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WCRO Director Susana SáCouto Co-leads Workshops in Bogotá in Support of Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for PeaceĚý
On September 26 and 27, Professor SáCouto traveled to Bogotá, Colombia, to conduct a series of workshops and meetings with colleagues from the Laboratorio de Justicia PolĂtica y Criminal (a Colombia-based non-profit organization with expertise providing technical assistance to transitional and criminal justice mechanisms, and law enforcement agencies) for magistrates and staff of Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP). These activities are part of a multi-year State Department-funded initiative titledĚý“Enhancing the Impact of Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace through a Holistic Transitional Justice Approach,”Ěýwhich was recently extended for an additional two years. The project has four key objectives: 1) strengthening the capacity of the JEP to redress atrocity crimes committed during the Colombian conflict, in particular, by those who facilitated, ordered or failed to prevent or punish those crimes; 2) ensuring the JEP’s cases reflect a gender perspective and intersectional approach; 3) enhancing victim participation in JEP processes; and 4) bolstering current efforts to ensure that victims have access to competent and independent legal representation.
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Career Power Hour
On September 12, WCRO Director SáCouto moderated a Career Power Hour sponsored by theĚýWar Crimes Research Office (WCRO)ĚýandĚýOffice of Career & Professional Development.ĚýThe session featured WCRO alumni council members sharing their career journeys, valuable advice, and tips on navigating the human rights, international humanitarian law and international criminal law field. This amazing panelists include:ĚýVy NguyenĚý( JD '15),ĚýTara VassefiĚý(JD '16),ĚýAli BoydĚý(JD '19) andĚýKate HolcombeĚý(JD '18).ĚýThe event offered a fantastic opportunity for students to engage in 1-on-1 conversations with these esteemed professionals, learning firsthand about "a day in the life" in HR/IHL/ICLĚýlegal career paths.
WCRO Co-Sponsors Symposium with AU International Law Review Titled: "The Longest Arm: Universal Jurisdiction and War Crimes Prosecution"
On Friday, April 5th, the WCRO co-sponsored the full-day symposium, The Longest Arm: Universal Jurisdiction and War Crimes Prosecution with WCL’s AU International Law Review. The event brought together practitioners, students, and scholars to explore the use of universal jurisdiction (UJ) to address atrocity crimes. WCRO Assistant Director Natalie Coburn welcomed attendees on behalf of the Office and introduced a panel addressing the factors that trigger the use of UJ. The day closed with a discussion on UJ trends and applicability to the war in Ukraine as well as to the Syrian regime’s brutal crackdown on dissent since 2011.
WCRO Director SáCouto Chairs a Session at the International Conference of Prosecutors on Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence
On March 27, WCRO Director SáCouto chaired a session at the 3-day International Conference of Prosecutors on Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, organized by the UN Team of Experts on Rule of Law/Sexual Violence in Conflict and co-sponsored by the governments of The Netherlands, United Kingdom and France, held at the Peace Palace in The Hague. The session featured a discussion with two Guatemalan prosecutors who played a critical role in the landmark Sepur Zarco case, which provided redress for indigenous victims of sexual violence and sexual slavery that occurred during Guatemala’s civil war.
WCRO Director SáCouto Participates In Conversation about “Putin’s Ghost Army: Prospects for Accountability for Russian Irregulars”
On March 21, WCRO Director SáCouto joined Beth VanSchaack, State Department Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice, and Candace Rondeaux, Senior Director of the Future Frontlines program at New America, for a conversation about “Putin’s Ghost Army: Prospects for Accountability for Russian Irregulars” at an in-person luncheon co hosted by New America, the McCain Institute and the War Crimes Research Office and moderated by Paul Fagan, Director of Democracy Programs at the McCain Institute.
The WCRO Hosts Panel on "Afghan Women Lawyers and Judges: Where They Were and Where They Are Now"
The War Crimes Research Office hosted a panel on "Afghan Women Lawyers and Judges: Where They Were and Where They Are Now," co-sponsored by the International Association of Women Judges and the Â鶹´«Ă˝ Bar Association Section of International Law's International Human Rights Committee. The panel, which included three Afghan women judges and lawyers, was moderated by former Alaska State Superior Court Judge Bev Cutler. Opening remarks were presented by WCRO Director Susana SáCouto and closing remarks by WCL LL.M. Wendy Taube.
