International and Comparative Law

This summer, Professor Susana SáCouto and Professor Jayesh Rathod led WCL’s 13th annual Summer Law Program in The Hague, a unique collaboration between WCL’s War Crimes Research Office and the T.M.C. Asser Instituut that introduces students to the field of international criminal law. 

The public defenders’ office in Rio de Janeiro faces numerous challenges, ranging from large crime rates to insufficient resources. Public defenders play a pivotal role in streamlining the criminal procedures, especially for the most vulnerable groups in society. In fact, social exclusion, and the inequalities it produces, are a notable problem in Rio de Janeiro. 

The Tech, Law, Security (TLS) Program is a new initiative at American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL) that will tackle the challenges and opportunities posed by rapidly changing technology.  Operating as a mini-think tank in the law school, TLS will work through unresolved and cutting-edge legal and policy issues at the cross section of technology, law, and security, as well as develop innovative policy proposals to influence policies and practices across the public and private sectors. 

Professor Padideh Ala’i and Visiting Scholar Renata Vargas Amaral will be speaking at the World Trade Organization's Public Forum later this month. They will serve as panelists in the “Mainstreaming Gender in Trade Agreements: A Whole Agreement Approach” panel discussion, sponsored by the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI). 

Professor Horacio Grigera Naón, Director of the Center on International Commercial Arbitration at American University Washington College of Law, has recently been recognized by Best Lawyers as 2020 “Lawyer of the Year” in the practice areas of International Commercial and Investment Arbitration in Washington D.C. 

Professor Juan Mendez recently participated in litigation in Canada challenging the federal rules on solitary confinement. Professor Mendez served as an expert witness on several cases, including Reddock v. Canada, which alleges that the Federal Government of Canada breached its obligations under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and its duty of care when it subjected inmates to administrative segregation and prolonged solitary confinement.