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ABILA International Law Weekend 2026
[R]evolution in the International Legal Order

 Emerging Voices Panel – Call for Abstracts

Deadline: July 6, 2026

The American Branch of the International Law Association will present International Law Weekend (ILW) 2026 in New York City from October 22-24, 2026. This two-and-a-half-day conference features over 30 panels, and many of the world’s leading international lawyers and diplomats participate. 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. ILW makes particular efforts to include emerging scholars and practitioners, including through the Emerging Voices panel.

ILW 2026 Theme: [R]evolution in the International Legal Order

This conference will examine the re-ordering of the international legal order at a pivotal moment of transition. Shifts in global power, challenges to bedrock legal principles, including the prohibition on the use of force, and retreat from long-standing international commitments pose challenges to the status quo, creating both uncertainty and opportunities for renewal. As some traditionally dominant states scale back their engagement with international law and institutions, space opens to reconsider the global distribution and exercise of authority and responsibility.

This interdisciplinary conference will explore how states and regional groupings can step forward to uphold, reinterpret, and strengthen international law through cooperation, innovation, and leadership. It situates these developments within longer trajectories of change in geopolitics and international governance, including those driven by states that gained independence after the United Nations’ founding. It will also highlight the constructive roles of international institutions, non-state actors, and civil society in sustaining, contesting, and advancing legal norms. Rather than signaling decline, these changes invite reflection on what international law might become: more inclusive, more resilient, and better equipped to address contemporary global challenges through diversified sources of legitimacy, power, and collective responsibility.

Call for Abstracts

The ILW Organizing Committee invites the submission of abstracts relating to the theme of “[R]evolution in the International Legal Order.”  We will select several abstracts for presentation at ILW 2026 as part of a panel of new and emerging professionals. The abstracts may be based upon ongoing work. While all submissions are welcome, preference will be given to papers not already published. Accepted applicants will be invited to present their papers at the Emerging Voices Panel, which a scholar or practitioner will chair. Participation must be in-person, other than in exceptional circumstances.

Eligibility is restricted to applicants who are current graduate students (master’s, PhD, JD, etc.) or junior scholars or professionals who have been working in the field of international law for five years or fewer. Accepted applicants are required to join ABILA and register for ILW 2026. Panelists are encouraged to attend other panels, plenary sessions, and to take part in the Members Meeting and networking events.

Application & Funding

The submission deadline is July 6, 2026. Submissions should be sent to ilw@ila-americanbranch.org with the subject line “Emerging Voices – ILW 2026.” Applicants must submit all the following in a single PDF document:

-A 500-word abstract of their paper;

-A cover letter (max 2 pgs.): describing their professional development and explaining how their submission fits with the conference theme; and

-A curriculum vitae (max 3 pgs.)

Submissions will be competitively selected in a peer review process. Applicants will be notified by July 27, 2026.

If accepted, paper drafts from all panelists will be due for review by panel discussants no later than September 21, 2026.

ABILA has secured funding to provide need-based reimbursement of Emerging Voices panelists’ travel and hotel costs, insofar as those costs are not covered by their institutions. The reimbursement limit is $1,500 for panelists traveling from within North America, and $2,500 for those traveling from elsewhere. Panelists seeking reimbursement will be asked to submit their receipts.

Travel

ABILA is not able to provide general immigration support but is available to provide letters of support as needed for visa applications.

Questions may also be submitted to: ilw@ila-americanbranch.org.

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This webinar will examine how international and comparative law continue to be shaped by enduring colonial structures, both in doctrine and method, and how Indigenous legal orders challenge, complement, and reconfigure dominant legal paradigms. Bringing together comparative, doctrinal, and policy perspectives, and drawing on case studies from multiple regions, the panel will examine: the role of Indigenous law and knowledge systems within international development frameworks; methodological coloniality in comparative law and its implications for global justice and institutional reform; legal pluralism as an alternative architecture for equitable and inclusive global governance; and the emerging influence of Indigenous jurisprudence, traditional knowledge, and community-based normative orders within international legal discourse.