WCL Students Jack Kirk, Mandy Spiegel and Amal Rass Make It to the Semifinals of the Jean-Pictet International Humanitarian Law Competition
From 25 February to 3 March 2024, WCL competed in the Jean-Pictet International Humanitarian Law Competition held in Bredene, Belgium. The team was represented by WCL JD students Jack Kirk, Mandy Spiegel, and Amal Rass. The Jean-Pictet Competition is a simulation-based legal competition designed to raise awareness of international humanitarian law (IHL) and real-world challenges facing IHL practitioners. The competition tests knowledge of IHL and other areas of public international law through role-playing exercises based on a hypothetical case study arising out of armed conflict. The 2023-2024 competition hosted 28 teams, including four from the United States: WCL, Georgetown University Law Center, Santa Clara University School of Law, and Pennsylvania State University School of Law. The WCL team was one of only four teams from their section to make it to the semifinals! The team was coached by AUWCL’s War Crimes Research Office and WCL alum Vy Nguyen (JD ’15), as well as Jean-Pictet alum Ben Crawford (3L).
On January 18, 2024, Prof. SáCouto joined her co-editor Indira Rosenthal for a presentation of their book Gender and International Criminal Law at the International Gender Champions Network convening hosted by the Swiss Embassy in The Hague.
Prof. SáCouto participated in the Gender and International Criminal Law Conference, held in The Hague on January 16 and 17, 2024. The impetus for the conference –hosted by Women’s Initiative’s for Gender Justice, Legal Action Worldwide, UN Women, the Grotius Center for International Legal Studies, the Australian Embassy in The Hague, and the International Gender Champions Network – was the publication of a book entitled Gender and International Criminal Law co-edited by Prof. SáCouto and published by Oxford University Press in 2022 and a new initiative to establish a Gender Justice Practitioners Hub. The conference convened over 400 gender justice actors to discuss the themes of the book, including challenges and best practices in efforts to secure gender justice for core international crimes. Prof. SáCouto co-lead the opening panel on "Understanding gender is vital. Why does it matter that we get it right?," chaired two panels entitled "Shaping gender-sensitive accountability" and "Act local, think global? A discussion around national practice," and served as a speaker on the last panel, "The future is feminist: re-imagining International Criminal Law."
Prof. SáCouto was interviewed by Voice of America for a piece entitled “US Charges Russian-Affiliated Soldiers With War Crimes” on Dec. 6, 2023.
WCRO Welcomes JEP President Roberto Carlos Vidal Lopez, Vice President Belkis Florentina Izquierdo Flores and LJPC Director Gina Cabarcas for Panel on "Increasing the Impact of the JEP with a Holistic Approach to Transitional Justice"
The War Crimes Research Office hosted a series of meetings with colleagues from Colombia’s Jurisdiccion Especial para la Paz (JEP) and the Laboratorio de Justicia y PolĂtica Criminal (LJPC) on the 9th and 10th of November. The meetings culminated with a panel on "Increasing the Impact of the JEP with a Holistic Approach to Transitional Justice." The event was moderated by WCRO Director Susana SáCouto, with JEP President Roberto Carlos Vidal Lopez and Vice President Belkis Florentina Izquierdo Flores as the main speakers, and comments by Gina Cabarcas, Director of the LJPC.
WCRO Director Susana SáCouto Participates in Panel for "Careers in International Law"
WCRO Director Susana SáCouto joined WCL faculty members Padideh Ala'i, Susan Frank, Ken Anderson and Janie Chuang to discuss pathways in International Business, National Security, War Crimes, Human Trafficking and International Arbitration. The event, co-sponsored by the Office of Career and Professional Development, the ABA International Section, and the International and Comparative Legal Studies program, aimed to show students what international practice means in today's world and where to find internships and jobs to gain experience.
WCRO Director Susana SáCouto Moderates Dialogue on "How the 'Laws of War' Apply to the Conflict Between Israel and Hamas"
In collaboration with the LL.M. Board and the Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, the War Crimes Research Office hosted an event that delved into the application of international humanitarian law (IHL) to the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel. Moderated by WCRO Director Susana SáCouto and featuring Professor and IHL expert Robert Goldman, the dialogue addressed crucial issues of the conflict under international law.
