2021 Lieber Society IG Executive Committee elections

The candidates for the Lieber Society Executive Committee elections are:

Ronald Alcala Christopher Bailey Ezequiel Heffes Matt Montazzoli Nick Mull Mikhail Orkin Loren Voss

Statements of interest and biographies as submitted by the candidates can be found below.

Ronald Alcala - Lieber Society IG Executive Committee nomination

Statement of Interest

As an Army Judge Advocate, I have observed how the uncertainties and ambiguities of contemporary conflict can test the limits of the law. And as an Academy Professor at West Point, I am reminded every day how consequential educating and instilling respect for the law of armed conflict can be. The Lieber Society’s mission of facilitating dialogue among academics and governmental and non-governmental practitioners from across the world is a critical one, and if selected to serve on the Executive Committee, I hope to bring my experience and perspectives to bear in service of this noble endeavor.

I was inspired to become a Judge Advocate while serving as an intern at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. After joining the Army JAG Corps, I advised commanders in various capacities and deployed twice, once to Iraq and once to Afghanistan. I also served as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate of Special Operations Command Europe responsible for advising the command on international and operational law. I later served as an attorney assigned to the Pentagon where I advised the JAG Corps’ senior leadership on complex legal issues. I am currently assigned as an Academy Professor in the Department of Law at West Point where, among other things, I teach Constitutional and Military Law. The study of Military Law was instituted in 1858 at West Point, and in 1863, instruction on General Order No. 100, commonly known as the Lieber Code, was added to the curriculum. Today, the course I teach includes instruction on the law of armed conflict, and it is a graduation requirement that all cadets must complete before they may commission as officers.

Lastly, I am part of the leadership team of West Point’s Lieber Institute for Law and Land Warfare, and I also serve as Co-Managing Editor of its Articles of War blog. In this role, I have had extensive experience organizing conferences, sponsoring panels, and publishing works by both academics and practitioners on the law of armed conflict. Given my background, I believe I can contribute in positive ways to the various projects and events sponsored by the Lieber Society. It would be a great honor to serve the members of this important Interest Group and to further the goals of the Lieber Society.

Biography

Ronald Alcala is a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army and an Assistant Professor and an Academy Professor of Law in the Department of Law at the United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y. He is also Managing Editor of the Lieber Institute for Law and Land Warfare’s Articles of War blog and served as volume editor of "The Impact of Emerging Technologies on the Law of Armed Conflict," published by Oxford University Press in 2019.

Before joining the faculty, LTC Alcala served as a Judge Advocate in a number of legal positions advising commanders on criminal law, international law, and administrative law issues. He most recently served as an attorney in the Office of the Judge Advocate General at Headquarters, Department of the Army. His other past assignments include Deputy Staff Judge Advocate, Special Operations Command Europe; Chief, Rule of Law, Multinational Division Center, Baghdad, Iraq; and Trial Counsel, Task Force Spartan and 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Jalalabad, Afghanistan. LTC Alcala earned a B.A. in History and Classics from Williams College and a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School. He also holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, and an LL.M. in Military Law from the Judge Advocate General’s School in Charlottesville, Va.

Christopher Bailey - Lieber Society IG Executive Committee nomination

Statement of Interest

I would like to nominate myself for a position on the Executive Committee of the Lieber Society (American Society of International Law). I have long-standing interest in international humanitarian law, both as a result of long-term service in the U.S. Army and now as a Professor of Law at the National Intelligence University. I look forward to an opportunity to contribute to greater scholarship and the advancement of international humanitarian law.

Biography

I am an accomplished attorney with a high degree of personal and professional skills. I am an expert educator—with over ten years’ of experience—teaching law and mentoring thesis students, with interests in international human rights, international humanitarian, and national security law, at the graduate level.

I have broad academic and scholarly preparation to include The Hague Academy of International Law (Winter 2021 program); an SJD degree in International and Comparative Law (George Washington University Law School, 2018); and an LLM (Master of Law) degree in National Security & U.S. Foreign Relations Law (George Washington University Law School, 2016). My LLM thesis on the Uganda/LRA conflict under International Humanitarian Law has been published at 40 FORDHAM INTERNATIONAL LAW JOURNAL 247 (2017). I am a graduate of the U.S. Army War College.

