asil.org
ASIL OFFICERS
PRESIDENT
Lori Damrosch
HONORARY PRESIDENT
Gabrielle Kirk McDonald
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
Mark Agrast
VICE PRESIDENTS
Anne Joyce
Edward Kwakwa
Sean Murphy
Greg Shaffer
SECRETARY
James Nafziger
TREASURER
Nancy Perkins
Other changes we are introducing at
this Annual Meeting are designed to
strengthen and reinvigorate our ranks by
inviting graduating law students who have
demonstrated a commitment to international
law to become full members of the ASIL
community. On the evening of Friday, April
1, following the plenary keynote event and
in lieu of the customary dinner, we will hold
our first joint ASIL-ILSA reception. This
gathering will be an opportunity for members
of the Society to welcome members of the
International Law Students Association (ILSA)
who are in Washington to compete in the
Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court
Competition and who stand at the threshold
of their legal careers. The reception will
feature brief remarks by renowned Nuremberg
prosecutor and ASIL Patron Benjamin
Ferencz, who will share his reflections on the
70th anniversary of the Nuremberg trials.
ASIL is a nonpartisan membership association dedicated
to fostering the study of international law and promoting
the establishment and maintenance of international
relations on the basis of law and justice.
During the reception, we will be announcing
a new initiative to offer a free one-year
membership in ASIL to all graduating
Jessup Competition participants. We also
will be undertaking further initiatives over
the coming year to assist them in taking
advantage of the resources of the Society,
as they transition from law school students
to new professionals – including by inviting
ASIL members to serve as mentors for these
aspiring international lawyers. I hope you will
The ink used to produce this newsletter is vegetable-oil
based rather then petroleum-based.
—continued on page 7
ASIL NEWSLETTER
EDITORS
Julia Knox and Sheila Ward
CONTRIBUTORS
Staff: Tania Cohen, Michael Farley
ASIL Members: Interest Group Co-Chairs
Vol. 32, Issue 1 – January/March 2016
ASIL Newsletter (ISSN 1049-7803) is published quarterly
for $70/year for U.S. subscribers/$90 outside U.S./no
additional cost to members.
Periodicals postage paid at Washington, DC, and
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Postmaster: send address changes to ASIL Newsletter,
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© Copyright 2016 by The American Society of International Law.
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Newsletter |
January/March 2016
Bilder, Anaya, and Richardson to be Honored at 2016 Annual Meeting
The ASIL Executive Council unanimously approved the
recommendations of the ASIL Honors Committee for the 2016
recipients of the Manley O. Hudson Medal, the Goler T. Butcher
Medal, and Honorary Membership. The honors will be awarded
during the Assembly at the 2016 ASIL Annual Meeting on Thursday,
March 31, in Washington, DC. (See related story on page 12.)
The Manley O. Hudson Medal for pre-eminent scholarship and achievement in international law will be
awarded to Richard Bilder, professor of law emeritus at University of Wisconsin Law School. In its
report to the Executive Council, the Honors
Committee noted that Bilder’s work “has defined the
study of international dispute settlement and has
Bilder
pioneered the intersection between the study of natural resources and environmental protection and effective forms of
international legal process.”
Anaya
The Goler T. Butcher Medal for outstanding contributions to human rights will be awarded to James
Anaya, professor of human rights law and policy at
University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law.
“As an advocate,” the Committee reported,” he
worked for U.S. Native American communities and
later focused his work on the human rights framework for indigenous peoples’ rights, helping to lay
the groundwork for the 2007 U.N. Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples.”
Henry Richardson, professor of law at ASIL
Academic Partner Temple University Beasley School
of Law, will be accorded Honorary Membership in
the Society in recognition of his distinguished contributions to international law. The Committee
report credited Richardson as being “the leading
voice for the incorporation of African-American perRichardson
spectives into the practice and study of international law,” noting that he is “a founding member of the Project on
the Advancement of African-Americans in International Law and the
Society’s BASIL Task Force, the latter of which has served as an outreach hub for African-Americans practicing or interested in practicing
international law." To view the full Committee report, which includes
biographies of each winner, visit www.asil.org/honorees.
