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Preparing for the 109th ASIL Annual Meeting

The 109th ASIL Annual Meeting is taking place from 8-11 April 2015, at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill, in Washington, DC. The ASIL Annual meeting is one of the most important events on the international law community calendar, and 2015 proves to be no exception.

This year’s conference theme will tackle the highly topical subject of ‘Adapting to a Rapidly Changing World’. Attendees will be exploring how effectively international law and international institutions are adjusting to recent, dramatic geopolitical developments. Sessions will delve into various subject areas relating to international law including: territorial disputes, human rights, energy demands, arms proliferation, shifting balances of power, and the rise of social media and its impact on international relations.

In preparation for this meeting, we asked some of our key authors to share their thoughts on the ways in which their specific areas of international law have adapted to our rapidly changing world. How can we expect international law to adapt, in the face of cyber-conflicts, new environmental challenges, and still-unanswered demands for LGBT rights, corporate responsibility, and the protection of people from mass atrocities? Can international law truly intervene to resolve global issues? We have also created a collection of free journal articles and online resources, as well as a specially selected list of books, which focuses on ASIL’s conference theme.

With more than 175 speakers and panelists, and attendees from more than 75 countries there is a lot on offer. Here are our top picks from the conference program:

Thursday, 9 April 2015

International Law and the Future of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.: Join moderator Sean Murphy (George Washington University Law School, author of Litigating War), speaker William Schabas, (Middlesex University, author of Unimaginable Atrocities), and others to discuss how international law can influence the realization of a lasting peace agreement.

Legitimacy, Adaptability, and Consent in Modern International Law, 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.: This session discusses the growing tension between adaptability and legitimacy in international law making. Joseph Weiler (New York University School of Law, and Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of International Law) will moderate this timely debate. Speakers include Jutta Brunnée (Metcalf Chair in Environmental Law at the University of Toronto, co-author of International Climate Change Law) and Benedict Kingsbury (Murray and Ida Becker Professor of Law at New York University’s School of Law, Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of International Law, and co-author of Governance by Indicators).

The Stagnation of International Law, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: To what extent are traditional lawmaking processes actually stagnant? What accounts for any stagnation? What is the proper role of international lawyers if law as law is marginalized? Speakers Dinah Shelton (George Washington University Law School, Editor of The Oxford Handbook of International Human Rights Law), Ingo Venzke (University of Amsterdam, author of How Interpretation Makes International Law), and Kal Raustiala (Professor of Law at UCLA, co-author of The Knockoff Economy) weigh in on this important topic.

ASIL-ICCA Task Force on Issue Conflicts in International Arbitration: Briefing and Discussion, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Join the ASIL and ICCA joint task force to explore the question of “issue conflict” bias with the aim of developing guidance for the international arbitration community. Speakers include Laurence Boisson de Chazournes (University of Geneva, author of Fresh Water in International Law).

The Revival of Comparative International Law, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.: Speakers including Lauri Mälksoo (University of Tartu, author of Russian Approaches to International Law) will explore the notion of “comparative international law” and examine how actors from different legal systems are likely to interpret and apply the norm differently.

ASIL Annual General Meeting, 2:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.: Remarks from the ASIL President, and the presentation of the Deák Prize!

The Role of International Law in Negotiating Peace, 2:45 pm – 4:45 pm: To what extent can negotiators help drive the peacemaking process or achieve a lasting peace? This two-hour session includes a viewing and moderated discussion of the documentary film, “The Agreement”. Panel speakers include Marc Weller (University of Cambridge, Editor of The Oxford Handbook of the Use of Force in International Law).

International Criminal Law: New Voices, 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.: Concluding remarks will be given by former Nuremberg Military Tribunals (NMT) prosecutor Benjamin B. Ferencz.

Friday, 10 April 2015

Complicity in International Law, 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.: This panel brings together leading experts in the field to discuss the meaning, significance, and overlap of complicity in a rapidly changing world. Expert speakers include André Nollkaemper (Amsterdam Center for International Law, University of Amsterdam, and author of National Courts and the International Rule of Law).

