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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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We are excited to introduce our Student Ambassadors, who will assist with the work of the American Branch, particularly in preparation for International Law Weekend 2026 (ILW 2026).

Rachael Behling is a rising third-year law student at Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri. Rachael has had a long-standing interest in international law and cross-cultural relations, holding a Bachelors in International Studies and Spanish from Saint Louis University. Prior to law school, she volunteered at a non-profit organization in Guatemala, working with locally led programs that supported the surrounding community.  At WashU Law, she is a Primary Editor for the Global Studies Law Review and a research assistant to Professor Leila Sadat in the field of international human rights law. Through her role as an ABILA Student Ambassador, she looks forward to engaging with leading international scholars and deepening her understanding of international law through involvement in International Law Weekend.

Alec Bogash is a rising 3L at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Alec graduated from George Washington University with a BA in Political Science and a minor in International Affairs. This past year, Alec has focused his studies in law school on International Law, including International Human Rights Law, International Humanitarian Law and a special topics class on rules of the United Nations. Furthermore, Alec had the great opportunity to participate in the Clara Barton IHL competition this spring at the American Red Cross HQ in Washington DC.  This was an unforgettable experience, as Alec got placed in many high-stress situations in front of esteemed scholars in the field of IHL. Through the student ambassador program, Alec looks forward to furthering his legal education in the field of international law, and getting to know brilliant scholars and experts within the field!

Zoë Bussewitz is a rising 2L at the University of Georgia School of Law, pursuing a J.D. and a Certificate in Crisis and Disaster Communication. Originally from New York, she graduated from Stony Brook University with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and Political Science, where she was the lead reporter for the international beat on SBU’s news broadcast. Zoë has previously interned for the National Security Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office (SDNY) and the NYS Attorney General’s Investigations Division. She currently works as a Research Assistant for an Office of Naval Intelligence sponsored project concerning international regulation of autonomous underwater vehicles. This summer, Zoë will intern with the legal team at Oak Ridge National Lab. Beyond her work, she also has a passion for learning about space law. Zoë is thrilled to return to New York for ILW 2026 to build connections with academics and practitioners in the field of international law.

Melissa Chalhoub was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, who came to the United States in 2021 to pursue higher education in political science and international law. She graduated Suma Cum Laude from William Paterson University with honors and a B.A. in Political Science, Women and Gender Studies and Legal Studies. She is currently a first year Juris Doctor candidate at Rutgers Law school-Newark, pursuing a career in international law with a focus on comparative human rights systems, international criminal law, and cultural heritage in armed conflicts, while focusing on correlation with migration, and impact on youth. Passionate about learning and expanding, Melissa Chalhoub has immersed herself in diverse experiences in Lebanon, the United States and South America serving as a researcher for multiple professors, interning in areas of law, policy, community organizing and leadership. Fueled by direct experience with injustice, a passion to learn and to actively defy systemic disparities, she is devoted to serving the international public interest through her legal education. She is eager to apply her skills and knowledge to meaningfully contribute and become a better advocate while learning from lawyers and experts, as a student ambassador for ABILA in the upcoming year.

Robert Larsen is a rising 3L at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law with a focused interest in international trade and investment law. Before law school, he earned a B.A. in Italian and a minor in Global Business and Literacy from Brigham Young University. Robert’s interest in international law developed as a Benjamin A. Gilman Scholar in Rome, Italy, where he worked with an international non-profit researching the impact of unsustainable business practices on human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This experience informed his academic and professional interest in the intersection of global commerce, investment, and human rights. At the University of Utah, Robert is a member of the Utah Law Review, the International Law Society, and the Business Law Society. He has also completed internships with the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah and the international arbitration team at Womble Bond Dickinson LLP. As a 2026 ABILA Student Ambassador, Robert is excited to support an organization that promotes the study and practice of international law and to connect with professionals in the field as he works toward a hopeful career in international trade and investment law.

Joseph W. Lisa is a rising 3L at the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. Prior to law school, he graduated magna cum laude from Rutgers University New Brunswick as a double major in computer science and political science. Joe has a wide range of experience across a number of legal subfields, including in international art litigation and research on the crime of aggression. Joe has written several pieces for the Villanova International Law Society Blog, where he will be serving as Editor-in-Chief this year. Joe is excited to join the team as a student ambassador, not only because this experience offers a great opportunity to connect with like-minded scholars, students, and practitioners engaged in international law, but also as a means of learning more about substantive areas and new developments from the world’s leading legal scholars.