The Honors Committee was chaired by Steven Ratner (ASIL
Academic Partner University of Michigan). Other members were
Thomas Buergenthal (ASIL Academic Partner George Washington
University Law School), Bruce Rashkow (ASIL Academic Partner
Columbia Law School), Elisa Massimino (Human Rights First), and
Anna Spain (University of Colorado Law School).
To view the full Committee report, which includes biographies of
each winner, visit www.asil.org/honorees.
Notes from the President —continued from page 1
Armed Conflict,” with presentations by
experts involved in the implementation in
Kuwait and Jordan of the awards of the
U.N. Compensation Commission for
environmental rehabilitation and
restoration after the 1990-1991 Iraq
conflict, as well as examination of
progressive development of this area of
the law through the work of the U.N.
International Law Commission and
other bodies.
The second day of the conference focused
on children’s issues in both private and
public international law. The morning
session on “Child Abduction and Child
Protection: Private International Law
Aspects,” chaired by Louise Ellen Teitz,
addressed cross-cultural aspects in crossborder family disputes from several angles.
Given that most states of the Islamic world
are not parties to the 1980 Hague
Convention on Child Abduction or the
1996 Hague Convention on Child
Protection, the panel included experts
involved in the “Malta Process” under the
auspices of the Hague Conference on
Private International Law for cooperation
between parties and non-parties. A
particularly interesting component of this
panel was a discussion among three judges
– Salah Eddin Shwayyat of the mediation
directorate of the Supreme Judicial
Department of Jordan, Suhair Tobasi of
the Amman Appeal Court, and ASIL
Counsellor Margaret McKeown of the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
– of how a hypothetical case involving a
parental child abduction between the
United States and Jordan would be handled
in their respective jurisdictions.
The panel on the second afternoon,
co-moderated by Women in International
Law Interest Group (WILIG) Co-Chair
Christie Edwards and Maha Shomali,
concentrated on “Refugee Protection:
International Law Affecting Women and
Children,” with attention to problems
including documentation of refugee births
and investigation of trafficking in persons.
We were privileged to have the participation
of Taghreed Hikmet – a former judge in
Jordan, former judge and president of the
International Criminal Tribunal in Rwanda,
and currently a Jordanian senator, who
received WILIG’s Prominent Woman in
International Law Award in 2007. She gave
an inspirational presentation on the efforts
of international criminal tribunals to
confront rape and other crimes of sexual
violence and the continuing struggle to
combat exploitation of women and children
in the conflicts afflicting the region.
Attendees at a session of the International Legal
Dialogue – Middle East North
Africa Conference.
—continued on page 7
■
3
RECENT EVENTS
Holiday Open House
On December 8,
ASIL once again
opened the doors
of Tillar House to
its members and
friends for its
traditional Holiday
Open House.
More than 150
people attended
ASIL President Lori
the event, which
Damrosch at the
featured remarks
Holiday Open House.
by ASIL President
Lori Damrosch
and Executive Director Mark Agrast.
Trans-Pacific Partnership
and the Office of the U.S.
Trade Representative
On December 10, ASIL’s Government
Attorneys Interest Group and International
Legal Attachés of Washington cosponsored
an event entitled “The Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP): Developments,
Safeguards, and Reforms by the Office of
the U.S. Trade Representative.” Panelists
Daniel Bahar (deputy assistant U.S. trade
representative for investment), Omar Khan
(assistant U.S. trade representative for
intergovernmental affairs and public
engagement), and Andrew Quinn (deputy
assistant U.S. trade representative for South
East Asia and the Pacific) gave an off-therecord update on the latest developments
on the TPP. A holiday-themed networking
happy hour followed the panel.
