Lesley Benn is the Executive Director of the International Law Students Association, a position she has held since June 2012. She previously practiced international and commercial law for several years, specializing in investment treaty arbitrations, and other public and private international law disputes. Ms. Benn represented clients in arbitrations before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, the International Chamber of Commerce and other arbitral institutions, as well as ad hoc arbitration under the Arbitration Rules of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law. She was a member of the litigation and international arbitration group in the Washington, DC office of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, LLP and a member of the commercial litigation group in the Chicago office of Winston & Strawn, LLP.
Ms. Benn taught as an Adjunct Professor at George Mason University School of Law, where she also served as the coach of the Jessup International Law Moot Court Team from 2009-2011.
Ms. Benn earned her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and her undergraduate degree in art history and political science from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. During law school, she competed in the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, and advanced to the quarter-finals at the International Rounds. She also taught legal research and writing to first year law students.
Ms. Benn is a member of the American Society of International Law, and serves as a mentor as part of the ASIL Women in International Law Mentoring Program. She also volunteers with Suited for Change, a non-profit organization providing professional clothing and ongoing career education to low-income women. A fashion enthusiast, Ms. Benn has appeared in the Best Dressed issue of Washingtonian magazine.
Education
J.D., Georgetown University Law Center
B.A., McGill University