American Branch of the International Law Association

Seeks Applicants for its Chief Operating Officer Position

The American Branch of the International Law Association (“ABILA” or “the Branch”) seeks a dynamic individual with superb organizational and people skills and an interest in international law for the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO).  This part-time position will require approximately 80 hours/month, 20 hours/week on average. Workload will fluctuate throughout the year, peaking in late summer and fall during preparations for the Branch’s flagship event, International Law Weekend (ILW). Compensation is $26/hour, equivalent to approximately $26,000/year.

About the Organization: The ABILA is dedicated to the study, clarification and development of International Law and the advancement of peace, equity and justice worldwide. The organization was established 102 years ago.  With over 450 members from academia, private practice, government agencies, and international organizations, ABILA is the largest branch of the International Law Association. It has 22 active Committees and hosts International Law Weekend, one of the nation’s largest and most prestigious international law conferences, hosted annually in New York City.

To Apply:  Email a cover letter and CV by no later than noon EST on January 15, 2025, to ABILA Board Chair Leila Sadat: sadat@wustl.edu; ABILA President, Michael Scharf: mps17@case.edu; and ABILA President Elect Amity Boye: Amity.Boye@whitecase.com.  Interviews will be held via Zoom on January 21 and 22.

Job Description: The COO of the ABILA facilitates the Branch’s membership, programming, events, marketing, development, finance, fundraising, and outreach. He/she reports directly to the ABILA President, and works closely with the Board Chair, President Elect, Board of Directors, Co-Directors of Studies, and the International Law Weekend Co-Chairs and Organizing Committee. The COO supervises the Chief Communications Officer and any other staff of the ABILA. The COO oversees all day-to-day operations, functions, and activities of the Branch and ensures that everything is done in a timely manner according to established policies and guidelines. The COO provides strategic direction towards the achievement of the ABILA’s goals.  The COO also has an outward-facing role as an ambassador for the Branch.

Responsibilities of the ABILA COO include:

Membership

• Maintaining membership rolls, including current contact information, dues payments, committee membership, expertise, award recipients, and involvement in Branch committees and other activities;
• Serving as primary contact for inquiries from members and potential new members;
• Growing Branch membership through recruitment initiatives (end-of the year bonuses may be set based on exceeding membership benchmarks set by the ABILA President);
• Managing annual membership dues, including sending reminders, preparing invoices, following up on payments, and sending receipts;

Fundraising

• Directing and carrying out fundraising efforts in collaboration with the Branch President, including, but not limited to, the ABILA Patron program, ILW sponsorships, and year-end donations;
• Maintaining relationships with donors and sponsors.

Administration

• Ownership and maintenance of technology tools including Google suite (all ABILA email accounts), Google phone number, ABILA’s web development relationship with Beanstalk, PayPal, Braintree, Square, Zoom, Box (cloud storage), etc;
• Coordinating with the ABILA Treasurer and Bookkeeper on financial matters; balancing deposit sheet with Bookkeeper monthly; sending checks to the ABILA bank and maintaining check deposit log; working with tax preparer each spring to confirm ABILA spending and receiving;
• Ensuring that Branch membership records are regularly updated with ILA HQ;
• In coordination with the Co-Directors of Studies, submitting ABILA nominees for open ILA Committee positions to ILA HQ;
• Organizing regular board meetings and preparing membership reports for each board meeting;
• Maintaining listservs, including, but not limited to: active and past Branch members; Committee membership; Board membership; other ILA Branches; sister organizations (such as ILSA, the ABA, ASIL); past participants in ABILA events; sponsors, and other stakeholders.

Event Organization and Management

• Coordinate International Law Weekend, including:
  • Working with the Chair, President, and President Elect to select Co-Chairs of the ILW Organizing Committee;
  • Working with the Co-Chairs of ILW to appoint an ILW Organizing Committee;
  • Serving as the liaison between the Board, the ILW Organizing Committee, Speakers, vendors, and Event Venues;
  • Working with the Chief Communications Officer to publicize the calls for ILW Panels, ABILA Awards, and Student Ambassadors;
  • Working with the ILW Organizing Committee to rank and select panels, relay decisions to all panel proposers, and collaborate with speakers to polish panel descriptions, names, and affiliations;
  • Working with the ILA-South African Branch and ILA-Mexican Branch representatives, whose attendance at ILW ABILA sponsors;
  • Working with the Chief Communications Officer to create marketing and publication materials;
  • General ILW organization and preparation.
• Attending International Law Weekend, ABILA Regional Conferences, and the ILA Biennial Meeting.
• Assisting in the organization of other in person and online conferences, symposia, panels, and meetings as requested by Branch leadership, including for Branch Committees.

General

• Overseeing the Chief Communications Officer, and any other staff;
• Training and supervising volunteers, including the ABILA Student Ambassadors;
• Implementing the Annual Awards, including obtaining plaques for the winners;
• Reporting problems, problem-solving, and devising remedial actions for any identified issues as they arise;
• Developing strategies and implementing any new programs as conceived by Branch leadership;
• Carrying out other related responsibilities as directed by the President.

Applicants must be able to work in the United States without visa sponsorship.