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The 17th Annual Hague Summer Program was held from May 29 to June 24 in The Hague, The Netherlands. The program, based on a long-term partnership between the War Crimes Research Office of Washington College of Law and the T.M.C. Asser Institute, was held in person for the first time since the pandemic, and drew 30 students, 24 from WCL and six from other law schools including George Washington University, Columbia University, and University of Missouri in the United States, and Coventry University in England. The program’s primary focus was the comprehensive study of international criminal law and the contemporary legal framework pertaining to counterterrorism in the 21st century.Ěý
WCRO Director Susana SáCouto and Assistant Director Natalie Coburn submitted, in collaboration with the Due Process of Law Foundation, an amicus curiae brief in support of the families of the victims of the "El Mozote" massacre, in which nearly 1,000 civilians (of which more than 550 were children) were killed by the Salvadoran Army in and around the village of El Mozote, in the Morazán Department of El Salvador, in December of 1981. The brief provided an analysis of victims’ rights in the case, which is now before the Court of Instruction in San Francisco Gotera in the Morazán Department of El Salvador. The amicus brief confirms that the 1974 Code of Criminal Procedure applies to all future El Mozote proceedings but that the Code is not the only applicable law. The Salvadoran Constitution requires all courts to recognize that international treaties, as well as other binding obligations, likewise apply. Such obligations require the Court to grant additional rights to the victims of the massacre. Specifically, victims must be provided with broad intervention rights, including the right to appeal inaction. Moreover, the Constitution and other domestic law place an onus on Salvadoran judges to act expeditiously to achieve justice. The brief argues that only by recognizing victims’ intervention rights can Salvadoran courts comply with their obligations to provide victims with effective access to justice.
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AU Alumna Linn Shapiro has funded an AUWCL initiative that celebrates the life's work of Fabiola Letelier, a Chilean human rights lawyer, through the "Fabiola Letelier Fund for International Criminal Law Research." This fund will support research activities into conflict-driven sexual and gender-based violence in Latin America conducted through the WCRO. Linn hopes AUWCL students will be inspired by Fabiola’s life story as an outstanding lawyer who used her legal skills to advance the practice of international human rights law and build a unified social movement to restore democracy to her country.
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WCRO and Academy Present "A Conversation with the ICC Registrar"
The War Crimes Research Office and Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law host ICC Registrar Osvaldo Zavala Giler as part of the WCRO War Crimes Speaker Series and the Academy's 2023 Human Rights Month: The Experts Speak Series. WCRO Director Susana SáCouto moderates the event, with introductory remarks provided by Academy Co-Director Claudia Martin. The event focuses on the opportunities and challenges currently faced by the ICC.
WCRO Director Susana SáCouto attends the 2023 Â鶹´«Ă˝ Society of International Law (ASIL) 117th Annual Meeting and participates in three separate panels. Director SáCouto serves as the moderator of a panel entitled "A Hopeful Conversation: Overcoming impunity for sexual and gender based violence." During the "Women in International Law Interest Group (WILIG)" Business Meeting, Director SáCouto is awarded the Scholarship Prize for the book "Gender and International Criminal Law," with co-editors Valerie Oosterveld and Indira Rosenthal, and serves as a speaker on a panel discussion focused on how gender has become part of the mainstream of international law, how that mainstream sometimes misunderstands gender, and how gender is still excluded from the mainstream in certain ways. Finally, Director SáCouto serves as a panelist in the Closing Plenary entitled "Pursuing Global Accountability for Atrocity Crimes: Needs, Challenges and the Path Forward."
WCRO, Academy and ReLeG Host 3rd Workshop on Using Strategic Litigation on Gender-Based Violence in Latin America
The War Crimes Research Office (WCRO), the Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (Academy) and the Latin Â鶹´«Ă˝ Network for Gender-based Strategic Litigation (ReLeG) hosts the Workshop on Strategic Litigation on Gender-Based Violence in Latin America (3ra Mesa de DiscusiĂłn sobre Litigio EstratĂ©gico en Materia de Violencia de GĂ©nero en AmĂ©rica Latina) at WCL on March 23 and 24, 2023. This conference, funded by UN Women and supported by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), convenes 44 Latin Â鶹´«Ă˝ legal professionals who work to promote accountability for sexual violence and other forms of gender violence. The event includes ReLeG members from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Peru, El Salvador, Mexico and Venezuela, as well as legal professionals from Brazil, Nicaragua, and Uruguay.
WCRO Director Susana SáCouto Moderates International Suite Talk: The Practice of International Courts
WCRO Director Susana SáCouto moderates an International Suite Talk on "The Practice of International Courts: Cross-fertilization, Cooperation and Competition Among International Courts and Tribunals" with Chiara Giorgetti, Professor of Law at University of Richmond School of Law and Rebecca Hamilton, Professor of Law at Washington College of Law. The discussion focuses on the recently published book "Beyond Fragmentation," edited by Chiara Giorgetti, and Mark Pollack, Professor of Political Science and Jean Monnet Chair at Temple University.
