International Law Weekend 2026 – Call for Panel Proposals
INTERNATIONAL LAW WEEKEND 2026
Call for Panel Proposals
[R]evolution in the International Legal Order
DEADLINE: APRIL 10, 2026
The American Branch of the International Law Association (ABILA) is pleased to invite proposals for International Law Weekend 2026 (ILW 2026). ILW 2026 will take place October 22-24, 2026, in New York City.
The International Law Weekend 2026 Co-Chairs are Brady Mabe (International Committee of the Red Cross), Jess Peake (UCLA School of Law), and Lisa Reinsberg (UC Berkeley School of Law). The unifying theme for ILW 2026 is [R]evolution in the International Legal Order.
This conference will examine the currents of revolution and evolution simultaneously reshaping 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.
The 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 will situate 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.
When submitting your proposal, please consider the following points:
- ILW 2026 will promote representation and dialogue among diverse voices. Per the ILA Guidelines for Diversity of Conference and Panel Speakers, all panels must contain gender parity. Further, the Committee will give preference to panels that include representation of historically underrepresented groups and promote dialogue across different professional perspectives, including scholars and practitioners.
- Panel proposals may concern any aspect of international law and practice including, but not limited to, the use of force, international economic law (including trade and investment), international human rights law, equality and social justice, international humanitarian law, international organizations, international environmental law, national security, cyber law, international criminal law, international intellectual property, the law of the sea and outer space, and legal theory. When submitting your proposal, please identify the primary area(s) of international law that your proposed panel will address.
- Your panel proposal should include a title and a paragraph description of your panel. In addition, please provide the names, titles, and affiliations of the moderator and speakers, and indicate whether these speakers have confirmed their intent to participate if the proposal is chosen. Panels with confirmed speakers will be given preference. If your proposal is selected, all speakers must be confirmed by August 1, 2026, at the absolute latest.
- Please keep in mind that while speakers may be proposed for multiple panels, it is the Branch’s policy that individuals may speak on only one panel at ILW to ensure a diversity of voices. It is the responsibility of the panel proposers and speakers to avoid any duplication.
- Please specify the format you propose for your panel. We encourage you to think beyond traditional panel presentations or lectures, such as debates and roundtable discussions. This includes the possibility of organizing an online webinar, which has led to some excellent sessions with very large attendance.
- While International Law Weekend is and will remain firmly rooted in international law, we particularly welcome interdisciplinary panel proposals that reflect on the theme of ILW 2026 from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
- Please indicate whether you are an ABILA member and whether your panel is sponsored by an ABILA committee. Preference will be given to panels sponsored by a Committee. Committees may only sponsor one proposal. Committee sponsorship requires the agreement of the committee chair. A list of ABILA Committees and Chairs can be found on the ABILA Website.
All decisions regarding panel selection, including the final composition and description of panels, are at the sole discretion of the ILW Organizing Committee. The Committee may work with panel proposers on the description and speakers prior to and following selection. Once a panel is accepted, any change in panelists must be approved in advance by the ILW Organizing Committee.
Organizers of selected panels must commit to delivering their session as scheduled, including securing timely replacements for any last-minute speaker cancellations. This policy helps ensure a complete and reliable program while maintaining fairness to those whose panel proposals were not accepted.
Information for Committee Chairs:
- Please only submit one panel proposal per Committee. We encourage Committees to work together and cosponsor panel proposals; this will be considered as an even stronger endorsement.
- Please confer with your Committee membership for panel ideas and input. If you need assistance downloading your Committee email roster, please contact Freya and Laurie at [email protected].
- If your panel is not selected, Committees may be offered a pre International Law Weekend webinar slot.
- Additionally, this year, Committee Networking Workshops will be available on Saturday morning, from 8AM to 9AM. Co-Chairs may use this hour as they wish, including for book discussions and informal panel sessions. Further details about the workshops will be sent later in the year.
For questions regarding ILW 2026, please contact: [email protected].