From left, Alicia Cate, Daniel Bahar, and Andrew
Quinn discuss the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
For more information on recent ASIL
events, see Notes from the President on
page 1 and the Interest Group Spotlight on
page 6. ■
Observing the United Nations on Behalf of ASIL: A Student Perspective
N.B. ASIL members are periodically invited to apply for the opportunity to
serve as an official observer at the United Nations under the auspices of the
Society’s Consultative Status to the U.N.’s Economic and Social Council.
The piece below details the observer experience of student member Blair
Bopp, who is in her third year at the University of Missouri School of Law.
For future U.N. Observer opportunities, visit www.asil.org/UNObserver.
Despite the old saying about law school – “…and the third year they
bore you to death!” – my last semester at the University of Missouri
has been anything but boring, thanks to an extraordinary
opportunity that recently came my way.
I spent the week of February 1, 2016, not in
classes, but in New York City at the headquarters
of the United Nations. By virtue of being enrolled
in the international commercial arbitration course
taught by Professor Stacie Strong (ASIL Private
International Law Interest Group chair), I had
discovered that the Society was accepting
Blair Bopp at the
applications from practitioners and students alike
February 2016
to attend the 64th session of the United Nations
UNCITRAL
Commision on International Trade Law
Working Group
(UNCITRAL) Working Group II (Arbitration and
II session.
Conciliation) as an observer-status delegate. I
applied and before I knew it, I found myself New York-bound for the
first time in my life.
My first day attending the session was Tuesday, February 2. Not
being present for Monday meant that I had missed seeing the
process of chair elections; it also meant I missed standing in, what I
have been told, is an infamous line stretching around the block at
the security building to have my pass issued.
Stepping into the United Nations for the first time was, in a word,
4
■
surreal. I was more excited than I can begin to convey in writing but
also quite nervous: blending in, and not wearing a metaphorical
“Hello, I am a student” sign around my neck, were on top of the
priority list. In reality, I was wearing an official delegate lanyard just
like everyone else. If I did give off that vibe, all the delegates I
personally encountered treated me with nothing but kindness
and respect.
As substantive deliberations got underway on Tuesday morning, I
found myself split between paying attention to the topics of
discussion and the process in a broader context. I was intrigued by
the way states’ delegates address one another and the chair, and
how concise most of the commentary was, despite stemming from
differences in opinion and being made on the fly. I also found it
remarkable that despite the multiple language barriers in the room,
the conversation flowed easily and professionally.
After the lunch break, the room had cleared out slightly, and I moved
up to sit in one of the desk seats. Some concerns at this point
included avoiding the inadvertent pressing of the “call” button in
front of me, triggering a mortifying interaction with the chair in front
of everyone and maintaining an “interested, but not eager”
expression whenever someone near me was speaking and my face
was splashed up on the screens by default.
I could delve into details about the substantive discussions I
observed, but I am confident that would be better left to the much
more distinguished academic professionals whom I had the pleasure
of sitting beside. I simply want to stress the honor I felt at being
selected to represent ASIL at UNCITRAL. The fact that I was (to my
knowledge) the only student in the room was not lost on me. This
was an incredible opportunity that I will fondly remember, and it has
instilled in me a great desire to learn more and do more in the realm
of international law, something I may not have otherwise considered.
Newsletter |
January/March 2016
Interest Group Spotlight:
News from Some of the Society’s 35 Interest Groups
Human Rights
The Human Rights Interest Group (HRIG) will hold a roundtable
event on business and human rights on March 29, 2016, at ASIL
Academic Partner George Washington University Law School. On
the eve of ASIL’s Annual Meeting (see related story on page 12),
the roundtable will gather academic experts and practitioners to
explore the impact of the U.N.’s Guiding Principles on Business
and Human Rights. All interested persons are invited to attend
the roundtable discussion. To register, visit www.asil.org/events.
Email HRIG Co-Chairs Siobhan McInerney-Lankford and
Kirsteen Shields at hrig.asil@gmail.com with any questions.