Does TTIP Need Investor-State Dispute Settlement?, 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.: Learn more about the most significant international economic law treaty since the formation of the WTO. Join moderator Andrea Bjorklund (McGill University Faculty of Law, Editor of Yearbook on International Investment Law & Policy) and panelist Mark Kantor (Georgetown University Law Center, Editor of Reports of Overseas Private Investment Corporation Determinations) to discuss these controversial issues.

Perspectives on the Restatement (Fourth) Project, 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.: This Roundtable including speaker Campbell McLachlan (Victoria University of Wellington Faculty of Law, Editor in Chief of ICSID Review – Foreign Investment Law Journal) offers a range of US and comparative perspectives on the potential contribution of a Fourth Restatement.

The International Legal Framework for Outer Space in a Rapidly Changing World, 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.: Participants, including Irmgard Marboe (University of Vienna, author of Calculation of Compensation and Damages in International Investment Law) will debate the sufficiency of the international legal framework for outer space.

Global Public Interests in International Investment Law, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: David Caron (Dickson Poon School of Law, Kings College London, Editor of The UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules: A Commentary) will moderate this debate on how international investment law currently deals with global public interests and finding the right balance between investment and non-investment concerns.

The Hudson Medal Luncheon: “The Unity of International Law,” 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.: Don’t miss this year’s honoree speaker Professor Pierre-Marie DuPuy, the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva.

Adapting to Change: The Role of International Organizations, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.: This panel focuses on the practices and strategies by which international organizations respond to contemporary challenges. Join August Reinisch (University of Vienna, Editor of The Privileges and Immunities of International Organizations in Domestic Courts) and others for this lively debate.

OUP Book Signing with Jens David Ohlin, 2:30 p.m.: Jens David Ohlin will be signing copies of his new book, The Assault on International Law. Join us at the OUP Booth #9-11 for this special event.

Human Rights and Sustainable Development in the Context of Fragile States, 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.: This panel considers the potential relevance of human rights standards and principles for different stages of development in conflict states. Speakers include Jan Wouters (University of Leuven, author of The Law of EU External Relations) and Andrew Clapham (the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Editor of The Oxford Handbook of International Law in Armed Conflict and The Geneva Conventions in Context).

Gala Dinner, 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.: Judge Rosemary Barkett, Iran-United States Claims Tribunal presentation of the Society Honors and Awards including: Certificate of Merit Award Winners Ben Saul, David Kinley, and Jacqueline Mowbray (The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Commentary, Cases, and Materials) for high technical craftsmanship and utility to practicing lawyers and scholars; and Symeon C. Symeonides (Codifying Choice of Law Around the World: An International Comparative Analysis) in a specialized area of international law. Congratulations also to Gilles Giacca, winner of the ASIL Francis Lieber Prize for his book Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights in Armed Conflict.

Saturday, 11 April 2015

Ethical Issues in International Law Practice, 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.: Catherine Rogers (Penn State Law & Queen Mary, University of London, author of Ethics in International Arbitration) and others explore ethical issues in a variety of international law-related settings.

If you are lucky enough to be joining us in DC, don’t forget to visit the Oxford University Press booth #9-11, where you can browse our award-winning books, and take advantage of the 30% conference discount. Stop by to enter our prize draw for a chance to win $250 worth of OUP books, pick up a free access password to our collection of online law resources, and browse our international law journals.

As a thank you to American Society of International Law and our customers, we are also running a special ASIL eBooks promotion, offering 50% off some of our bestselling International Law eBooks. Visit your preferred retail partner to take advantage of this offer. This offer is a consumer-only promotion available for customers in North and South America and is not valid for renewals. Offer ends 20 April 2015.

To follow the latest updates about the 109th ASIL Annual Meeting as it happens, follow us on Twitter @OUPIntLaw, and on Facebook, using the hashtag #ASILAM15.

See you in DC!

Image credit: Ocean by Jon Vlasach. The Pattern Library.

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