Work History Highlights: I have been an Associate Professor of Law (graduate faculty) for over ten years and am currently serving as the Vice Chairman for the NIU Institutional Review Board (a key position involving the supervision of research across the university). I have collaborated with varied institutional and foreign partners to ensure success in many educational activities. I have engaged in wide-ranging outreach, to include conference organization, to other universities and academic venues. I have been licensed to practice law for 25 years, with trial and appellate work. I am a retired Army officer.

I have a history of excellent legal scholarship. My recent work includes a book chapter on "Meeting the Needs of the State: Intelligence, Security, and Police in East Africa” (forthcoming, spring 2021); a book on "Counterterrorism Law and Practice in the East African Community"; and a range of law review review articles on topics in international humanitarian law, national security law, and international criminal law. I've been a contributing member to the Lieber Society, to include the past three years on the Executive Board and current service as the chair of the Richard Baxter Military Prize writing war, and am working to support a forthcoming panel on COVID in areas of armed conflict.

Ezequiel Heffes - Lieber Society IG Executive Committee nomination

Statement of Interest

I am writing to express my interest in becoming a member of the Executive Committee of the Lieber Society on the Law of Armed Conflict of the American Society of International Law. I am a lawyer currently working as a legal adviser at Geneva Call, a humanitarian non- governmental organization that aims at increasing the respect of international law by armed non- State actors (ANSAs) in conflict settings, and a PhD candidate at the University of Leiden, where I examine the legal regulation of certain activities conducted by ANSAs. I am particularly interested in becoming part of the Executive Committee, as I believe it can play a key role in fostering in-depth debates about international humanitarian law (IHL) and other relevant legal regimes applicable to armed conflict.

In the past few years, I have engaged in numerous activities similar to those undertaken by the Committee. For instance, in my role as co-editor of the blog ‘Armed Groups and International Law’, I have organized various online discussions about recently published books and thematic symposiums, the latest one dealing with compliance in armed conflict and jointly held with Opinio Juris. I have also experience convening events, including the 2021 ASIL Annual Meeting, of which I am part of the Program Committee.

From a professional standpoint, as a legal adviser at Geneva Call with prior experiences at the ICRC in different contexts, I am well aware of the impact that bringing together scholars and governmental and non-governmental practitioners from different parts of the world may have for the respect of the law. I am indeed convinced that through its various activities, the Lieber Society is a unique platform in that regard.

As a member of the Executive Committee, I would be interested in focusing on two activities:

(i) building the Lieber Society’s community, which would entail not only bringing together emerging and established voices in the IHL sphere, but also from other social sciences dealing with the application of this legal framework in armed conflict. Of course, this should always consider having gender-balanced activities, geographical representation and early career scholars.

(ii) helping to reinforce the Lieber Society’s communication strategy in order to share more widely the members’ academic outputs and other relevant information in different social media.

Biography

I serve as a legal adviser at Geneva Call, a humanitarian non-governmental organization that promotes respect of humanitarian norms by armed non-State actors (ANSAs) in conflict settings. For the past four years, I have provided advice on various thematic files, such as the protection of children and education, the protection of health care and detention and administration of justice. I have also supported Geneva Call’s engagement activities and international humanitarian law (IHL) trainings with ANSAs from all around the world, including Mali, South Sudan, Iraq, Syria and Colombia. Prior to joining Geneva Call, I have worked as a field and protection delegate and as a head of office for the ICRC in Colombia, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As a result of my professional experiences, I am aware of the practical realities and challenges related to the application of international law in armed conflict.

From an academic perspective, I hold an LL.M. in IHL and Human Rights form the Geneva Academy, and a law degree from the University of Buenos Aires School of Law. I am currently pursuing my PhD at the University of Leiden (Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies). I am currently Co-Investigator of two fully funded research projects that analyze: (i) the role of religious leaders in influencing compliance with humanitarian norms in armed conflict; and (ii) the practice and interpretation of ANSAs with respect to the international obligations applicable upon them.

Finally, I have also widely published in the field of IHL, including in the International Review of the Red Cross and the Yearbook of IHL. My publications also include the co-edited volume International Humanitarian Law and Non-State Actors. Debates, Law and Practice T.M.C. Asser/Springer, 2020), and a forthcoming monograph on detention by armed groups with Cambridge University Press.

Matt Montazzoli - Lieber Society IG Executive Committee nomination

Statement of Interest

I am interested in expanding my scope of practice and knowledge of international law through interaction with academics and practitioners, particularly those from backgrounds distinct from my own. My affiliation with the Lieber Society has provided me with exposure to new materials and different perspectives. I would be proud to serve on the Executive Committee to contribute to the promotion and advancement of the Society.