New Professionals
The New Professionals Interest Group (NPIG) opened the new year
with the latest installment of its Getting Started in International
Law series, a panel discussion on “What I Wish I Had Known from
the Start.” The January 14 event at ASIL headquarters, Tillar
House, featured a lively exchange between Alexandra Meise of
ASIL Leadership Circle Law Firm Member Foley Hoag, Anneliese
Fleckenstein of the International Centre for Settlement of
Investment Disputes, Brian Israel of the U.S. Department of
State’s Office of the Legal Adviser, and Sarah St. Vincent of the
Center for Democracy and Technology. NPIG Co-Chair Lisl
Brunner moderated the discussion, which is viewable online at
www.asil.org/NPIGevent, and she and Co-Chair Kathleen Claussen
welcomed a crowd of members and non-members for a reception
following the panel.
Private International Law
The Private International Law Interest Group (PILIG) sponsored a
webinar with Professor Adrian Briggs of Oxford University on
March 2. Entitled “The Nature or Natures of Agreements
on Choice of Court and Choice of Law,” this webinar was the
third in a PILIG series. To view this online session, visit
www.asil.org/videos.
—continued on page 8
Upcoming Events
—continued from back cover
Other highlight sessions of the four-day program will be
A Sampling of 110th ASIL
Annual Meeting Session Titles
•The Grotius Lecture by Chilean President Michelle Bachelet;
•Human Rights Cities
•The Fourth Annual Brower Lecture on International Dispute
Resolution by Gabrielle Kaufmann-Kohler of law firm Levy
Kaufmann-Kohler and ASIL Academic Partner University of
Geneva School of Law;
•New Frontiers in LGBTI Rights
•The Hudson Medal Luncheon, featuring a conversation
between medal winner Richard Bilder of the University of
Wisconsin Law School and former International Court of Justice
Judge Thomas Buergenthal (see related item on page 4); and
•The Women in International Law Interest Group luncheon,
honoring American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative
Director and former ASIL Excecutive Director Elizabeth
Andersen, who will receive the Prominent Woman in
International Law Award.
The Blacks of the American Society of International Law (BASIL) will
hold a speed mentoring session on Friday, April 1, to enable
students and new professionals to interact with BASIL members
and other experienced legal professionals.
Look for frequent updates about the Meeting on the Society's
social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and
YouTube). Join the conversation on Twitter by using the conference
hashtag #ASILAnnual.
Visit www.asil.org/annualmeeting for the most up-to-date program
details and registration (at discounted rates through March 29, 2016).
•Energy on the Move: Treaties on Transit of Energy via
Pipelines
•Steering Africa’s Blue Economy: The Role of International
Law and Lessons for Other Maritime Regions
•One View of the Arena: The Agent’s Perspective in
International Dispute Settlement
•International Perspectives on the New U.S. Department of
Defense Law of War Manual
•Protecting Endangered Cultural Heritage in Syria and Iraq
•The Iran Nuclear Deal as a Model of International Lawmaking
•Mining the Deep Seabed and Near Earth Asteroids
•Great Expectations? The Rise of Regional Development
Banks in a DC-Centered World
Save the Date for the 10th Annual
International Humanitarian Law Dialogs
"The International Military Tribunal at
Nuremberg: A Lasting Legacy for the Future."
September 29-30, 2016, Nuremberg, Germany
Details to be posted at asil.org/events.
■
5
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Newsletter |
January/March 2016
ASIL Achieves $3 Million 21st Century Campaign Goal —continued from page 1
Re-Invigorating Society Publications.
In 2014 AJIL Unbound, an online, open access companion to the
American Journal of International Law (AJIL), made its debut. It features
web-exclusive essays, symposia, and timely commentary on the latest developments in international law. It also expands opportunities
Upgrading Technology and Strengthening the ASIL Community. for authorship and engagement by offering an interactive platform
ASIL’s new website debuted in the fall of 2013, introducing a new
for shorter, more accessible scholarly contributions. The Society
look and functionality and improving access to the Society’s
also launched a formal review of AJIL’s operations with the aim of
unmatched collection of online materials. The ASIL Community
improving revenues and creating greater efficiencies while maintain(www.asil.org/community) has become the virtual meeting place for
ing the Journal’s renowned scholarly standards.
