The 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting
Reconceiving International Law: Creativity in Times of Crisis
From March 24 – 26, 2021, the American Society of International Law convened its 115th Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting Committee (chaired by Simon Batifort, Christie Edwards, and Darin Johnson) thanks all attendees, panelists, and sponsors.
ASIL welcomed these honorees and keynote speakers at the 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting

Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf
International Court of Justice
(2021 Honorary Member Recipient)

Louise Arbour
Former Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for International Migration
(2021 Goler T. Butcher Medalist)

Bernard H. Oxman
University of Miami School of Law
(2021 Manley O. Hudson Medalist)

Judge Gabrielle Kirk McDonald
2021 Prominent Woman in International Law awardee
(Women in International Law Interest Group session)

Yves Daudet
Curatorium of the Hague Academy of International Law
(2021 Grotius Lecturer)

Hannah Buxbaum
Indiana University Bloomington
(2021 Grotius Distinguished Discussant)

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Director-General, World Health Organization
(Keynote Remarks)

Lucy Reed
Independent Arbitrator
(2021 Charles N. Brower Lecturer)

David Miliband
President, International Rescue Committee
(Keynote Remarks)
Publicly Available AM Videos


The Global Engagement Series was presented in cooperation with leading regional societies of international law. Annual Meeting registration is NOT required to view the sessions. Please see the links below or the in playlist above.
Streamed March 9, 2021
At Home and Abroad: The European Union in a Changing Global Order
Streamed March 12, 2021
Investment, Human Rights, and Sustainable Development in a Changing Latin America Order
Streamed March 17, 2021
Reconceiving America's Global Role in the Biden Era: International Perspectives in Asia
Streamed March 18, 2021
Annual Meeting Theme:
In these extraordinary times, dramatic shifts in global health, the global economy, and geopolitical power structures are forcing human beings to adapt and evolve. These shifts require us to revisit the operation of the legal, political, and conceptual structures of our international order, and to examine the possibility — and perhaps necessity — of creating new norms, tools, and paradigms.Today's health, economic, and racial justice crises are having a profound impact on the rule of law, human security, and the environment; human rights and gender equality; international business and trade; and virtually all other aspects of society. These effects are being exacerbated by the differing approaches that governments, international organizations, and private actors have taken toward international problem-solving. Although some may hope for a return to "normalcy" in all these areas, the current moment offers both the challenge and the opportunity to reconsider and potentially to reshape international law and international institutions.
The 2021 Annual Meeting of the American Society of International Law will provide a forum to think critically and creatively about all fields of international law. Sessions will present a broad range of perspectives on innovative ways to address emerging issues, to improve global governance, and to tackle international problems. More than ever, it is a time to come together as international law scholars and practitioners, and to challenge ourselves to imagine a new way forward.
Session Tracks:
- International Human Rights, Humanitarian Law, and Criminal Justice
- Transnational Litigation, Arbitration, and Dispute Resolution
- International Trade, Investment, and Finance
- International Organizations, Global Governance, and Global Health
- Security, Foreign Relations, and Use of Force
- Environment, Sea, Space, and Sustainable Development
Full Conference Registration
VIRTUAL ANNUAL MEETING REGISTRATION RATES |
||
Rates | Early Bird (ended Feb. 10) |
Regular (ended Mar. 22) |
ASIL Member | $310 | $375 |
Non-Member** | $435 | $530 |
GOV/IO/NGO Member | $150 | $225 |
GOV/IO/NGO Non-Member** | $270 | $350 |
Speaker - Member | $175 | $175 |
Speaker - Non-Member** | $235 | $235 |
AM Committee | $175 | $175 |
Student - Member | $0 | $0 |
Student - Non-Member | $0 | $0 |
CLE Credit Processing |
$75 | $75 |
**Includes one-year ASIL membership. |
Arbitration Reform in Practice - What Changes?
March 23 - 10:00 AM - 12:45 PMASIL Executive Council Meeting
March 23 - 11:00 AM - 03:30 PMPatrons' Reception
March 23 - 05:30 PM - 06:00 PMOpening Plenary and Keynote Remarks: David Miliband (International Rescue Committee)
March 24 - 10:00 AM - 11:00 AMJudging the Climate Crisis: The role of the International Court of Justice addressing environmental harms
March 24 - 11:15 AM - 12:15 PMLook Both Ways: Future and historical perspectives on the Refugee Convention at 70