Laís Ramirez Santoro (she/her) is a rising second-year student and Conwell Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law. As a first-generation Brazilian-American, she has been interested in international environmental health and human rights since she was young. She graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a Bachelor’s in Public Health and Environmental Studies. There, she served as an Intern and Peer Mentor in the Community Impact Internship Program, gaining experience in community-centered advocacy and environmental justice. Prior to law school, Laís worked for the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland and Duane Morris LLP, and participated in the Lex Fellowship in Milan. This summer, she will be at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. This fall, she will work for the Community Defense Unit, Immigration Law Practice, at the Defenders Association of Philadelphia. Outside of class, she volunteers with the Temple Cherry Pantry and the ABA’s Commission on Immigration, serves as a Themis Representative, and is part of the Law School Sustainability Committee. As the incoming Vice President of the Temple International Law Society, Laís aims to enhance the organization’s impact. She looks forward to engaging with passionate legal professionals and centering global justice at International Law Weekend.

Lauren Resner is a rising 3L at Northeastern University School of Law (NUSL) in Boston, MA. They graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in International Studies and Political Science from Luther College in Decorah, IA where they focused their studies on the Middle East, specifically the levant region, studying abroad in Amman, Jordan in 2016. Lauren has a passion for human rights law with the hope of bringing those standards and principles to the United States to uphold the dignity of all persons at home and abroad and to bring the United States into the fold of respect for the rule of international law. They have an interest in topics such as, queer and LGBTQ+ rights, whistleblower protections, and indigenous rights. This past year, they have worked as a research associate with the Center for Global Law and Justice at NUSL working on projects related to the human right to water and sanitation and have helped start a Law and Political Economy (LPE) chapter with fellow students that will launch in the fall. This summer they will be working as an intern with Northeast Legal Aid focusing on elder law. They look forward to contributing to the experience of colleagues and peers, as well as engaging with the attendants and speakers at International Law Weekend 2026.

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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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ABILA is thrilled to announce the International Law Weekend 2026 Organizing Committee.

Brady Mabe is a legal adviser with the International Committee of the Red Cross in the delegation to the United Nations, in New York, with previous field- and US-based experience in public international law, international human rights law, and the law of the use of force.

Jess Peake is the Director of the International and Comparative Law Program at UCLA School of Law. Jess teaches courses on Human Rights and War Crimes, Digital Investigations and the Law of War, and the War on Terror. She launched UCLA Law’s Digital Investigations Lab and co-founded the University of California Digital Investigations Network. Jess serves on the Board of Directors of the International Law Students Association and has served on several committees of the American Society of International Law.

Lisa Reinsberg is the Executive Director of the International Justice Resource Center (IJRC), an organization she founded with the goal of making human rights protections more accessible and transparent for advocates and victims. Lisa has diverse experience in human rights advocacy, litigation, and research. Prior to founding IJRC, she was an attorney with Prisoners’ Legal Services of Massachusetts.

William Aceves has served on the ABILA Board for many years and was recently elected a Vice-President of the organization. He teaches at California Western School of Law in San Diego, where he also serves as the Chief Justice Roger Traynor Professor of Law. Aceves works at the intersection of civil rights and human rights and has published extensively in these fields. He has also represented several human rights and civil liberties organizations as amicus curiae counsel in cases before the federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.

Natasha Amlani is a counsel at Perkins Coie LLP who helps online services navigate global content regulations including in the EU, Brazil, South Korea, and Turkey. Natasha also helps online communications providers address child safety, trust and safety, and cross-border data disclosure issues.

Sumudu Atapattu is a teaching professor and Director of the Global Legal Studies Center at the University of Wisconsin Law School. She is affiliated with UW-Madison’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, Global Health Institute and the Center for South Asia, and is the Executive Director of the Human Rights Program. She serves as the Lead Counsel for Human Rights at the Center for International Sustainable Development Law and is a board member of the Center for Economic and Social Rights. She has published widely in the fields of international environmental law, climate change and human rights, environmental justice, and sustainable development.

Amity Boye is a longstanding board member of ABILA. She is President-Elect and has also served as Secretary and Vice-President. Amity operates at the crossroads of the non-profit and private sectors, advising global institutions on their strategic and mission-driven endeavors. For thirteen years, she served as Chief of Staff to the Chair of global law firm White & Case. She also has an active pro bono practice in the areas of criminal justice and international law.

Christine Carpenter is an international lawyer, and currently a Gates Scholar and PhD Candidate in International Relations & Politics at the University of Cambridge. Her research explores challenges new and emerging technologies pose to international legal systems, and the impacts of global digital inequality on pursuits of international justice. She is an experienced practitioner in both public and private international law, and serves on the International Law Association’s Committee on AI & Technology. She holds a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a master’s in International Relations from the University of Cambridge.

