Celebrating 30 Years: the Cox Center Marks Three Decades of Dedication to International Law

v. 13 no. 1 2021 Case Global The Frederick K. Cox International Law Center Celebrating 30 Years: The Cox Center marks three decades of dedication to international law Ranked #16 in the country for international law by U.S. News & World Report About the Center 5 Since its founding in 1991, CWRU’s Frederick K. Cox International Law Center has trained the next generation of international lawyers while making an impact locally, nationally and around the world. The Cox Center serves as the hub of the law school’s international law program, which includes the Canada-US 4 Law Institute, the Institute for Global Security Law & Policy, the Henry T. King Jr. War Crimes Research Office, the Yemen Accountability Project, the 9 Immigration Law Clinic, and the Journal of International Law. The Cox Center Team Michael P. Scharf Co-Dean, School of Law Stephen J. Petras Jr. Director, Frederick K. Cox International Law Center Juscelino Colares Co-Director, Frederick K. Cox International THE ACADEMY AND INTERNATIONAL LAW: Law Center Avidan Cover Director, Institute for Global Security Law A Catalyst for Change and Innovation and Policy Shannon French Director, Inamori International Center for Join Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland Ethics and Excellence this fall for a two-day, in-person event to explore how academia Richard Gordon SEPTEMBER 24-25 Director, Financial Integrity Institute, has influenced war crimes prosecutions, peace negotiations, and and Associate Director, Frederick K. Cox the pursuit of human rights since the Second World War. CLEVELAND, OHIO 16 22 International Law Center James Johnson This conference celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Registration is free, but Director, Henry King War Crimes Research Office endowment of our Frederick K. Cox International Law Center and there is a $100 charge for Inside this Issue Ted Parran the 25th anniversary of the Public International Law & Policy alumni seeking CLE credit Managing Director, Canada-U.S. Law Institute or $200 for non-alumni Group’s founding. Jonathan Gordon International accolades for Global impact 4 10 Director, SJD Program seeking CLE. Co-Dean Scharf See where Case Western Reserve School Featured speakers include: of Law alumni are making an impact in Jack Turner See the full schedule 5 Student-led initiative documents international law Director, Foreign Graduate LLM Program atrocities in Yemen and sign up for your Su He Three decades of progress 13 Director, Joint Program in International Going global—at home free tickets today: 6 Notable milestones of the Frederick K. Commercial Law and Dispute Resolution case.edu/law/our-school/ How students gained hands-on Cox International Law Center’s first international law experiences amid 30 years Elizabeth Woyczynski events-lectures the pandemic Administrative Director, Office of Foreign 16 CWRU takes top honors Graduate Legal Studies CWRU faculty connect with human rights 8 in international moot court competitions Michael Benza, Carol Fox, Kathryn Mercer, experts in Thailand Douglas Pilawa, Elizabeth Safier, and 17 Making an impact on immigration Denakpon Tchobo Judge Silva Fernandez de Dr. Mark Ellis, Executive 8 Law faculty, students push for Jessup, ICC, and Vis International Moot Court Gurmendi, President of the Director of the International accountability for violence by police 18 News of our International Law Faculty Team Coaches Assembly of State Parties of the Bar Association International Criminal Court 9 Alumni spotlight 22 Diplomatic tendencies Eric Siler John Sopko, Inspector General Director of Academic Centers for Afghanistan Case Global x 3 The Yemen Accountability CWRU’s Project is part of the Global Accountability Network, international International accolades alongside the Syrian Accountability Project and the law program Venezuelan Accountability for Co-Dean Scharf Project. It is also affiliated with earns top When the fledgling International Criminal Court Mock Trial the Public International Law Competition foundered a decade ago, Case Western Reserve & Policy Group, a Nobel Peace rankings University School of Law Co-Dean Michael Scharf jumped into Prize-nominated NGO that action, co-founding the International Criminal Court Moot Court assists in international war In a year of tumult, one thing remained Competition in The Hague, along with Leiden University School crimes prosecutions. YAP is steady: Case Western Reserve of Law Professor and Grotius Center Director Carsten Stahn. University’s international law program supported by a three-year grant earned top ratings from national Since then, the competition has thrived—growing to include from alumnus Timothy Geisse publications. participants from 95 universities from 50 countries and earning (LAW ’84) and the John F. and sponsorship from the International Bar Association (IBA). Mary A. Geisse Foundation. Among the reasons for highlighting our program: the Frederick K. Cox In recognition of his “extraordinary work” with the competition, International Law Center’s $4 million the IBA presented Scharf with a leadership award, recognizing his creativity, energy, and endowment—one of the largest in expertise in writing the ICC Moot Court Problems and Bench Memos. Mark Ellis, executive the nation; our adaptability amid the director of the IBA, said the association wouldn’t have entered into the new partnership, which pandemic to support our students (see includes naming rights for the competition, if not for Scharf’s leadership as chair of the Board p. 6); and an analysis of our academic of Advisors. strongholds, including concentrations, clinics, externships, journals, moot court The award comes just months after Scharf was voted president-elect of the American branch success and more. of the International Law Association, the international non-governmental organization involved in developing and restating international law. Scharf has three decades of leadership in the American branch, which is among the oldest and largest of the association’s 63 branches. He served nearly 10 years as its vice president Student-led initiative and member of its board of directors, twice chaired International Law Weekend—its annual three-day conference in New York City that brings together 2,000 academics, practitioners and international#16 law program, students—and organized three regional meetings at Case Western Reserve. U.S. News & World Report DOCUMENTS ATROCITIES Scharf will serve as president-elect until 2022, when he will succeed Professor Leila Sadat of Washington University in St. Louis as president for up to a pair of two-year terms. Three years ago, a group of Case Western prosecutions at the Special Court for Sierra in Yemen Reserve University School of Law students Leone and director of the CWRU War Crimes came together to launch the Yemen Research Office. and individuals accountable for the atrocities Accountability Project (YAP) to document that have been committed in Yemen since spots from the8 prior year and map war crimes and crimes against “When we launched the project, we were the conflict began. Conference takes on Scharf’s humanity in the Yemeni Civil War. hoping for a handful of volunteers,” said Johnson. “Instead, dozens of law students The first white paper, a 59-page report, “Grotian Moments” concept Last fall, the team’s extensive work began came on board despite the workloads and explores how civilian victims of the war in to come to fruition with the release of YAP’s pressures of school. These students are Yemen can seek justice for the grave crimes Building upon School of Law Co-Dean Michael first white paper, “Aiding and Abetting: volunteering their time because they see this perpetrated against them. The second, a Scharf’s concept of “Grotian Moments”—paradigm Holding States, Corporations, and Individuals as an opportunity to make a difference.” 51-page document, examines evidence shifts and tipping points in international law— Accountable for War Crimes in Yemen.” from 2015 to 2018 that illustrates patterns rating,A+ National Jurist’s the Max Planck Institute in Heidelberg, Germany, Six months later, the group published its By the time Johnson finished recruiting, of widespread attacks on civilian objects PreLaw magazine convened a workshop this spring, titled “Grotian second, “Starvation: Building the Case for more than 70 law students joined the effort indispensable to survival, such as food Moments in International Law.” Prosecuting Starvation Crimes in Yemen.” to help bring justice and accountability production and water supply, and outlines to a conflict that has cost more than avenues for bringing charges against Scharf, whose two books on the topic were published The YAP is the first comprehensive effort 100,000 lives. Over the next two years, YAP perpetrators of these crimes. by Cambridge University Press, presented a paper on “Grotian to document atrocities in the country’s civil volunteers worked to build a database of Moments: The Concept.” Twenty-two international law experts from war and lay the foundation for successful potential war crimes in Yemen’s civil war, Johnson estimates the entire project will be years4 in a row of 101 schools across the globe then presented papers on the application of the Grotian Moment prosecutions of the responsible parties. The analyze data, and deliver meaningful reports complete in another three years, and hopes given this honor concept to a variety of areas; the papers will be published in a book by Brill. student-run project is supervised by Adjunct to international

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