March 24 - 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM2021 marks the 70th Anniversary of the Convention on the Status of Refugees. This event will look to the successes and failures of the Convention’s framework over the past 70 years, and then ask how this informs our understanding of the future of international refugee law. The speakers will take stock of state compliance with various articles of the Convention and with norms of refugee law, asking whether the Convention is adequate to address twenty-first century crises. Speakers will discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted our understanding of access to territory, and whether those shifts will continue to shape law once the pandemic has subsided. The event will look at innovations and future opportunities, including public health challenges and advancements and regional leadership on refugee rights issues.
Protest and Police Force: Examining Racial Discrimination and the Legality of Police Force in the U.S.
March 24 - 11:15 AM - 12:15 PMThe Road Ahead and Beyond: Future challenges and opportunities in the legal profession
March 24 - 11:15 AM - 12:15 PMThe on-going Covid-19 pandemic has not left the legal profession unaffected. Following the first few days of confusion and disorientation, law firms were quick to adapt to their clients’ needs and ways to pursue projects effectively with a workforce at home. While certain practice areas have seen a decline, others have flourished during the crisis. The session will focus not on how the crisis has affected these areas but on new opportunities to be expected for international legal work upon the horizon. This includes two of the most important future topics: digitalization and sustainability. The brackets around these topics will be an assessment of where we stand today and which new legal fields may arise as the hot topics the day after tomorrow. The session is addressed to new professionals in practice, both private and in government, young scholars, as well as recent law school graduates. However, the implications of the discussion will be of interest to anyone practicing or studying law. The speakers will address how their own work has been affected and talk about current developments and signature topics to look out for due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
There and Back Again: How to Ensure Compliance with IHL by Relying on Non-Traditional Voices and Live to Tell the Tale
March 24 - 11:15 AM - 12:15 PMAdvancing Human Rights Through U.S. Foreign Policy: Challenges and Opportunities
March 24 - 12:30 PM - 01:30 PMHudson Medal Discussion: A Conversation with Bernard Oxman
March 24 - 12:30 PM - 01:30 PMIndigenous Participation in International Organizations
March 24 - 12:30 PM - 01:30 PMShould Courts Grant Discovery in Aid of Arbitration? A Supreme Court mock argument
March 24 - 12:30 PM - 01:30 PMThe Rise of Restrictions on Data Flows and Digital Technologies: National security, human rights, or geo-economics?
March 24 - 12:30 PM - 01:30 PMTransitional Justice for the United States: Can transitional justice tools help the U.S. address its legacy of racial injustice?
March 24 - 01:45 PM - 02:45 PMAccomplice Accountability for Grave Violations of International Law
March 24 - 01:45 PM - 02:45 PMMilitary and Commercial Developments in European Space Law
March 24 - 01:45 PM - 02:45 PMTeaching International Law to Non-Legal Audiences
March 24 - 01:45 PM - 02:45 PMDebate: "Parallel Proceedings in Investment Arbitration Are Abusive and Should be Banned"
March 24 - 01:45 PM - 02:45 PMKeynote: A Conversation with Louise Arbour
March 24 - 03:00 PM - 03:30 PMAsk-Me-Anything
March 24 - 03:30 PM - 04:20 PMInternational Criminal Law IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 03:30 PM - 04:20 PMMinorities in International Law IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 03:30 PM - 04:20 PMIntellectual Property Law IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 03:30 PM - 04:20 PMNGO Job-Seeking during a Global Pandemic
March 24 - 03:30 PM - 04:20 PMTeaching the Practice of International Law: L Alumni as Educators
March 24 - 03:30 PM - 04:30 PMAsk-Me-Anything
March 24 - 04:30 PM - 05:20 PMMentor Session
March 24 - 04:30 PM - 05:20 PMThis session is for members of the Society. Students who signed up for free will need to become a member of ASIL to participate.
• Only one session per attendee
• Limited to 15 participants
Lieber Society IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 04:30 PM - 05:20 PMASIL-Midwest IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 04:30 PM - 05:20 PMInternational Environmental Law IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 04:30 PM - 05:20 PMEditors-in-Chief Roundtable
March 24 - 05:30 PM - 06:20 PMCultural Heritage and the Arts IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 05:30 PM - 06:20 PMInternational Legal Theory IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 05:30 PM - 06:20 PMPrivate International Law IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 05:30 PM - 06:20 PMMentor Session
March 24 - 05:30 PM - 06:20 PMThis session is for members of the Society. Students who signed up for free will need to become a member of ASIL to participate.
• Only one session per attendee
• Limited to 15 participants
Task Force on Options for U.S. Engagement with the ICC - developing recommendations against a shifting landscape
March 24 - 05:30 PM - 06:20 PMAsk-Me-Anything