Harout Ekmanian is an Associate in the International Litigation and Arbitration Department of a leading international law firm and has joined the Organizing Committee in his personal capacity. He regularly represents parties in inter-State, investor-State and commercial arbitration, as well as counsels States in cases before the International Court of Justice and other international courts and tribunals.

Rebecca Hamilton is a Professor of Law at American University Washington College of Law and an Executive Editor at Just Security. She was American University’s 2025 Scholar/Teacher of the Year, a 2024 U.S. Fulbright Scholar, a Visiting Professor at UCLA Law, a 2020 Council on Foreign Relations Fellow, and a 2019 Pulitzer Center grantee. Previously, she served as a lawyer in the prosecutorial division of the International Criminal Court. Prior to academia she was a foreign correspondent for the Washington Post.

William N. Kent is an Attorney Advisor – International with the Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) in the Office of General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Commerce, where he leads the Bangladesh, Indonesia, Maldives, and Sri Lanka portfolios on the Asia Pacific Team. While working with CLDP, Mr. Kent has also worked on various areas of international law across Central Asia, Egypt, and Afghanistan. Prior to joining CLDP, Mr. Kent worked at the U.S. International Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, and U.S. Department of Energy. Mr. Kent also served as an officer in the U.S. Army where he led a 65-soldier platoon through a 15-month deployment to Iraq. Mr. Kent holds a J.D., LL.M. in International Business Transactions, and Certificate of International Law from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. He also holds a Master of Arts in Middle East Studies from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Mr. Kent is admitted to practice law in the State of New York.

Kuenley Lhaden Gyaltshen is an International Fellow with White & Case LLP, New York. Kuenley works on cross-border matters in Energy, Infrastructure, Project and Asset Finance (EIPAF) and international arbitration. She supports structuring and execution of complex infrastructure financings and assists with investor–state and commercial arbitrations through comparative legal research across jurisdictions. Prior to joining White & Case,  Kuenley worked as the Strategic Intelligence Hub Officer with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Regional Bureau for Asia-Pacific in Thailand and Bhutan, focusing on international development and establishment of Bhutan’s first National Legal Aid Center and its governing framework. Kuenley was the first and only Bhutanese student at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, where she earned an LLM in May 2025. She holds a Bachelor of Laws and Post Graduate Diploma in National Law from Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law in Bhutan in 2022.

Tim McKenzie is a Senior Associate in King & Spalding LLP’s International Disputes Group, advising individuals, corporations and States in international arbitration and public international law matters. He previously worked for several years at the International Court of Justice, clerking for two former Vice-Presidents of the Court and Judge ad hoc Charles Brower.

Nema Milaninia is a partner at the global law firm Freshfields LLP, where he focuses on high-stakes investigations, regulatory defense, and strategic risk management, with a particular emphasis on emerging technologies. Earlier in his career, he served as one of a select group of U.S. nationals to prosecute cases of war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and later shaped U.S. policy on AI, cybersecurity, and international law as a senior advisor in the Biden-Harris administration.

J. Janewa Osei-Tutu is a Professor of Law at the University of Miami School of Law. She writes about international intellectual property, human rights, and intangible cultural heritage. Prior to joining academia, Osei-Tutu worked as a Canadian Department of Justice Legal Counsel where she advised the Government of Canada on domestic and international intellectual property matters, including for international organizations and as part of international trade negotiations. She serves a co-chair for the ABILA International Intellectual Property Committee.

Paola Patarroyo is a Legal Officer at the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs in New York City. She previously worked in international dispute settlement in Colombia and the United States, including regional human rights cases, international investment, and commercial arbitration.

Victoria Pochtar is an independent international law and arbitration counsel and New York–qualified attorney whose career spans government service and private practice. A former career diplomat, she has represented her country in high-stakes international proceedings and multilateral negotiations, including before the United Nations and the European Union. In addition to her practice, Victoria teaches international law at St. John’s University School of Law, chairs the International Law Committee of the New York City Bar Association, and serves on the Board of the NYU Law Alumni Association, where she earned her LL.M. in 2021.

Dr Klara Polackova Van der Ploeg is an Associate Professor at the Stetson University College of Law. She is a dual-qualified attorney-at-law (State of New York; Czech Republic) and holds a PhD in international law from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland with highest distinction (summa cum laude avec les félicitations du jury).

Olga Pototskaya focuses her practice on complex commercial disputes and international arbitration. She has extensive experience assisting clients across industries through all aspects of litigation and the international dispute resolution process, including discovery, written pleadings, and merit hearings. She is particularly experienced in international commercial arbitration under ICC, ICDR, AAA, and UNCITRAL rules.  In addition to her international matters, Olga has experience defending class actions, product liability cases, and antitrust lawsuits.