WCRO Co-Sponsors "The Evolution of International Criminal Procedure: From Genocide to Ecocide | A Conversation with Giovanni Chiarini"
On February 14, 2023, the War Crimes Research Office co-sponsored "The Evolution of International Criminal Procedure: From Genocide to Ecocide | A Conversation with Giovanni Chiarini." Giovanni Chiarini, an Italian Attorney, International Law Scholar, and Scholar in Residence at Texas Tech University School of Law, presented a lecture on international criminal tribunals from Nuremberg and Tokyo up to the establishment of the ICC in the Hague. The event was sponsored alongside the Tech, Law and Security Program (TLS), the Office of International and Comparative Legal Studies (ICLS), and the International Law Student Association (ILSA).
WCRO Hosts Discussion on the "Military Coup in Myanmar: 2 years and the fight for democracy goes on"
The War Crimes Research Office hosts a discussion by current and former WCL students from Myanmar, Thi Thi Han and Alex Kaung Myet Ahkar, to discuss the current situation in Myanmar and recent developments in justice and accountability efforts. Access more resources on Myanmar:
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WCRO 2022 Annual Newsletter
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The War Crimes Research Office invites you to an interactive session on the 2023 Hague Summer Law Program with Professor SáCouto and alums of the program. All JD/LLM students and international students are invited to attend the session on November 30 at 12:00pm in Room Y403! Summer Program Alums Ben Crawford (Hague Program 2022) and Natalie Landau (Hague Program 2022) will be joining us to share their experience and answer your questions ! Please RSVP here:
The newly published book "Gender and International Criminal Law," co-edited by WCRO Director Susana SáCouto, Valerie Oosterveld, and Indira Rosenthal, receives the Â鶹´«Ă˝ Society of International Law (ASIL) Women in International Law Interest Group (WILIG) Scholarship Prize for Best Book. The prize recognizes excellence in international scholarship surrounding women and girls, gender, and feminist topics.
WCRO Director Susana SáCouto Moderates Panel on "Assessing International Justice: Ukraine and Beyond"
The War Crimes Research Office, in partnership with AU International Law Review, hosts a luncheon panel on "Assessing International Justice: Ukraine and Beyond" as part of the International Legal Studies Program's 40th Anniversary Celebrations. WCRO Director Susana SáCouto moderates the panel, which features video remarks by Karim A. A. Khan KC (Prosecutor of the ICC), followed by remarks by Judge Ivana Hrdlicková (President of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon), Diane Orentlicher (Professor of Law, AUWCL), Christian De Vos (Director of Research and Investigations at Physicians for Human Rights).
WCRO Director Susana SáCouto attends Women and International Law conference at the Max Planck Institute Luxembourg for Procedural Law
WCRO Director Susana SáCouto attends the Women and International Law conference gathered at the Max Planck Institute Luxembourg for Procedural Law on October 13-14. The event features discussion of the contributions for the forthcoming “Handbook on Women and International Law,” to be published by Oxford University Press. Director SáCouto serves as a panelist, presenting on "Feminist Approaches to Victim Witnesses and Victim Participants in Atrocity Crime Trials for Sexual and Other Forms of Gender-based Violence: Lessons Learned from Domestic Prosecutions in Latin America."
WCRO Director Susana SáCouto discusses the possibility of prosecuting Russian leaders with atrocity crimes and aggression in the context of the war in Ukraine in an interview by Radio Free Europe's Expose programme, entitled "Prosecution of Russian leaders - difficult, but possible".
WCRO Director Susana SáCouto joins Claudia Martin, the co-director of the Academy of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at AUWCL, and Daniela Kravetz, a lawyer specializing in human rights, international criminal law, and gender violence, to discuss the Latin Â鶹´«Ă˝ Network of Strategic Gender Litigation that emerged as a result of their conference at Bellagio Center in 2017. Scroll down Bulletin to access their story at:
Sydney Centre for International Law hosts a panel for "Gender and International Criminal Law" edited by WCRO Director Susana SaCouto with Prof. Valerie Oosterveld and Indira Rosenthal
Sydney Centre for International Law hosts a launch of the book "Gender and International Criminal Law" co-edited by Prof. Susana SáCouto, Prof. Valerie Oosterveld and Indira Rosenthal. In the panel, participants heard from some of the book's Australian authors and participated in a live 'question and answer' session with all panelists.
