2010 CHAPTER AWARDS
Best All-Around Chapter: Penn State Dickinson School of Law
In 2009, several passionate students came together to reinstate Penn State's International Law Society. The Executive Board then met several times during the spring and summer of 2009 to plan for the 2009/2010 academic year.
The Society began the 2009 fall semester strong by sponsoring a successful student/faculty reception. Penn State is a dual-campus law school located both in State College, Pennsylvania and Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Between the two campuses, around 60 students and 12 faculty members attended the inaugural event. Students learned about opportunities such as international moot court competitions and networked with faculty members to learn about Penn State's international law faculty members' experiences and careers in international law.
As part of its "The Practice of International Law" series, the Society partnered with Penn State Law Professor and international arbitration scholar, Catherine A. Rogers, to host Tom Snider. Tom Snider is counsel in the Litigation/Controversy Department and a member of the International Arbitration Practice Group of WilmerHale. The audience was fascinated by Mr. Snider's experience as counsel to a party before the Eritrea-Ethiopia Claims Commission, a state-to-state tribunal established to adjudicate claims for loss, damage, and injury arising from a two-year international armed conflict. Mr. Snider also discussed useful skills for international lawyers and the practice of international arbitration.
Later in the fall semester, the Society featured Penn State Law's LL.M. students in a panel entitled "Judicial Review and Its Impact on the Rule of Law around the World." Professor Louis Del Duca, a leading scholar in the fields of commercial and comparative law, passionately moderated the panel. Professor Del Duca wrote a fact pattern about a violation of constitutional law requiring equality of treatment of men and women. The LL.M. colleagues used the fact pattern as a basis to engage in a lively discussion highlighting the hallmarks of their countries' judicial systems. The panelists were: Fazal Ahmed (Pakistan), Darren Smith (South Africa), Caroline Sheldon (Germany), Yan Qian (Republic of china), Camilla Cordelli (Italy), Chenyang Xie (People's Republic of China), Cenay Akin (Netherlands), and Kelly Heath (Brazil).
Penn State's Society continued to present quality programming throughout the year. The Society organized a research workshop where students learned strategies for conducting online international legal research. The Society also collaborated with Westlaw to host a workshop on using Westlaw to conduct research on international legal topics. Students learned some of the distinct features of this particular database and how to find international law and decisions.
Later in the year, the Society partnered with the School of International Affair's Student Government Association to organize a flagship event surrounding the prescient subject of Iran, "Beyond Rhetoric: The State of Iran - Its Policies, Politics and Global Impact." Penn State Law houses the School of International Affairs, and is uniquely positioned to offer academic synergy in international legal study. Despite the inclement weather (and one of the major speakers canceling a few days before the event due to the snowstorms in the region), over 50 individuals attended the panel discussion. The audience consisted of law students, international affairs students, Penn State students from various departments and concerned citizens from the community. The roundtable was designed to facilitate discourse on the subject of Iran and its impact on the international legal arena and included experts in energy policy, international affairs, Shiite faith and culture, Persian history, U.S./Iran relations, and security issues.
Last, the Society and the Human Rights Law Society organized Penn State's first International Law and Human Rights Law Day. This event furthered the Society's goal of continuing to showcase different career paths. The societies staffed resource tables at both campus locations and sponsored a career panel. The resources consisted of information related to the respective areas of law from the International Law Students Association website, the ABA Section of International Law website, Penn State's Career Services Office and other sources. The panelists included John Brew, International Trade Lawyer of Crowell Moring; Ambassador Theodore Kattouf, AMIDEAST President; Michael Pates, ABA Center for Human Rights Director; Stephanie Jirard, Former Navy Judge Advocate General; and Don Shemanski, former United States Foreign Service Diplomat. The students continue to give very positive feedback regarding the career panel.
Although this has been an exciting and fast-paced year for the Society, several of the members make time to mentor Penn State LL.M. Students. The Society also started a newsletter to be published at least once each semester (visit http://law.psu.edu/current_students/student_organizations/international_law_society).
Most Improved Chapter: Washburn University School of Law
Washburn University School of Law is located in Topeka, KS, and this physical location makes the pursuit of international studies extremely challenging. The desire to study and work in the area of international exists with the law school student body, but the school did not have an outlet for students with such interests. The ILS Chapter at Washburn Law was established in 2008 with the intent to bring more international law awareness to the law school. It started with four members, and rapidly increased our membership roster. In 2009, our membership increased to 44 members. This was a remarkable expansion in a short timeframe, and represents a significant greater level of interest.
Washburn's ILS also assisted in the establishment of a Jessup Moot Court team at Washburn Law. The ILS worked with the Dean's office and the Moot Court Council to ensure that Washburn Law would consistently compete in Jessup. The school had not previously competed in Jessup prior to 2008.
Washburn Law's ILS has also made efforts to develop international law programming through professional lectures. In February 2009, the ILS hosted a lecture by Kristy Childs, an advocate for ending international human trafficking. Ms. Childs is founder of Veronica's Voice, Kansas City's only recovery program dedicated solely to victims of prostitution and commercial sexual exploitation. A co-speaker at that lecture was Vicky Luttrell, an assistant to the Kansas Attorney General's Task Group on Combating Human Trafficking. Over 50 students attended this lecture on an emerging international law topic.