Rajika L. Shah is the Director of the Justice for Atrocities Clinic (LJAC) at LMU Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and a Visiting Associate Clinical Professor. LJAC seeks to hold perpetrators of mass atrocity crimes and serious human rights abuses legally accountable, and works toward reparations for victims and survivors. She also teaches on Creighton University’s Nuremberg to The Hague summer study abroad program. She currently serves on the Editorial Board of ASIL Insights and on the Executive Committee of the Lieber Society.

Tara Van Ho is an Associate Professor of Law at St. Mary’s University in Texas. Her research interests lie at the intersection of Business & Human Rights, international economic law, armed conflict, and post-conflict transitional justice. She has previously advised the U.N. Working Group on Business and Human Rights, was co-Director of the Essex Business & Human Rights Project, and co-Director of the Global Business & Human Rights Scholars Association.

Beatrice A. Walton is an Associate at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, where she practices in the Litigation Department and the firm’s International Dispute Resolution and Public International Law Groups. Her practice focuses on representing states, commercial parties, and international organizations in a range of international fora, as well as in U.S. courts. Since fall 2023, she has also served as a Visiting Lecturer in Law at Yale Law School.

Elisabeth Wickeri is Executive Director of the Leitner Center for International Law and Justice at Fordham Law School and Adjunct Professor of Law. Elisabeth teaches courses in public international law, comparative legal frameworks, and carries out fieldwork, research, and writing on legal developments in Asia.

Freya Doughty-Wagner is ABILA’s Chief Operating Officer, the Regional Director for North America for the Global Network for Human Rights and the Environment, and a climate justice consultant.

Laurie Farid is ABILA’s Program Officer focusing efforts on CLE programming. Prior to joining ABILA, Laurie was the Academic Affairs Director at California Western School of Law.

Julia Liston is ABILA’s Membership Officer and Director of Bar Support and LLM Program Fellow at Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Leila Nadya Sadat is the James Carr Professor of International Criminal Law at Washington University and visited at Yale Law School from 2021-2024. She served as Special Adviser on Crimes Against Humanity to the International Criminal Court Prosecutor from 2013-2023 and is on the registered list of experts for the Moscow Mechanism of the OSCE. She has received multiple awards for her work including, most recently, the Goler T. Butcher Medal from the American Society of International Law. She is Chair of the International Law Association (American Branch), a member of the American Law Institute and the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, has held leadership positions in many other learned societies, and is a member of the board of editors of the Journal of International Criminal Justice. She recently joined the Advisory Council of the International Nuremberg Principles Academy, and the board of EyeWitness to Atrocities.

Michael P. Scharf is ABILA’s President, Associate Dean for Global Legal Studies at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, the Joseph C. Hostetler—BakerHostetler Professor of Law and serves as Managing Director of the Public International Law & Policy Group, a Nobel Peace Prize-nominated NGO. 

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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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Mortimer Sellers, José E. Alvarez, Michael P. Scharf, and Leila Nadya Sadat

The Categories:

ABILA Book of the Year Award: Awarded each year to the best book published in the previous year on international law or a topic in international law.

ABILA Practitioners Book Award: Awarded each year to the best book published in the previous year on a technical topic in international law or on a topic likely to be of particular interest to international law practitioners.

ABILA New Authors Book Award: This award is given each year to the best first book published in the previous year on international law or a topic in international law by an author who has not previously published a book on this or any other subject.

ABILA Edited Volume Award: Awarded each year to the best-edited volume published in the previous year on international law or a topic in international law.

The awards will be announced and presented to the recipients at International Law Weekend 2026, and the winner(s)’ names will be included in the list of all past Book of the Year Award winners on the ABILA website. See last year’s winners here.

SUBMISSION INFORMATION:

Eligible books must have been published within the calendar year of nomination or the preceding calendar year and must address some aspect of international law.

Procedure for nomination: Any person may nominate a book to the Award Committee. Please indicate which award(s) the book is being nominated for; to be considered for the award, the nominator, author(s), or publisher must send a copy of the book directly to each of the members of the ABILA Book Award Committee (see below). Books must be received by June 15, 2026. The books nominated will not be returned.

Members of the 2026 ABILA Book Awards Committee:

Prof. Mortimer Sellers
Chair, ABILA Book Awards Committee
615 County Line Road
Radnor, Pennsylvania 19087
U.S.A.

Prof. Fernanda Nicola
Washington College of Law
4300 Nebraska Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20016
U.S.A.

Prof. Alison Renteln
USC Gould School of Law
699 Exhibition Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90089-0071
U.S.A.

Send any questions to ilw@ila-americanbranch.org.

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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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