Moderator/Speaker:

Professor Paolo Davide Farah, The University of Tulsa College of Law

Speakers:

Professor Elena Baylis, University of Pittsburgh School of Law
Professor Dana G. Jones, North Carolina Central University School of Law
Professor Sergio Alberto Gramitto Ricci, Hofstra School of Law
Professor Chidi Oguamanam, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law
Professor Srividhya Ragavan Texas A&M University School of Law

Registration for this webinar is free and open to anyone. Only those who attend the live broadcast will be eligible for NY CLE. The application for NY CLE accreditation is currently pending.

Register HERE or by clicking the poster above.

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Eighty years ago, on October 1, 1946, the Nuremberg Tribunal issued its historic judgement, convicting leaders of Nazi German of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crimes of aggression.  In this international conference, historians, international prosecutors, ambassadors, and leading academics will explore the legacy of the Nuremberg Judgment, from its application to the modern international tribunals to its relevance to contemporary events.

Schedule Overview:

Thursday, October 1:

2:00-4:30 PM: Screening of the film, “Nuremberg” at the BakerHostetler Moot Courtroom at Case Western Reserve University School of Law

6:00-9:00 PM:  Opening Session held at the Western Reserve Historical Society Crawford Automobile Museum

Friday, October 2: Sessions held in the BakerHostetler Moot Courtroom at Case Western Reserve University School of Law

8:30 AM: Welcome

9:00-10:30 AM: Panel I: The Nuremberg Trials: Foundational Concepts & Strategic Choices

10:45 AM-12:15 PM: Panel II: Application of the Nuremberg Precedent by the Ad Hoc Tribunals

12:30-1:15 PM Keynote Lunch Speech

1:30-3:00 PM: Panel III: Application of the Nuremberg Principles to Modern Day Atrocities

3:15-4:45 PM: Panel IV: Applying the lessons of Nuremberg to our own country

4:45 PM: Closing

For the full schedule, please visit here.  The event is free and open to the public.

The conference is presented by Case Western Reserve University School of Law’s Frederick K. Cox International Law Center, the Robert H. Jackson Center, and the American Branch of the International Law Association.

REGISTER HERE!

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David Stewart, Andrea Bjorklund, Houston Putnam Lowry, Michael P. Scharf, and Leila Nadya Sadat

Description: The award shall consist of a plaque or a standing crystal award engraved with the recipient’s name and the name of the award. The award shall be announced and presented to the recipient at International Law Weekend 2026, and the winner’s name shall be included in the list of all past Outstanding Service Award winners on the ABILA website.

Eligibility requirements: The American Branch of the International Law Association’s Charles Siegal Distinguished Service Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the ABILA by a member of the ABILA. Such contributions could include to the ABILA Board, ABILA Committees, and/or the ABILA’s International Law Weekend. In choosing the recipient, the Selection Committee may consider an individual’s specific extraordinary service initiatives and/or sustained superior contributions to the ABILA over a number of years. Recipients must be current members of the ABILA in good standing at the time of nomination.

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Jim Johnson accepting the Outstanding Achievement Award on Brenda Hollis’ behalf

Description: The award shall consist of a plaque or a standing crystal award engraved with the recipient’s name and the name of the award. The award shall be announced and presented to the recipient at International Law Weekend 2026, and the winner’s name shall be included in the list of all past ABILA Outstanding Achievement Award winners on the ABILA website.

Eligibility requirements: The ABILA Outstanding Achievement Award was established to recognize outstanding contributions in the field of international law. Such contributions might include, but are not limited to, service to an international organization, a State, or an international court or tribunal; or to teaching, research, or scholarship in the field of international law. While candidates are reviewed comprehensively, factors considered may include consideration of an individual’s specific extraordinary service initiatives and/or sustained superior contributions to the field of international law over a number of years, as well as visionary and innovative leadership.

Procedure for nomination: Nominations should be sent to the Chair of the Service Award Nomination Committee by July 31, 2026. Nominations must include: Full name, title, address, and e-mail of the nominee; and a 100-250 word description of the nominee’s outstanding service to international law. The description should include details about the individual’s specific extraordinary service initiatives and/or about their sustained superior contributions to international law over a number of years.

