A Global Lawyer: A Symposium Celebrating the Contributions of Herman Schwartz to the Rule of Law

September 27, 2019
Washington, D.c.

About the Symposium

On Friday, September 27 Professor Emeritus Herman Schwartz was recognized for his world-renowned legal legacy during “A Global Lawyer: A Symposium Celebrating the Contributions of Herman Schwartz to the Rule of Law.”  Professor Schwartz’s distinguished career has focused attention on the cause of human rights, civil liberties, and the rule of law. From the UN to Helsinki Watch, and from Israel and Eastern Europe to the United States, his work on emerging democracies, constitutional reform, and rule of law has inspired a generation of students, scholars, and practitioners to engage in this important work.  The day-long symposium was followed by a private dinner honoring Professor Schwartz, featuring U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In her remarks before the crowd of nearly 200 guests, Justice Ginsburg recalled many of the ways Professor Schwartz’s distinguished career has focused attention on human rights, civil liberties, and the rule of the law both in the U.S. and around the world. During the dinner, a congressional citation of merit was presented by Emeritus Professor and Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-Md).

Conference Agenda

friday, September 27, 2019

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM

  • Registration & Breakfast

9:00 AM - 9:05 AM

  • Welcome
    Macarena Sáez, Faculty Director, Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law; American University Washington College of Law

9:05 AM - 9:15 AM

  • Opening Remarks
    Camille Nelson, Dean; American University Washington College of Law

9:15 AM - 10:30 AM

  • Panel 1: Prison Reform in the United States and Abroad
    William Hellerstein, Professor of Law Emeritus; Brooklyn Law School
    Deborah LaBelle, Director of the Juvenile Life Without Parole Initiative; ACLU
    Brenda Smith, Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs;
    American University Washington College of Law
    Juan E. Mendez (Moderator), Professor of Human Rights Law in Residence; American University Washington College of Law

10:30 AM - 10:45 AM

  • Coffee Break

10:45 AM - 12:00 PM

  • Panel 2: Building a Human Rights Community in Israel: The Impact of the New Israel Fund Herman Schwartz Fellowship
    Tali Gal, Head of School of Criminology, University of Haifa
    Hassan Jabareen, Director; Adalah Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel
    Tamar Morag, Academic Director of the Child Advocacy Clinic; Hebrew University (by video)
    Dan Yakir, Chief Legal Counsel; Association for Civil Rights in Israel
    Ruti Kadish (Moderator), National Director of Young Leadership; J Street

12:00 PM - 1:45 PM

  • Luncheon Conversation: The contributions of Professor Herman Schwartz to Human Rights and the Rule of Law
    Claudio Grossman, Professor and Dean Emeritus; American University Washington College of Law
    Aryeh Neier, President Emeritus; Open Society Foundations
    Diane Orentlicher (interviewer), Professor of Law; American University Washington College of Law

1:45 PM - 3:00 PM

  • Panel 3: Perspectives on Voting Rights and Social Justice
    Kristen Clarke, President and Executive Director; National Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
    Dale Ho, Director of the Voting Rights Project; ACLU
    Allison Riggs, Senior Attorney; Southern Coalition for Social Justice
    William Yeomans (Moderator), Senior Justice Fellow; Alliance for Justice

3:00 PM - 3:15 PM

  • Coffee Break

3:15 PM - 4:30 PM

  • Panel 4: Comparative Constitutionalism: From Theory to Practice
    Mark Ellis, Executive Director, International Bar Association
    Vicki Jackson, Thurgood Marshall Professor of Constitutional Law; Harvard Law School
    Dick Howard, Warner-Booker Distinguished Professor of International Law; University of Virginia
    Susan Carle (Moderator), Vice Dean and Professor of Law; American
    University Washington College of Law

4:30 PM - 4:35 PM

  • Closing: Fernando Laguarda, Faculty Director, Program on Law and Government; American University Washington College of Law

4:35 PM - 5:30 PM

  • Reception (Warren Building Lobby)

Conference Organizers 

Supporting Organizations