The First International Humanitarian Law Student Writing Competition
The Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at American University Washington College of Law, together with the American Society of International Law’s Lieber Society on the Law of Armed Conflict, convened the conference entitled International Humanitarian Law: Emerging Issues in the Law of Armed Conflict on March 23, 2011 at the Washington College of Law.
The Conference represented the culmination of the First International Humanitarian Law Student Writing Competition, which was designed to promote and enhance scholarship in international humanitarian law (IHL) among students, as well as to deepen their understanding of this important and evolving area of law. Last year the Competition received nearly 50 submissions from 17 different countries.
The 2011 Competition winners—Robert Clarke from the University of Western Australia, and Elizabeth Holland from Suffolk University Law School—presented their papers at the Conference in discussion with a panel of distinguished IHL experts, followed by a luncheon keynote address by Prof. David Crane, Professor of Law at Syracuse University Law School and founding Chief Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone. The Conference concluded with an afternoon roundtable discussion among academics and practitioners who addressed the cutting-edge intersections of IHL and human rights.
A transcript of the Conference's roundtable discussion will be available soon.
The Center extends a special thank you to the judges of the competition. Without their help, this Competition would not have been possible.
Honor Jury Judges:
Antoine Bouvier, Legal Advisor, International Committee of the Red Cross
Dr. Stephanie Carvin, Lecturer in International Relations, Royal Holloway, University of London
Prof. David Crane, Professor of Practice, Syracuse University College of Law
Col. Mo Davis, Executive Director and Counsel, Crimes of War Education Project
Prof. Eugene Fidell, President, National Institute of Military Justice
Dean Claudio Grossman, American University Washington College of Law
Prof. Francoise Hampson, Professor, University of Essex School of Law
Gabor Rona, International Legal Director, Human Rights First
David Tolbert, President, International Center for Transitional Justice
Jamie Williamson, Legal Advisor, International Committee of the Red Cross
First Round Judges:
Prof. Caroline Davidson, Assistant Professor of Law, Willamette University
Prof. Laurie Blank, Director, International Humanitarian Law Clinic, Emory University
Prof. Mike Surgalla, Department of Justice
Prof. Beth van Schaack, Associate Professor, Santa Clara Law
Prof. Eric Jensen, Visiting Assistant Professor of Law, Fordham University
Prof. Ashley Deeks, Academic Fellow, Columbia University
Lucy Brown, Senior Advisor, International Humanitarian Law & Policy, American Red Cross
Isabelle Daoust, Manager, International Humanitarian Law Dissemination, American Red Cross
Prof. Michelle McCluer, Director, National Institute for Military Justice, Adjunct Professor of Law, American University Washington College of Law
Laura Olson, Department of Justice
Kurt Larson, Department of Justice
Prof. Kate Jastram, Senior Fellow, Miller Institute for Global Challenges and the Law, Lecturer in Residence, University of California Berkeley School of Law
Matias Hernandez, Assistant Director, Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
Prof. Geoff Corn, Associate Professor of Law, South Texas College of Law
Jonathan Tracy, Assistant Director, National Institute of Military Justice
Dr. Gentian Zyberi, Independent Researcher
Dr. Melanie O’Brien, Research Fellow, Centre for Excellence in Policing and Security, Griffith University
Major John Dehn (Ret.), Assistant Professor, U.S. Military Academy
Michael Meier, U.S. Department of State
Prof. Stefan Kirchner, Chair for Public Law, Georg-August University
Prof. Aaron Fellmeth, Professor of Law, Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law
Questions? Email teachingihl@wcl.american.edu or call the Center at 202-274-4180.
