Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law, 2022
The Origin Story of the Public International Law & Policy Group:
A Case Study in Strategic Optimism
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Abstract
As the Public International Law & Policy Group celebrates its 25th anniversary of lawyering peace, this article takes the opportunity to look back on its origin story, which contains several key takeaways for how to harness the power of academics, non-profit organizations, and the scholar-practitioner model to impact international law. This article seeks to elucidate the discrete ingredients that came together with the formation of PILPG, which continues to be a unique and innovative organization in the space of public international law and policy, and offers reflections on the organization’s impact on peace, justice, and accountability around the globe.
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Authors
Isabela Karibjanian
Isabela Karibjanian currently works as a Research Fellow on Justice, Peace, and Security and the Strategic Communications Lead at the Public International Law & Policy Group. At PILPG, she has contributed research, editing, and drafting to the publication of two books, the Research Handbook on Post-Conflict State Building (2020) and Lawyering Peace (2021). With PILPG President Dr. Paul Williams, she is the co-author of the forthcoming book Negotiating Justice. She is a lead contributor to the 2021 report “Negotiating Justice: Peace Processes as Vehicles for Transitional Justice."
Isabela is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations Young Professionals briefing program and is an inaugural Ambassador in the Doha Debates Ambassadors Program. She is a graduate of Brown University, where she studied International Relations.
Dr. Paul R. Williams
Paul R. Williams is the Rebecca I. Grazier Professor of Law and International Relations at American University. He holds a Ph.D from Cambridge University, J.D. from Stanford Law School, and B.A from UC Davis. Professor Williams is a co-founder of the Public International Law & Policy Group (“PILPG”), a non-profit group that provides pro bono legal assistance to states and governments involved in peace negotiations, post-conflict constitution drafting, and war crimes prosecutions. Over the course of his legal practice, Professor Williams has assisted with over two dozen peace negotiations and post conflict constitutions. Professor Williams has advised governments across Europe, Asia, as well as North and Sub-Saharan Africa on state recognition, self-determination and state succession issues, and on drafting and implementing post-conflict constitutions.