On July 14, 2022, Oxford University Press published Gender and International Criminal Law, edited by Prof. SáCouto with Prof. Valerie Oosterveld and Indira Rosenthal. The book provides an in-depth examination of how gender is perceived and analyzed in international criminal law, identifies key gaps in the understanding of gender within international criminal law, and offers recommendations for how gender, including sexual violence and other gender-based crimes, can be more meaningfully addressed by international courts and tribunals.
On July 6, 2022, WCRO Director SáCouto serves as a panelist on a panel organized by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) entitled "Justice and Accountability for Khmer Rouge Atrocities: Perspectives from the United States and Cambodia." This event was part of a series highlighting themes from “Imagine: Reflections on Peace,” a multimedia exhibit from USIP and the VII Foundation that explores the themes and challenges of peacebuilding through an immersive look at societies that suffered — and survived — violent conflict. The recording of the session is available at:
WCRO Director SáCouto is interviewed for an article by Jesse Greenspan, entitled: "What Is a War Crime?" For centuries—and especially since World War II—countries have attempted to define the rules of war and determine punishment for violators.
WCRO Director SáCouto is interviewed on KPCC - NPR News for Southern California AirTalk with Larry Mantle in a segment on: The Latest On Ukraine, Plus Is Putin Committing War Crimes?
WCRO 2021 Annual Newsletter
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Register now for the Summer Program in International Criminal Law and International Legal Approaches to Terrorism!
Registration is open now for the Summer Program in International Criminal Law and International Legal Approaches to Terrorism! (The Hague Program) This year's program will run online from June 1-25, and gives students the opportunity to interface with key practitioners, experts, and institutions in international law. Click "read more" to learn more!
Read moreWCRO 2020 Annual Newsletter
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WCRO Co-Hosts Expert Meeting on Strategic Litigation on Gender-Based Violence in Latin America
On 21 and 22 October, War Crimes Research Office Director Susana SáCouto and Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Co-Director Claudia Martin co-hosted a two-day online expert meeting with colleagues from the Women's Rights and Gender Section of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies of Leiden University on Strategic Litigation on Gender-Based Violence in Latin America.
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Reproductive Injustice: Forced Sterilization in ICE Detention
On Wednesday, September 30, the WCRO cosponsored a panel on “Reproductive Injustice: Forced Sterilization in ICE Detention” with the Women and the Law Program, Office of Public Interest, Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, and International Human Rights Law Clinic. The panel focused on the recent whistleblower report that that ICE is subjecting detainees to forced sterilizations and medical neglect at an immigration detention facility in Georgia, and explored possible legal and other advocacy strategies for justice under immigration law, human rights law, and international criminal law. Click "read more" for more information and a link to a video of the panel.
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WCRO Director Joins Digital Dialogue on the National Prosecution of CRSV in Guatemala and Colombia
On Tuesday, September 29, WCRO Director Susana SáCouto participated in the UN Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict’s Digital Dialogue series panel on “The National Prosecution of CRSV in Guatemala and Colombia: Closer to a Victim-Centered Justice?” Click "read more" for more information and a link to video of the discussion.
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Careers in U.S. Criminal and Civil Litigation of Serious Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Violations
On Thursday, September 17, the WCRO hosted a panel on “Careers in U.S. Criminal and Civil Litigation of Serious Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Violations." Four litigators, including three WCL alumnae, joined us to discuss their career paths and the incredible work they are doing today pursuing accountability for serious human rights and humanitarian law violations within the U.S. justice system. Click "read more" for more information and a link to a video of the panel.
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Welcome Class of 2023!
We are excited to welcome the class of 2023 to WCL this fall! While our semester may look a bit different than usual, we are thrilled to offer many ways to get involved with the WCRO from your first day of law school. Click through to check out some of our amazing opportunities!
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WCRO Alumnus Christian De Vos Publishes New Book on the ICC's Complementarity Principle as a 'Catalyst for Compliance'
AU/WCL alumnus Christian De Vos has recently published a new book with Cambridge University Press, Complementarity, Catalysts, Compliance: The International Criminal Court in Uganda, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Read moreWCRO 2019 Annual Update
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Partnership with UN Women on Documenting Good Practice on Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Guatemala
The War Crimes Research Office, Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, and Women and the Law Program are thrilled to partner with UN Women on the “Documenting Good Practice on Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Guatemala” Project.
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