ASIL members worldwide to engage with each other by sharing their
profiles, articles, and news of recently authored books; commenting These are among the many new resources and institutional capacion interest group blogs and sharing information and insights on
ties created by 21st Century Campaign investments and now serving
group discussion fora; and posting and searching for jobs on the
international law communities across the globe. The Society sinSociety’s new job board.
cerely thanks the leaders of the campaign including former ASIL
Presidents Charles N. Brower, David Caron, and Donald
Continuing Legal Education (CLE).
Donovan, President Lori Damrosch, former Development
During the fall of 2015, the Society launched an online CLE platform Committee Chair Mahnoush Arsanjani, and the hundreds of
to provide American attorneys with easily accessible live and ondonors who supported this vital, multi-year effort, many of whom will
demand courses. This new resource, which can be accessed via
be highlighted in the upcoming Year in Review. Contact ASIL Director
www.asil.org/cle, features a growing library of programs on all
of Development Michael Farley at mfarley@asil.org with any quesaspects of international law, and ASIL members receive a 30% distions concerning the campaign or other development matters.
count on all courses.
and partial digitization of the Howard Holtzmann Papers, completing
that project this past year. This new public archive is a treasured
resource at ASIL and will serve to advance the legacy and work of
Judge Holtzmann among scholars, practitioners, and the public.
Notes from the Executive Director
Notes from the President
—continued from page 3
—continued from page 2
make a point of getting to know some of these extraordinary young
people during this reception.
Many of today’s ASIL members, myself included, were first drawn
to international law through formative experiences in law school,
including through participation in the Jessup Competition, and we
are hoping that the opportunity to interact with this year’s Jessup
participants will help rekindle that experience. You also will want
to join us immediately following the ASIL-ILSA reception for a
free screening of All Rise, an inspiring documentary film about the
journey to the final rounds of the Jessup Competition.
Finally, I want to encourage all ASIL members who can stay
through the afternoon of Saturday, April 2, to attend the Jessup
Final itself, which will take place at our conference venue, the
Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill, at the conclusion of our closing
plenary. If you have never attended this event, you will find it an
exhilarating experience.
Attending my first Annual Meeting last April as your executive
director, I was struck by the fact that ASIL and ILSA were sharing
the same physical space but had little interaction. I hope that
these initiatives will help strengthen the interconnections between
our two organizations and assist students in finding a path to a
career in international law. After all, the students who graduate
from ILSA are our future, and we are theirs.
Mark Agrast
As the title of the
conference indicated, our
objective was to promote
dialogue with colleagues
interested in ASIL’s
mission, in a part of the
world where we have not
previously had active
programming. The
From left, speakers Soraya Corm-Bakhos, preparation and convening
Omar Aljazy, George Bermann, Nassib
of the conference was
Ziadé, and Mohamed Abdel Raouf present itself a dialogic process,
the opening Dialogue session, "Arbitration engaging leading
in the Arab World."
academics, practitioners,
personnel from
international and nongovernmental organizations on a regionwide basis, and the judiciary of the host country. We were also
gratified by the participation in the conference of a large number
of Jordanian law students, including previous and prospective
participants in the Jessup International Law Moot Court
Competition, the Willem Vis International Arbitration Moot Court,
and the Jean Pictet International Humanitarian Law Competition,
among others. Many of these students posed probing questions
in the discussion segments of the panel sessions.
We envisage the December 2015 International Legal Dialogue as
the opening event for what should become an ongoing series.
—continued on page 10
■
7
The Next Generation of International Lawyers: Meet Christie Edwards
Over the past 12
years, ASIL has
enabled more than
200 outstanding
young international
lawyers to promote
the rule of law
through fellowships
including the Arthur
C. Helton Fellowships, which provide microgrants and mentorship opportunities to
support budding careers in international law.
Each of the fellows has benefited from
ASIL’s worldwide network of leaders and
continues to offer service to the Society and
the broader field of international law.
Beginning with this issue of the ASIL
Newsletter, we will occasionally feature the
personal stories of one of these remarkable
young lawyers.
