International Law Programming at the Law School

In addition to the Chicago Journal of International Law, the Global Human Rights Clinic, the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic, a variety of student organizations, and a robust selection of courses related to international and comparative law, the Law School offers a collection of international law programming. Overseen by International Programs Director Aican Nguyen, the programs often draw on the expertise and support of faculty—including Professor Tom Ginsburg, who serves as the faculty advisor—and alumni. They include:

  • The International Immersion Program, in which law students travel abroad to meet with policymakers, judges, lawyers, government officials, and other professionals and then write and present a research paper related to the experience. Past trips have included visits to Europe, South America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East and covered such topics as law and economic development, comparative constitutional law, international human rights law, international trade, and investment law.
  • An International Human Rights Summer Program, which provides funding for fellowships that offer real-world experience to JD students. One recent fellowship recipient, Chris Musick, ’23, had an opportunity in October 2021 to report on human rights in Cambodia to the UN Human Rights Council on behalf of Human Rights Now, the NGO in Japan where he had interned that summer.
  • Funding for judicial fellowships on the International Court of Justice earned by two recent alumni: Ana Luquerna, ’21, who is serving now, and Marcos Garcia Dominguez, LLM ’13, JSD ’19, who served in 2017-2018.
  • The Salzburg Cutler Fellows Program, which convenes students from the top 14 law schools with judges and practitioners to explore the field of international law through a series of high-level workshops. Each year, the Law School sends about four students, who, among other activities, receive feedback on their own original research and writing on topics concerning the development of both public and private international law. Most years, the students travel to Washington, DC, though the gathering was held virtually during the pandemic.
  • The International Law Speaker Series, through which the Law School brings in 10 to 15 prominent scholars and practitioners each academic year. Visitors have included Judge Lech Garlicki of European Court of Human Rights; Judge Ben Kioko of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights; Joan Donoghue of the International Court of Justice; and judges from the supreme courts and lower courts of numerous countries.
  • The Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, the world’s largest moot court competition. Many years several Law School students participate in the competition, which simulates arguments before the International Court of Justice.