March 24 - 06:30 PM - 07:20 PMTeaching International Law IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 06:30 PM - 07:20 PMRights of Indigenous Peoples IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 06:30 PM - 07:20 PMGovernment Attorneys IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 06:30 PM - 07:20 PMMentor Session
March 24 - 06:30 PM - 07:20 PMThis session is for members of the Society. Students who signed up for free will need to become a member of ASIL to participate.
• Only one session per attendee
• Limited to 15 participants
Ask-Me-Anything
March 25 - 08:00 AM - 08:50 AMNew Professionals IG Business Meeting
March 25 - 08:00 AM - 08:50 AMAnti-Corruption Law IG Business Meeting
March 25 - 08:00 AM - 08:50 AMMentor Session
March 25 - 08:00 AM - 08:50 AMThis session is for members of the Society. Students who signed up for free will need to become a member of ASIL to participate.
• Only one session per attendee
• Limited to 15 participants
International Courts and Tribunals IG Business Meeting
March 25 - 09:00 AM - 09:50 AMAsia-Pacific IG Business Meeting
March 25 - 09:00 AM - 09:50 AMSpace Law IG Business Meeting
March 25 - 09:00 AM - 09:50 AMAsk-Me-Anything
March 25 - 09:00 AM - 09:50 AMCareers in International Law
March 25 - 09:00 AM - 09:50 AM23rd Annual Grotius Lecture on International Law
March 25 - 10:00 AM - 11:00 AMGrotius Lecturer: Yves Daudet, University Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne
Distinguished Discussant: Hannah Buxbaum, Indiana University
It is well known that international law is currently undergoing transformations and challenges in many respects, regarding sources, subjects, ends and main principles in an international society that bears little resemblance to what it was in the aftermath of the Second World War. As international law is intended to be the glue that holds together a diverse international society, it is naturally at the heart of the crises affecting that society, as we are currently experiencing with the health crisis. Facing a crisis, one can be passive and hope for its end. Conversely, one can opt for a positive vision and try to find a dynamic of progress highlighted by the content of the crisis itself. In this perspective, it is necessary to check whether lessons can be learned, or even benefits achieved, as the crisis raises questions about the relevance or the need to reassess and transform major pillars of international law, such as the principle of sovereignty or that of multilateralism. Emergence of common interest or a principle of solidarity also needs to be addressed as they can provide legal means for responding to and preventing new crises. In this respect, this progress must be welcomed as an undeniable advance. Progress on other fronts, less comprehensive, should be seen as a step forward and a source of hope.
Information Conflict in the Digital Age
March 25 - 11:15 AM - 12:15 PMInterdisciplinary Approaches to Cultural Heritage and the Arts
March 25 - 11:15 AM - 12:15 PMLitigating Health and Security Exceptions in Investment Treaties – A Simulation
March 25 - 11:15 AM - 12:15 PMOne Step Forward, Two Steps Back? Judicializing Trade and Investment Dispute Settlement
March 25 - 11:15 AM - 12:15 PMProtecting People in the Context of Climate Change and Disasters
March 25 - 11:15 AM - 12:15 PMCivilian Harm Mitigation in Urban Areas: A wargaming exercise
March 25 - 12:30 PM - 01:30 PMThe minimization of civilian casualties is a central objective of the law of armed conflict, but it poses legal, operational and policy challenges. To better understand these challenges, this simulation will demonstrate how a coalition war gaming exercise may be used to improve planning to minimize civilian harm in an urban setting. This session is organized by the Lieber Society on the Law of Armed Conflict.
International Trade Dispute Settlement 2.0
March 25 - 12:30 PM - 01:30 PMMultilateral Diplomacy When the World Is Locked Down
March 25 - 12:30 PM - 01:30 PMThe Lorax Revisited: Protecting Forests from Illegal Logging and Deforestation
March 25 - 12:30 PM - 01:30 PMWomen in International Law Interest Group Award Discussion
March 25 - 12:30 PM - 01:30 PMKey Questions in Foreign Relations Law Under the Biden Administration
March 25 - 01:45 PM - 02:45 PMThe Biden administration faces an array of challenges in foreign affairs, from the pandemic, climate change, and China's ascendance, to weakened U.S. relations with allies, heightened tension with Iran, and a hobbled State Department, to name just a few examples. Moreover, the administration does so amidst hyper-polarization of the American electorate, and with policy preferences that are in many ways quite different from those of its predecessor. These circumstances are likely to raise important questions for the field of U.S. foreign relations law over the course of the next four years. For example, if President Biden hopes to rejoin international agreements and institutions that the United States left under the Trump administration, what processes are available under domestic law for doing so? How should a body of foreign relations law that was developed largely in an era of American hegemony be adapted to an age of multipolarity? Will the legal positions that Democrats and Republicans adopted on issues in foreign relations law under President Trump flip on account of the new administration, or are there some features of the law that have durable political valences? Panelists will offer their insights on these kinds of questions.