Former Helton Fellow Christie Edwards,
J.D., LL.M., is the director of international
humanitarian law for the American Red
Cross. Edwards has 15 years of professional
international service experience and grew up
in a family committed to public service. Her
first job was working on international issues
in Central Asia, where her parents direct an
NGO. Her grandfather, a carpenter and
fireman, went on humanitarian missions to
build hospitals, schools, and homes for the
survivors of genocide in Rwanda, hurricanes
in Antigua, and other disasters. Touched by
the tragedy of 9/11 and the response of the
world community to terrorism, Edwards
chose a path to advance rule of law. While
in law school, she worked for Survivors of
Torture, International and Casa Cornelia Law
Center in San Diego to offer asylum and
recovery services to the survivors of political
torture who had resettled in San Diego from
all over the world. Following her LL.M.
degree, she completed a Helton Fellowship
in Morocco, where she worked on a legal
advocacy campaign for the rights of single
mothers. Today she is recognized as an
expert in international human rights,
humanitarian law, international
development, and gender issues.
Edwards serves ASIL in many different
leadership roles, including as co-chair of its
Women in International Law Interest Group,
as a mentor with the Society’s mentoring
program for women pursuing international
law careers, as a frequent ASIL panelist on
international human rights and humanitarian
law, and as a member of the 2016 Annual
Meeting Committee. “I’m grateful for the
many opportunities the Society has
provided to meet and interact with the
leading scholars and practitioners in the
field and to assist other young women
seeking a career in international law,”
Edwards said.
For new professionals looking to break into
the field, Edwards advises, “You don’t have
to get straight ‘A’s in law school to be
successful as an international lawyer. Show
up! Meet the people who wrote what you
read. Network. Organize an event. This is
an amazing society of people who, if you
are strategic in your approach, are so
accessible to engage and support your
professional development.”
ASIL’s initiatives on behalf of the next
generation of international lawyers
consistently attract outstanding new and
mid-career professionals, such as Edwards,
from around the world. Through
contributions from ASIL members, interest
groups, and private foundations, the Society
is able to provide opportunities for new
professionals to work at ASIL headquarters
supporting ASIL’s scholarly publications and
programs and in field placements around
the world.
To date, Helton fellows have conducted
research and completed projects with
international organizations and NGOs in 48
countries on issues involving international
law, human rights, and humanitarian affairs.
“ASIL is a place to learn, to create
connections, to build one’s thought process
on law, and to become better equipped to
serve the needs of the world’s most
vulnerable people,” Edwards said.
For more information about the Society’s
programs for the next generation of
international lawyers and to learn more
about the ASIL members who have
participated over the years, visit any of the
following webpages.
www.asil.org/ASILfellows
www.asil.org/Helton
www.asil.org/NPIG
www.asil.org/WILIGMentor
Interest Group Spotlight —continued from page 5
International Refugee Law
The second, annual International Refugee Law Interest Group
(IRLIG) Student Essay Competition drew 16 entrants this year. IRLIG Co-Chairs Susan Akram and Steven Schneebaum put
together a team of ten judges, who reviewed the submissions.
Their combined grades resulted in the short-listing of the top three
essays. A separate panel of judges reviewed the finalists and has
selected the winner, Linda Sullivan of the University of Auckland,
New Zealand, for her essay entitled “The Application of Article 1F
of the Refugee Convention in New Zealand: Examining Exclusion
Through a Criminal Law Lens." Sullivan will be offered a stipend
(courtesy of the Global Migration Centre at ASIL Academic Partner
Graduate Institute of Geneva) to attend the Society’s upcoming
Annual Meeting; a year’s membership in the Society (courtesy of
ASIL); £100 worth of books (courtesy of ASIL Gold Publisher
Partner Oxford University Press); and a cash award of $100
(courtesy of the IRLIG), as well as the opportunity to have her
submission considered for publication in the International Journal of
Refugee Law. The Interest Group is grateful to the prize cosponsors
and to the International Law Students Association, which handled
administration of the competition.