Send Nominations to: Committee Chair Jennifer Trahan at jt487@nyu.edu.

The Award Committee is composed of: James H. Boykin, Matthew C. Kane, Frédéric Sourgens, and Jennifer Trahan.

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The first panel on Friday, “Cities as Global Norm-Shapers: Urban Power at the New Frontiers of International Law, featured a conversation with Ambassador Nina L. Hachigian (ret.), Alliance for Local Leaders International, moderated by Kai Raustiala, UCLA School of Law. The second panel, “Revisting the Use of Force: Legal Norms, State Practice, and Emerging Contours in International Law,” included Michael Kelly, Creighton University School of Law; ABILA President Michael Scharf, Case Western Reserve University School of Law; David Glazier, Loyola Law School; and Rachel VanLandingham, Southwestern Law School. The third panel, “Reflecting on the Ongoing Negotiations for a New Treaty on Crimes Against Humanity: Challenges and Prospects,” was composed of Leila Sadat, Washington University in St. Louis School of Law; Gissou Nia, Strategic Litigation Project at the Atlantic Council; Hannah Garry, USC Gould School of Law; and Saira Mohamed, UC Berkeley Law.

Saturday began with a Keynote Speech on “Standing Up for International Law” by Michael Scharf. At a time when international law and institutions are under attack, he said that academics, business executives, law firm heads, judges, and leaders of international associations like the ABILA can make a difference by taking a stand. The first Saturday panel, “Artificial Intelligence and the Boundaries of International Law,” featured Julia Powles, UCLA School of Law; Peter Yu, Texas A&M School of Law; Ioanna Tourkochoriti, University of Baltimore School of Law; and Nina Toft Djanegara, UCLA School of Law. Speaking on the second panel, “A Necessary IDEA: International Human Rights Law and U.S. Public Policy in Differential Treatment of Social Groups,” were Chandra Bhatnagar, ACLU of Southern California; Kevin R. Johnson, University of California Davis; Kelley Loper, University of Denver Sturm College of Law; Jerry Kang, UCLA School of Law; and Aaron Fellmeth, Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. The final panel, “Protest and International Law,” included Alison Dundes Renteln, University of Southern California; Shenali Pilapitiya, University of Southern California; Florian Kriener, Max Planck Institute, Yale Law School; Federico Barillas Schwank, International Center for Not-for-Profit Law; Bahar Mirhosseni, Cornell Law School; and Jess Peake, UCLA School of Law.

ILW West was organized by Professor Jess Peake, Director of UCLA’s International and Comparative Law Program, and Alyssa Krieger, Program Coordinator. Articles generated by the conference speakers will be published in the UCLA Journal of International Law in its 30th volume in 2026.

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CONCEPT NOTE

70^th Session, United Nations Commission on the Status of Women Side Event 

Women’s Equal Right to Participate in the Judiciary and Women’s Access to Justice: More Women, More Access

Tuesday 10 March | International Day of Women Judges | 6:15-7:30 pm

Location: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, 425 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10017 | Zoom Link

Food and beverages provided from 6pm

 Background

Access to justice is a fundamental human right,[1] and States are obligated to ensure access to justice for women and girls.[2] Globally, women and girls face numerous gendered barriers to justice, whether as claimants, witnesses, victims, or defendants. Relatedly, the right to equal and inclusive participation in decision making, including the judiciary, is a fundamental human right, and States have a responsibility to appoint women to judicial roles at all levels of the judiciary.[3] Yet, around the world, men often comprise the majority of judges in domestic, regional, and international courts, particularly in the most senior judicial roles.

