International Judicial Academy

International Judicial Monitor - The Academy is now the primary publisher of the International Judicial Monitor and is seeking judges who are interested in writing articles for upcoming issues. Articles are needed for regular features, including "Global Judicial Dialogue" and "Justice Sector Assessment." Interested judges may contact ijaworld@verizon.net or cellenwhite@verizon.net with questions.

Federal Bar Association / International Law Section - Dr. James Apple was recently named the Chair of the Federal Bar Association's International Law Section. Dr. Apple will be responsible for helping to revitalize the section to see that it provides for "an exchange of information on developing international law through communication within the [FBA] and with other international bar associations and organizations." FBA members who would like to become involved with and learn more about the International Law Section should contact Dr. Apple at ijaworld@verizon.net.

International Judicial Academy Celebrates 10th Anniversary

On Saturday, October 3, 2009, the International Judicial Academy held a reception in honor of the 10th Anniversary of the Academy's founding. The reception was held in the Reid Ballroom of the Academy's offices in the Heldref Mansion in Dupont Circle. Seven members of the Academy's Board of Directors, several judges who have participated in past Academy programs, and many people who have made presentations to Academy delegations through the years attended the reception. Also in attendance were members of the Academy staff in Buenos Aires, Argentina: Hon. Ricardo Li Rosi, Vice-President; Hon. Gustavo Bossert, President of the Academic Committee of the Latin American Office; and Hon. Javier Fernandez, Director of the Argentine Office. Deputy Chief Justice Adel Omar Sherif of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt, a longtime friend of the Academy, gave the keynote address.

Intellectual Property in Washington, DC

From October 3 - 9, 2009 the Academy hosted a delegation of twenty-six judges and business executives from Argentina for a seminar on intellectual property, government regulation, and justice. Four judges from Mexico also participated in the seminar. This was the third Academy seminar in Washington, DC on intellectual property for a delegation from Latin America. The judges represented various civil and criminal, local and regional courts. The business executives were all members of AmCham, the American Chamber of Commerce in Argentina. One of the highlights of the program was a session with Mr. Vint Cerf, one of the "fathers of the Internet" and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google, who talked about the development of internet technology. Google Washington DC, like all Google offices, is a unique environment; the company does everything from creating open and communal workspaces to providing inflatable balls to relieve stress so that its employees can flourish in a stimulating and cooperative environment. At the U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, MD Judge Marvin Garbis addressed intellectual property through the lens of Bouchat v. Baltimore Ravens , a case that addressed claims of copyright infringement by the Baltimore Ravens. The program agenda also combined presentations from government officials with visits to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. The seminar fostered a productive exchange among the judges and business executives that will hopefully lead to better management of intellectual property in Mexico and Argentina.

Five Years of the Sir Richard May Seminar

The Academy conducted the Fifth Sir Richard May Seminar on International Law and International Courts this year from September 20 - 25, 2009 in The Hague, Netherlands. The Foundation to Promote Open Society in New York, NY provided the financial support for the seminar. Additional assistance came from the Atlantic & Pacific Exchange Program, a non-profit organization based Rotterdam, Netherlands. Twenty-six state and federal judges from the United States and four judges from Argentina participated in the seminar. The program agenda combined presentations and site visits to provide the participants with an overview of international law and the international courts, tribunals, and organizations located in The Hague. The delegation of judges had the unique opportunity to observe several hearings and trial proceedings during the seminar. At the International Court of Justice the participants attended a public hearing in the case of Pulp Mills on the River Uruguay (Argentina v. Uruguay) during which two lawyers presented their cases on behalf of the government of Uruguay. They also witnessed the testimony of Charles Taylor, the former President of Liberia on trial at the Special Court for Sierra Leone, who took the stand in his defense. At the International Criminal Court (ICC) the delegation watched as Judge Daniel David Ntanda Nsereko of Uganda issued a summary of the Appeals Chamber's judgment which dismissed the appeal of Germain Katanga of the Democratic Republic of the Congo who challenged the admissibility of his case before the ICC. The decision carried particular significance because it was the first time that the ICC received a challenge to admissibility based on the principle of complementarity which holds that the ICC can only prosecute individuals when a national court with jurisdiction over the case is unwilling or unable to do so. In addition to learning about the prominent courts and tribunals located in The Hague, the participants also received information about some of the lesser-known organizations like the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities. The seminar ended on Friday, September 25 with a closing reception and dinner at which certificates and scholarship checks were presented to the participants.