—continued on page 9
8
■
Newsletter |
January/March 2016
Interest Group Spotlight —continued from page 8
16 at the 2016 AALL Annual Meeting in Chicago. The program,
“Two Sides to the United Nations: Working with Public and Private
International Law,” marks the first time that ASIL has worked so
closely with the AALL.
The IRLIG is also pleased to announce the launch of its blog, which
can be accessed at www.asil.org/irlig. Three articles have been
posted thus far. Group members are invited to comment on those
or to suggest new topics to the co-chairs.
This interactive workshop is designed to equip attendees with
foundational knowledge of the U.N. and Convention on Contracts
for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) documentation and
research strategies. The first half of the program will focus on
U.N. research, while the afternoon will focus on the CISG,
concluding with a review and demonstration of the new CISG
database. The speakers will be Susan Goard from the U.N., who
will discuss U.N. databases, and Vikki Rogers from Pace
University, who will cover CISG issues. Following the workshop’s
substantive lectures, participants will assess their skills by
researching an assigned legal issue. Look for registration details
to be posted soon at www.asil.org/events, and contact ILRIG
Co-Chair Victoria Szymczak (vjs777@hawaii.edu ) with any
questions about the event.
Rights of Indigenous Peoples
On January 14, the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Interest Group
(RIPIG) had a virtual symposium on “Indigenous Rights, Financial
Decisions, and Local Policy” via AJIL Unbound – the Society’s
online companion to the American Journal of International Law. The
symposium grew out of the Interest Group’s inaugural works-inprogress meeting this past spring at ASIL Academic Partner
George Washington University Law School and can be read at
www.asil.org/RIPIGsymposium. Planning is underway for a 2016
works-in-progress meeting. Contact RIPIG Co-Chairs George
Foster (foster@lclark.edu) and Dwight Newman
(dwight.newman@usask.ca) for more information or to volunteer.
International Legal Research
The International Legal Research Interest Group (ILRIG) is
cosponsoring a workshop on international law research with the
Foreign, Comparative, and International Law Special Interest
Section of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) on July
****
Editors’ Note: Most of the Society’s Interest Groups will be
hosting either a business/social gathering or a substantive session
at the upcoming Annual Meeting, March 30-April 2. As details of
those sessions are set, they will be posted in the conference
program, found at www.asil.org/am. ■
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■
9
MEMBER NEWS
Barkett
Donoghue
On December 16, 2015,
U.S. President Barack
Obama appointed three
Society members to
serve on the Panel of
Arbitrators of the
International Centre for
the Settlement of
Investment Disputes:
ASIL Honorary President
nominee and Iran-U.S.
Claims Tribunal Judge
Rosemary Barkett,
International Court of
Justice Judge Joan
Donoghue, and ASIL
President-elect and ASIL
Law Firm Counselor
Member Steptoe and
Johnson Partner
Lucinda Low.
On December 2, 2015,
former ASIL President
and American Journal of
International Law Board of
Editors member David
Caron became a judge
on the Iran-U.S. Claims
Tribunal. Caron
replaced ASIL Patron
and Past President
Caron
Charles N. Brower,
who had served on the Tribunal since
1983. Caron, who is also a Society Patron,
first joined ASIL in 1980.
Low
IN MEMORIAM
Frank Bauman passed
away on November 19,
2015. Following his
service in the U.S. Navy
during World War II,
Bauman studied law at
Yale Law School and the
University of London. In
Bauman
1971 the United Nations
appointed Bauman its senior officer to
Australasia, where he oversaw the
10
■
establishment of Papua New Guinea as a
sovereign state and the assimilation of
Vietnam War refugees into Australia. A
Patron of the Society, Bauman first joined
ASIL in 1962.
Tim Coleman died on
November 3, 2015.
Coleman received his
law degree from
Georgetown University
Law Center before
serving as a federal
prosecutor in the
Coleman
Southern District of New
York and as senior counsel to the deputy
attorney general at the U.S. Department of
Justice. At the time of his death, Coleman
was a partner at ASIL Leadership Circle
Law Firm Member Freshfields Bruckhaus
Deringer. He joined the Society in 2013.