In conjunction with this "Combating Human Trafficking" lecture, the ILS sponsored a "cell phone drive." The ILS collected over 40 phones from students and faculty which we donated to assist battered women who are in need of emergency phones.
In April 2009, Washburn Law's ILS hosted Prof. Curry-Sumner, a professor from the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. Prof. Curry-Sumner addressed the ILS on career options for American students who wish to work abroad after law school. Specifically, he discussed non-traditional and traditional attorney possibilities in the EU. And, in October 2009, the Professional Development Office (PDO) and the ILS presented a lecture presentation for over 30 students on education and employment opportunities overseas. Specifically, the ILS worked with the PDO to enhance the access to international law websites, internship opportunities, and placement in various international organizations.
The Washburn ILS has also hosted social events which have promoted involvement with international law. In February 2009, the ILS hosted an "International Film Night." The ILS selected the German film "Run Lola Run," and over 20 members attended that function.
More notably, in February 2009, the ILS hosted its first annual "International Wine and Cheese Event" inside the Washburn University Mulvane Museum. Over 100 students, professors, and professionals attended this event which offered fine wines and cheeses and a string quartet. The event was also held in conjunction with the museum's internationally-related display: "China Before Mao: Through the Lens of a Flying Tigers Photographer." This event was immensely successful considering the youth of the society at the time of the event, and promoted both the ILS and the pursuit of international studies.
During the 2009 year, Washburn Law's ILS also sent members to International Law Conferences, a first for the law school. In March 2009, Washburn Law sent four members to the ILSA Spring Conference, and, in October 2009, sent one member to the New York International Law weekend. Washburn Law's ILS continues to make international law conference attendance a priority within the mission of the society.
Best Academic International Event: University of Massachusetts School of Law - Dartmouth
(Symposium/Lecture/Speaker Series) formerly Southern New England School of Law
The ILSA Chapter at UMASS won this Award for hosting the Trends and Issues in Terrorism and the Law Conference, October 1-3, 2009. The event featured keynote speaker, Charles Swift who, as a Navy lawyer in the Judge Advocate General Corps, represented Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a Guantanamo detainee in the U.S. Supreme Court case Hamdan v. Rumsfeld.
Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Fahey, who spent a year with the War Crimes Chamber of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, spoke at the conference, along with other experts in the field of terrorism, such as Col. J. Prescott from the U.S. Military Academy at Westpoint and Professor Jeffrey Addicott, a frequent contributor to FOX News and MSNBC and an authority on laws relating to national security and terrorism. Alumnus Scott Bartell traveled from Uganda, where he is in charge of the International Criminal Court's Trust Fund for Victims, to discuss Article 79 of the Rome Statute. Richard Cohen from the Southern Poverty Law Center discussed the threat posed by hate groups here in the United States.
NBC reported on the Conference via the evening news featuring Dr. Brian Williams, a specialist on terrorism in the Middle East and warlords in Central Asia, and Captain Joseph Murphy, professor at Massachusetts Maritime Academy who teaches anti-piracy tactics and is also the father of Shane Murphy, who was second in command on the Maersk Alabama when it was hijacked by Somali pirates. Col. George Phelan, Rule of Law Adviser for the ePRT in Northeast Baghdad and recipient of the U.S. Department of State 2009 Swanee Hunt Award for Advancing Women's Role in Policy Formulation, reported live from Iraq on his work with developing a women's nongovernmental organization, five women's centers, organizing continuing legal education seminars, implementing a ministerial and parliamentary internship program for young women, and developing a Domestic Violence Census project.
Best International Social Event: New York Law School (NYLS)
NYLS ILS has garnered student support through informal gatherings and formally-structured activities. In mid-September, NYLS ILS began the year by welcoming old and new members to gather at an informal "happy hour" at a local restaurant to get to know each other and to brainstorm events for the upcoming year. This event was successful with over 40 members in attendance.
On October 30, NYLS ILS members attended a tour of the U.S. Court of International Trade arranged by third year student and ILS Executive Board member Agata Ratajczyk. Agata interned for a judge at the U.S. Court of International Trade last spring and was able to secure a tour for ILS members thanks to the connections she formed during her internship. The tour received very positive reviews from the more than 20 NYLS ILS members who attended.
Finally, the NYLS ILS E-Board has adopted the policy of sending out a weekly "Events and Information Email" to members to alert them of international law-related lectures, conferences and programs in New York City. This email system has received positive reviews from members and has encouraged them to attend events outside of NYLS.
Best Philanthropic Event/Activity: University of Toledo College of Law
For Valentine's Day, the International Law Society partnered with the Student Bar Association (SBA) to hold an activity with Kids Unlimited. Kids Unlimited is a Toledo-area after-school program committed to elementary and middle school students in under-served areas. The program empowers the kids to succeed, and it helps to break the cycle of poverty. For the Valentine's Day activity, chapter members made heart-shaped sugar cookies, and helped the children decorate them with icing, sprinkles, red hots, and chocolate chips. All of the cookies and decorations were supplied by the International Law Society and SBA. Through this event, the ILSA Chapter motivated the kids to achieve academic excellence, and encouraged them to think beyond college. Members interacted with the children and spoke to them about legal careers, and specifically, careers in international law. The experience was fun and educational, both for the students, and for ILSA members. The Chapter hopes to do more activities with Kids Unlimited in the future.