Biography

I am an active duty U.S. Army Judge Advocate, selected to serve as an Exchange Officer to the Australian Defence Force. I previously served as the Regimental Judge Advocate for the Army's 75th Ranger Regiment, an elite special operations raid force. That assignment included 16 months as the senior legal advisor for a special operations joint task force.

I have written on the law of war, including articles on the Brereton Report, an article for the infantry branch journal discussing obligations towards persons hors de combat, and an article proposing the U.S. Army develop a dedicated war crimes investigation unit.

I am married with three daughters, aged 3, 5, and 7.

Nick Mull - Lieber Society IG Executive Committee nomination

Statement of Interest

I have been an ASIL and Lieber Society member since 2015, and have held this position on the Executive Committee for the past three years. I am fully committed to the goals of this group and to the study of the law of armed conflict. I hope in the coming years to have the opportunity to meet and learn from those of you that I have not already had the privilege of meeting.

Regarding my hope to continue to serve the mission of our group, I have the experience, training and education, and personal passion for LOAC to continue to be an effective member of the Executive Committee. During my time on the Executive Committee, I have been active in internal deliberations and discussions with the Committee on emerging matters or planning of events. Last spring, I proposed a substantive webinar to ASIL with a panel version of a book review for THE IMPACT OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES ON THE LAW OF ARMED CONFLICT, and recruited the moderator (contributing editor) and panelists that all contributed chapters to the book, which was held with success and positive feedback. While I originally began that planning as part of my duties as the Vice Chair of the Nonproliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament Interest Group (NACDIG), as an Executive Committee member, I sought to co-host/sponsor with the Liber Society as well due to our overlapping interest and widen the aperture of potential attendees.

In this past year, I also volunteered to serve on the committee for the Baxter writing prize sponsored by the Lieber Society. In that capacity, I provided a thorough review of all writing submissions and met with the other committee members to discuss the papers and vote, including also recommendations for future years to increase the eligibility.

I wish to maintain a spot on the Executive Committee because I know I can continue to meaningfully contribute to Lieber Society activities. I also believe I have a perspective that crosses practitioner and academic gaps, as well as a perspective informed by my professional work with militaries and security forces across the globe with a primary purpose of promoting optimal compliance with IHL and IHRL through the development of institutional legal capacity and training and education of military officers from the nearly 60 different Partner Nations DIILS engages with on average in any given year.

As you may note from my biography, I have devoted my entire professional life, and most of my personal life as well, to national security, international relations, and the promotion of international law, especially IHL and IHRL. I hope to have your support.

Biography

Nick Mull currently works for the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) at Newport, Rhode Island, an agency of the Department of Defense chartered as the lead security cooperation resource for legal engagements with Partner Nations across the globe. Nick was first hired as an Institutional Capacity Building (ICB) attorney-advisor for the Middle East, but was subsequently hired into a newly created billet at DIILS as the Civilian Harm Mitigation Program Director with global responsibilities for DIILS programs with a focus, or equities in the general field of developing capacities at the strategic, operational and tactical levels of Partner Nation military and security forces for civilian harm mitigation (CHM) and protection of civilians (POC).

As an ICB Attorney-advisor, Nick’s work included consulting with allies and partner nations on the development of institutional legal capacity to promote rule of law and international law, especially IHL and IHRL; domestic, regional, and international stability; and greater interoperability with U.S. forces.

As the CHM Program Director, Nick has responsibilities crossing all departments at DIILS, including strategy, plans and policy; operations; and resident courses/curriculum development.

Lastly, Nick is the Course Director for two of the DIILS resident courses for foreign military officers and Ministry of Defense civilians that are four weeks in length each: Human Rights and Law of Armed Conflict and the Law of Military Operations course.

Nick is also a former officer and judge advocate in the U.S. Marine Corps, separating after 16 total years of service. During his last active duty assignment, he was the Head of the Operational Law Department at the Office of the Judge Advocate General of the Navy at the Pentagon. In this assignment, he was a member of the Department of Defense Law of War Working Group and the JAG’s voting representative to the Naval Arms Control Review Board.

While on active duty, he graduated in the top ten of his law school class at Wayne State University Law School with his J.D. and was admitted to the Order of the Coif, followed by graduation at the top of his class at the Naval Justice School at Newport, RI. After leaving military service, he completed an LL.M. at Columbia Law School with top honors (James Kent Scholar) and received a Certificate of Excellence in International and Comparative Law from the Parker School of Foreign and Comparative Law. He also has a national security law certificate from the National Security Law Institute, University of Virginia Law School.