Louis Del Duca, a
distinguished faculty
scholar emeritus at
Pennsylvania State
University Dickinson
School of Law, passed
away on November 27,
2015. Del Duca was the
Del Duca
law school’s longest
serving faculty member and established its
Master of Comparative Law degree
program. Following his retirement, Del
Duca remained active in the legal
community, serving as a member of the
U.S. Secretary of State’s Committee on
International Trade Law and president of
the International Academy of Commercial
Law and Consumer Law. He joined ASIL
in 2011.
Feliciano
Justice Florentino
Feliciano died on
December 15, 2015. He
served as an associate
justice on the Philippine
Supreme Court for
nearly ten years (19861995) before retiring to
serve as one of the first
seven members of the Appellate Body of
the World Trade Organization, which he
chaired in 2001. He was also co-author,
with past ASIL President Myres
McDougal, of the renowned work Law and
Minimum World Public Order: The Legal
Regulation of International Coercion. Feliciano
joined ASIL in 1953 and was awarded
Honorary Membership in 2005.
STAFF NEWS
Miracle Lewis joined
the Society as staff
accountant in December
2015. Immediately
before coming to
ASIL, she worked as
a staff accountant for
Lewis
a federal government
contractor. Lewis holds an M.B.A. from
Trinity Washington University and a B.S. in
Business Management from the Catholic
University of America.
Notes from the President
—continued from page 7
Certainly the enthusiasm and good will of
the participants in the first such
conference would justify going forward to
strengthen and expand upon our new and
recently-established contacts for a
continuation of the dialogue.
In the planning and execution of the
conference, as in all of the undertakings of
my two-year presidency, the efforts of the
talented Tillar House staff capably led by
Executive Director Mark Agrast have
been indispensable. I am grateful to all of
them, and to all those members who have
contributed in so many ways to the
promotion of international law through
our Society.
Lori Damrosch
Newsletter |
January/March 2016
■
11
Periodical
Postage Paid at
Washington, DC
USPS 010672
2223 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008-2864
U.S.A.
110th ASIL Annual Meeting to Feature President of Chile & U.S. Supreme Court Justice
The 110th ASIL Annual Meeting is fast
approaching and promises to be an exciting
gathering of the international law community.
The conference will take place March 30-April 2,
2016, at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill in
Washington, DC, and will be structured around
the theme “Charting New Frontiers in
International Law.” Registration includes access
to keynote addresses by leading figures in the
field, more than 40 program sessions featuring
panels, debates, and roundtable discussions on
current international law issues (see page 5 for
a sampling), ASIL interest group meetings, and
daily networking receptions. Attendees can
also receive more than 20 hours of CLE credit,
including 1.5 ethics hours, by attending the
conference. Additionally, for the first time, the
Society will hold an Assembly featuring officer
elections, presentation of this year’s award
winners, and remarks by U.S. Supreme Court
Associate Justice Stephen Breyer. (See “Notes
from the Executive Director” on page 2 for
details.) Following the Assembly and in lieu of
the traditional formal dinner, the Society will
host an inaugural Gala Reception, a separately
ticketed event to be held at the National
Building Museum.
Confirmed Keynote Speakers as of February 26
Grotius Lecture:
Brower Lecture:
Michele Bachelet,
President of the
Republic of Chile
Assembly Keynote:
Gabrielle KaufmannKohler, Partner at Levy
Kaufmann-Kohler and
Professor at ASIL
Academic Partner
University of Geneva
School of Law
Stephen Breyer,
Associate Justice
of the U.S.
Supreme Court
Women in
International Law
Interest Group
Luncheon:
Hudson Medal
Luncheon:
Elizabeth Andersen,
Executive Director,
American Bar
Association Rule of
Law Initiative
Richard Bilder,
Professor Emeritus at
University of Wisconsin
Law School
—continued on page 6