Women’s equal and inclusive participation in the judiciary and access to justice for women and girls are linked in several ways. The CEDAW Committee has noted that ‘[w]omen’s equal participation in the judiciary is part of what makes access to justice meaningful’ and that ‘[i]f the judiciary lacks equal participation, the system’s credibility and legitimacy are compromised’.[4] Observing that ‘gender stereotyping by judges is a “core impediment” to access to justice,’[5] the Committee called for States Parties to remove barriers to access to justice, including by ‘confront[ing] and remov[ing] barriers to women’s participation as professionals within all bodies and levels of judicial and quasi-judicial systems and providers of justice-related services.’[6]

Similarly, the Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers stated that ‘discrimination against women stems not only from certain explicit regulatory obstacles but also from institutional, structural and cultural barriers that lead to underrepresentation in public decision-making positions or confinement to certain areas of the judicial system.’[7]The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights noted that ‘[i]ncreased representation of women within the police and the judicial system as well as mainstreaming gender within the judiciary can also improve their responsiveness to gender issues and make it easier for women to seek assistance or report their cases.’[8]

Further, UN Women has observed that ‘[w]omen’s representation in the judiciary is a matter of equality and fairness, but it is also important for maintaining public confidence in the justice system. There is evidence that women judges can create more conducive environments for women in courts and can make a difference to outcomes.’[9] UNDP and UN Women have together found that there is ‘evidence that women judges are less susceptible to corruption, and their effective representation in the judiciary increases trust in the system,’[10] and that ‘[t]he mere presence of women judges enhances the legitimacy of courts, sending a powerful signal that they are open and accessible to all who seek justice’.[11]

Against this backdrop, and recalling CSW 70’s priority theme of ‘[e]nsuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls, including by promoting inclusive and equitable legal systems, eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, and addressing structural barriers,’ this side event aims to converge States, UN bodies, international and regional organisations, civil society, and other key stakeholders to discuss the connections between increasing gender equality for the judiciary and increasing access to justice for women and girls. Building on our previous side events focused on achieving gender parity for judges at the International Court of Justice,[12] this event invites participants to commit to achieving women’s equal and inclusive participation in the judiciary, both as a fundamental human right in itself, and as a pathway for increasing access to justice for women and girls and strengthening the protection of human rights for all.    

Structure of the event:

This is an in-person roundtable dialogue moderated by Dr. Jessica Lynn Corsi and Professor Milena Sterio. Observers may join by Zoom (Link here), and all attendees are invited to contribute following the prepared interventions.

6:00 pm food and beverages provided

6:15 pm Welcome and introduction of the topic by Dr Jessica Lynn Corsi, Associate Professor of Law, City St George’s, University of London, and Co-founder and Co-Chair, Working Group on Gender Parity for the ICJ

6:30 pm Prepared interventions

1) Ambassador Jennifer Feller, Director General for Human Rights and Democracy, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs

2) Catherine Amirfar, Partner & Co-Chair, International Dispute Resolution and Public International Law Groups, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

3) Ms. Akila Radhakrishnan, Legal Advisor, End Gender Apartheid Campaign

4) Professor Jelena Pia-Comella, Independent Expert, Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)

5) Amanda Chong, Counsellor (Legal), Permanent Mission of Singapore to the United Nations

6) Ms. Amie Lewis, Senior Program Officer and Lead, Women in Leadership in Law (WILIL) Initiative, International Association of Women Judges

7) Claudia M. Flores, Chair of the UN Working Group on Discrimination Against Women and Girls

8) Lucía Solano, Legal Adviser to the Permanent Mission of Colombia

Roundtable dialogue:

Attendees are invited to make interventions and raise questions and discussion points.

7:15 pm: Concluding remarks:

Professor Milena Sterio, James A. Thomas Distinguished Professor of Law at Cleveland State University’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Managing Director at the Public International Law & Policy Group, Steering Committee Member, Working Group on Gender Parity for the ICJ

7:30 pm Drinks and mingle

Organised by the Working Group on Gender Parity for the ICJ and the ABILA Committee on Gender Justice in International Law

Co-sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Canada, the Permanent Mission of Colombia, the Permanent Mission of Kenya, the Permanent Mission of Mexico, the Permanent Mission of Singapore, the Permanent Mission of Sweden, and the International Association of Women Judges 

With support from UN Women UK

Kindly hosted by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Register here

[1] UDHR, Arts 8, 10; ICCPR Art 14.

[2] CEDAW Arts 2, 15; UDHR Arts 2, 7.