He is a graduate of the following military schools: Expeditionary Warfare School of the Marine Corps University, Operational Law of Armed Conflict Course at The Judge Advocate General's Law Center and School, Naval Justice School where he graduated number one in his class, and he is a distinguished graduated of the Marine Corps University's Command & Staff College.

Mikhail Orkin - Lieber Society IG Executive Committee nomination

Statement of Interest

As a professional, my dedication and focus is the promotion, strengthening, and application of international humanitarian law.

As a member of the Executive Committee, I will contribute from my expertise in relation to the operational application of international humanitarian law, drawing on my previous professional experience. At the start of my career, I served as a (JAG-equivalent) officer in the Israeli military and gathered diverse trial advocacy experience. After joining the International Committee of the Red Cross as a Legal Adviser in 2013, I first provided operational legal advice to the Delegation of the ICRC in Israel and the Occupied Territories. I would hope to contribute the expert familiarity I gained during that time on the real-life conditions and challenges relevant to international humanitarian law today.

I also bring extensive experience in promoting international humanitarian law and providing direction and advice to young legal professionals beginning their careers in the field. For a number of years I curated and organized the Israel National International Humanitarian Law Competition, and also served as a judge in the Pictet IHL Competition and the Clara Barton IHL Competition. I have also taken an active and managerial role in organizing various public events focusing on international humanitarian law on behalf of the ICRC in academic forums and public forums. Currently, I am working on cutting edge research related to the project to update the ICRC Commentary on the Fourth Geneva Convention, and I would hope to contribute to the work of the Executive Committee in formulating the focus of activities and events.

I would be honored to join the Executive Committee as a member so that I can take part in the work of the Committee alongside other colleagues on the Committee. I would hope to collaborate, work with and learn from the other esteemed members.

Biography

Mikhail Orkin is an international humanitarian law expert and a lawyer with over 15 years of legal experience. Mikhail joined the International Committee of the Red Cross as a legal adviser in 2013. Since 2019, Mikhail has worked on the ICRC project to update the Commentaries on the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977. In this role, Mikhail undertakes extensive research and drafting and takes part in promotional activities related to the project.

Mikhail previously worked as an operational legal adviser at the ICRC Delegation in Israel and the Occupied Territories. In this role, he provided expert legal advice to the Delegation on IHL relating to the activities of the delegation, and also represented the ICRC in academic and public fora. Before joining the ICRC, Mikhail worked as a (JAG-equivalent) Officer and trial advocate in the Israeli military. Mikhail has a Bachelor of Laws from University College London, an LL.M. from Tel-Aviv University, and an LL.M. from American University Washington College of Law with a focus on IHL and IHRL.

Loren Voss - Lieber Society IG Executive Committee nomination

Statement of Interest

I attended my first ASIL conference in 2017 and was hooked. As a Lieber Society member, I’ve enjoyed the range of events Lieber has organized over the years and was recently a speaker in the Civilian Casualties Symposium. With the range of backgrounds and interests of Lieber Society members, I’d like to work to continue to expand the types of activities we offer, as well develop and deepen partnerships with a number of other interest groups and other IHL organizations.

Secondly, I’d love to ensure we’re helping law students and young members expand their knowledge in this field and participate meaningfully. When a student myself, I organized and ran Harvard Law’s first IHL conference for students around the country looking to build their skills and break into the field. Using this and past mentoring experiences, I would help us leverage our wealth of knowledge and experience to support the next generation of scholars and practitioners.

Biography

Loren Voss is a Senior Advisor at the Department of Defense where she leads efforts to integrate civilian harm mitigation into security assistance and security cooperation with allies and partners. She oversees efforts to operationalize the law of armed conflict/international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as well as provide best practices to partner security forces through training and advising. Loren previously served as an Air Force officer, in which she helped develop and update U.S. war plans and created identification metrics for friendly forces for the first U.S. airstrikes in Libya (2011).

Loren also clerked for the Vice President of the Israeli Supreme Court, focusing on comparative law interpretations in the areas of national security, IHL, and IHRL. As a Harvard Frederick Sheldon Traveling Fellow, she distilled lessons learned and best practices the United States could apply to military decisions and policy in the next decade.

Loren holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School (cum laude), an M.A. in Global Affairs from the Jackson Institute at Yale University, and a B.A. in International Relations and Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.