International Law Weekend

Overview

Each October, the American Branch presents International Law Weekend (ILW) in New York City. This two-and-a-half-day conference features over 30 panels, and many of the world’s leading international lawyers and diplomats participate. In recent years, keynote luncheon speakers have included the president of the American Society of International Law and the Legal Adviser to the U.S. Department of State. Gala receptions have been hosted by the Finnish, Belgian, British, and Singapore missions to the United Nations.

Recent ILWs have attracted an audience of over 1,200 practitioners, academics, U.N. diplomats, business leaders, federal and state government officials, NGO leaders, journalists, students, and interested citizens. Registration for ILW is very reasonably priced as a service to our members. It is free for students. Sponsorship by law firms, universities, and interested practitioners is welcomed and recognized.

ILW 2024 took place October 24-26 in New York City. Look out for ILW 2025 dates and the call for panels soon!

Frequently Asked Questions about ILW.

International Law Weekend 2024:

Powerless Law or Law for the Powerless?

ILW 2024 will took place October 24-26, 2024 in New York City.

The unifying theme for ILW 2024 was Powerless law or law for the powerless?, as follows:

International law faces an existential threat as history unfolds at unprecedented speed worldwide. Indeed, international law and international institutions at times appear incapable of protecting vulnerable persons against war, disease, hunger, exploitation, climate change, and other human and natural catastrophes. Some people–both individually and collectively–are openly eschewing legal values and frameworks in order to pursue results through other means, including dangerous and destabilizing ones. Is international law, in fact, powerless or does it remain a source of power that vulnerable persons can utilize to protect and advance their rights and interests? This year’s ILW is focused on engaged, interactive, and inclusive discussions about how international law can transcend perceptions and misperceptions of its powerlessness and fulfill its aspirations of balancing power through principles of justice, equality, and dignity.

Dedication: In honor of the 100th anniversary of the 1924 Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child, ILW 2024 was dedicated to the promise of the Declaration’s preamble recognizing that humanity owes to children the best that we have to give.

This year’s opening plenary was held on Thursday, 24th October, at the New York City Bar Association. The 2024 Opening Plenary focused on the workings of the International Court of Justice. Our President, Michael Scharf and Board Chair, Leila Sadat, interviewed:

Professor Lori F. Damrosch, Hamilton Fish Professor of International Law and Diplomacy, Columbia Law School
Professor Harold Hongju Koh, Sterling Professor of International Law, Yale Law School and former Legal Adviser of the U.S. Department of State
Professor Sean D. Murphy, Manatt/Ahn Professor of International Law, George Washington University Law School and Special Rapporteur for Crimes Against Humanity
Dr. Nilüfer Oral, Director of the Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore

Organizing Committee
Members ILW 2024

Warren Binford, Co-Chair
Madaline George, Co-Chair
Frédéric Sourgens, Co-Chair

Diane Marie Amann
Chloe Baldwin
Michael Garcia Bochenek
Christine Carpenter
Rez Gardi
Preston Lim
Asaf Lubin
Viren Mascarenhas
Jessica Peake
Douglas Pivnichny
Hadley Rose Staley
Achinthi Vithanage
Elisabeth Wickeri
Naomi Rothenberg, student representative

Freya Doughty-Wagner, ex officio
Julia Liston, ex officio
Leila Sadat, ex officio
Michael Scharf, ex officio

For questions regarding ILW that are not covered in our FAQ, please contact: [email protected].

International Law Weekend 2023:

Beyond International Law

ILW 2023 was held October 19-21, 2023 in New York City.

The unifying theme for ILW 2023 was Beyond International Law, as follows:

International law is at a crossroads. While there have been many successes, the system’s shortcomings still remain visible, exposed by prolonged armed conflicts, a lack of accountability for atrocities, a global pandemic followed by an economic downturn, and entrenched economic and social inequalities exacerbated by the disastrous effects of climate change. The time is ripe for the international legal community to consider what lies beyond current international law. If existing legal solutions fall short, how can international lawyers and leaders effectively harness their creativity to tackle the complex challenges of today? How does international law interface with other disciplines that also seek to promote peace and equality, such as domestic law, diplomacy, trade, social change movements, and global solidarity initiatives? How can international law adapt to become more effective in responding to the world’s shifting crises? ILW 2023 encourages participants to think beyond international law.

ILW 2023 explored these issues through a diverse set of engaging and provocative panels, plenary sessions, and keynote addresses. As in prior years, we had nearly 2,000 registrants. The program included a broad array of both public international law and private international law topics in each time slot, all of which offered CLE at no additional cost. The Weekend also included networking opportunities for both professionals and students, social events, and award ceremonies, as well as the 101st Members Meeting.

Plenary and Keynote Speakers Included:

Ambassador Sheikha Alya Ahmed Saif Al Thani, Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations
Maxine Burkett, Assistant Director for Climate, Ocean, and Equity, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
Judge Gatti Santana, President, International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals
Gregory Shaffer, Scott K. Ginsburg Professor of International Law, Georgetown University Law Center; President, American Society of International Law
Christopher Ward SC, Immediate Past President & Vice President, International Law Association