Academy Selects Counselors in International Law

The International Judicial Academy is pleased to announce that Professor Dinah Shelton and Professor David Stewart have joined the Academy as Counselors in International Law. They will advise the Academy on all matters relating to international law, including providing assistance with drafting program agendas, writing articles for the International Judicial Monitor , and speaking at Academy seminars.

Professor Dinah L. Shelton - Manatt/Ahn Professor of International Law, George Washington University Law School. Professor Shelton joined the Law School faculty in 2004. Before her appointment, she was professor of international law and director of the doctoral program in international human rights law at the University of Notre Dame Law School from 1996 - 2004. Professor Shelton is the author or editor of three prize-winning books: Protecting Human Rights in the Americas (winner of the 1982 Inter-American Bar Association Book Prize and co-authored with Judge Thomas Buergenthal); Remedies in International Human Rights Law (awarded the 2000 Certificate of Merit, American Society of International Law); and the three volume Encyclopedia of Genocide and Crimes against Humanity (awarded a "Best Research" book award by the New York Public Library). In 2009, she became the first woman nominated by the United States to become a member of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, established by the Organization of American States to promote and protect human rights in the Western Hemisphere. She was elected to a four-year term in June, 2009.

Professor David P. Stewart - Visiting Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center. Professor Stewart joined the faculty as Visiting Professor of Law following his retirement from the U. S. Department of State, where he served as Assistant Legal Adviser for Private International Law (2005 - 2008). He was an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown for 25 years. Previously, Professor Stewart was Assistant Legal Adviser for Diplomatic Law and Litigation (2001 - 2005), for African Affairs (1998 - 2001), for Human Rights and Refugees (1989 - 1998), for Law Enforcement and Intelligence (1986 - 1988), and for International Claims and Investment Disputes (1983 - 1986). He is the co - editor of the multi-volume Digest of U.S. Practice in International Law for the years 1990 - 2003 and co - author, with Professor Dinah Shelton and Judge Thomas Buergenthal, of International Human Rights in a Nutshell (3rd ed., 2002). Professor Stewart is on the Board of Editors of the American Journal of International Law . In June 2008, he was elected to the Inter-American Juridical Committee of the Organization of American States for a three-year term (2009 - 2012).

Collaboration with the International Law Institute

This past August, for the second year in a row, the Academy conducted the "Judicial and Court Administration and Caseload Management" Seminar in conjunction with the International Law Institute (ILI). From August 17 - 28, 2009, the Academy hosted 7 judges, court administrators, and court reform specialists from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Nigeria, Singapore, and Trinidad for a two-week program that introduced the participants to the administration and management of the U.S. judicial system. The seminar also addressed various topics related to judicial administration, including judicial ethics, judicial education, budget and finance, court technology, and appellate procedure. Dr. James Apple, President of the Academy, acted as the Faculty Advisor. During the seminar, the Center for Education and Training of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia (DCSC) welcomed the participants for a daylong visit to the DCSC. After welcoming remarks from Judge Joan Zeldon, the group then met with Executive Office Anne Wicks and staff from the Budget & Finance Division for a presentation on budgetary management and financial issues. Judge Brook Hedge discussed electronic case filing and gave the participants a demonstration of how the DCSC uses technology in the courtroom. The participants spent the afternoon meeting with Judge Stephanie Duncan-Peters and observing trial proceedings. The Academy is also grateful to the Multi-Door Dispute Resolution Division of the DCSC, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, and the U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, MD for hosting the seminar participants for productive and informative visits.