[3] CEDAW Arts 7, 8; CEDAW GR 40 2024 paras 18, 49, 52, 53, 56, 72; CEDAW GR23 1997, paras 26, 29.

[4] CEDAW GR33 2015, para 1.

[5] CEDAW GR33 2015, para 26.

[6] CEDAW GR33 2015, para 15(f); see also CEDAW GR30 2013 para 56(c).

[7] A/76/142: Participation of women in the administration of justice – Report of the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Diego García-Sayán, para 17.

[8] Women’s Rights are Human Rights, HR/PUB/14/2, 2014, p. 117.

[9] UN Women, Progress of the world’s women: In pursuit of justice, 2011, p. 61.

[10] UNDP and UN Women, Women in Justice in Africa, 2023, p. 4.

[11] UNDP and UN Women, Women in Justice in Africa, 2023, p. 6.

[12] CONCEPT NOTE, 79th Session, United Nations 6th Committee Expert Roundtable Side Event, More Women, But Not Enough Women: Achieving Gender Parity for Judges at the International Court of Justice, 24 October 2024, https://www.un.org/en/ga/sixth/79/pdfs/events/25_october_2024_7cn.pdf; CONCEPT NOTE, 80th Session, United Nations 6th Committee Expert Roundtable Side Event, The Right to Equal and Inclusive Participation and the International Court of Justice: Where are the Women?, https://www.un.org/en/ga/sixth/80/pdfs/events/31_october_2025_4cn.pdf.

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Monday, March 23, 2026

12:00 PM CST

Location: Zoom

This panel will briefly discuss the outcomes of the Preparatory Committee for the Crimes Against Humanity Convention, held from January 19-30, and the work of the ABILA Study Group on Crimes Against Humanity, which published a series of 14 proposals and position papers submitted to the Preparatory Committee during its first session. Panelists will discuss specific proposals on environmental harm, gender crimes, and starvation, as well as proposals to help make the treaty more effective, including inter-state dispute resolution, the possibility of a treaty monitoring body, and shoring up the prevention and capacity-building dimensions of the draft convention.

Moderator:

Professor Leila Nadya Sadat, Washington University in St. Louis School of Law

Speakers:

Professor Olympia Bekou, University of Nottingham School of Law & Human Rights Law Centre

Professor Tom Dannenbaum, Stanford Law School & Stanford Center for International Security and Cooperation

Mr. Youssef Hitti, Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the United Nations 

Professor Christopher Lentz, University of Chicago Law School; Register of Damage for Ukraine

Ms. Akila Radhakrishnan, International Human Rights Lawyer

REGISTER HERE

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The observation that these are challenging times for international law and that armed conflict is the crucible in which so many of the challenges arise has graduated to the level of cliche and truism. On a more granular level, debate centers on whether the norms of International Humanitarian Law (the law of armed conflict) are still fit for purpose, and on whether there exists a critical mass of compliance and political will to enforce the law. The panel will explore these propositions in contemporary contexts, including the so-called “War on Terror,” Russia/Ukraine, Israel/Palestine, Sudan, Venezuela and U.S. drug boat strikes, among others.

Moderator:

Gabor Rona, Professor of Practice, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law; Chair, ABILA International Humanitarian Law Committee

Speakers:

Janina Dill, Dame Louise Richardson Chair in Global Security, Blavatnik School of Government; Fellow at Trinity College and Co-Director of the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law, and Armed Conflict (ELAC)
Cordula Droege, Chief Legal Officer and Head of the Legal Division, International Committee of the Red Cross
Oona A. Hathaway, Gerard C. and Bernice Latrobe Smith Professor of International Law, Yale Law School; President-Elect, American Society of International Law
Mike Schmitt, Professor of International Law, University of Reading School of Law; Affiliate, Harvard Law School’s Program on International Law and Armed Conflict; Retired USAF Judge Advocate

Registration for this webinar is free and open to anyone. Only those who attend the live broadcast will be eligible for NY CLE. The application for NY CLE accreditation is currently pending.

Register HERE or by clicking the poster above.

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