Mass Atrocities and Statelessness: (Re)considering the Case of the Rohingya
March 25 - 01:45 PM - 02:45 PMReassessing Sovereign Bankruptcy in a Time of Global Economic Crisis
March 25 - 01:45 PM - 02:45 PMSpace Race for the Battlestar: International law implications of the militarization of space
March 25 - 01:45 PM - 02:45 PMWe Are All Climate Lawyers Now
March 25 - 01:45 PM - 02:45 PMHonors and Awards Ceremony and Keynote Remarks: Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (World Health Organization)
March 25 - 03:00 PM - 03:30 PMPrivate Practice Job-Seeking during a Global Pandemic
March 25 - 03:30 PM - 04:20 PMInternational Refugee Law IG Business Meeting
March 25 - 03:30 PM - 04:20 PMDispute Resolution IG Business Meeting
March 25 - 03:30 PM - 04:20 PMTransitional Justice and Rule of Law IG Business Meeting
March 25 - 03:30 PM - 04:20 PMMentor Session
March 25 - 03:30 PM - 04:20 PMThis session is for members of the Society. Students who signed up for free will need to become a member of ASIL to participate.
• Only one session per attendee
• Limited to 15 participants
Incitement to Discrimination, Hostility and Violence: A Comparative Analysis
March 25 - 03:30 PM - 04:30 PMAsk-Me-Anything
March 25 - 04:30 PM - 05:20 PMMentor Session
March 25 - 04:30 PM - 05:20 PMThis session is for members of the Society. Students who signed up for free will need to become a member of ASIL to participate.
• Only one session per attendee
• Limited to 15 participants
Law of the Sea IG Business Meeting
March 25 - 04:30 PM - 05:20 PMASIL-Southeast IG Business Meeting
March 25 - 04:30 PM - 05:20 PMInternational Economic Law IG Business Meeting
March 25 - 04:30 PM - 05:20 PMBASIL Task Force Meeting
March 25 - 05:30 PM - 07:00 PMAsk-Me-Anything
March 26 - 07:00 AM - 07:50 AMInternational Legal Research IG Business Meeting
March 26 - 07:00 AM - 07:50 AMAfrica IG Business Meeting
March 26 - 07:00 AM - 07:50 AMMentor Session
March 26 - 07:00 AM - 07:50 AMThis session is for members of the Society. Students who signed up for free will need to become a member of ASIL to participate.
• Only one session per attendee
• Limited to 15 participants
Human Rights IG Business Meeting
March 26 - 08:00 AM - 08:50 AMNonproliferation, Arms Control, and Disarmament IG Business Meeting
March 26 - 08:00 AM - 08:50 AM- Nicole Hogg has served at the ICRC for 16 years. She is the Legal Advisor and Head of Department at the ICRC’s Regional Delegation for the United States and Canada, which involves work on weapons issues, including arms transfers, urban warfare, new technologies of warfare, and nuclear weapons. She previously worked as Legal Adviser in the ICRC’s Arms Unit in Geneva, as well as Legal Adviser to Operations for Asia and the Pacific. She holds a Law degree and an Arts degree from the University of Melbourne and an LLM in international law from McGill University in Canada.
- Loren Voss is the Senior Advisor for Civilian Harm Mitigation at the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency where she leads efforts to integrate civilian harm mitigation into security assistance and security cooperation with allies and partners. She previously served as an active duty officer in the Air Force, clerked for the Israeli Supreme Court, and conducted research as a Harvard Frederick Sheldon Traveling Fellow on national security and the law of armed conflict. She holds a JD from Harvard Law and an MA in Global Affairs from Yale.
- Mike Meier is the Senior Civilian Adviser to the Army Judge Advocate General on matters related to the Law of War. He advises on legal and policy issues related to the law of war, reviews proposed new weapons, and serves as a member of the DoD Law of War Working Group. Mr. Meier served as an Attorney-Adviser with the Office of the Legal Adviser for Political-Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State, from June 2009 until June 2016, where his portfolio included arms control agreements, such as the Ottawa Convention, Convention on Cluster Munitions, the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, and the Arms Trade Treaty. He holds a JD from St. Mary's University School of Law, an LLM from Georgetown University School of Law, and LLM from the Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School and an MS from the United States Army War College.
Participants will have the opportunity to ask them about their career trajectories. We hope you will join us for what promises to be a fascinating discussion. You will receive the information on how to attend after registering for the Annual Meeting.
Latin American IG Business Meeting
March 26 - 08:00 AM - 08:50 AMAsk-Me-Anything
March 26 - 08:00 AM - 08:50 AMGovernment and International Organizations Job-Seeking during a Global Pandemic
March 26 - 08:00 AM - 08:50 AMWomen in International Law IG Business Meeting
March 26 - 09:00 AM - 09:50 AMInternational Organizations IG Business Meeting
March 26 - 09:00 AM - 09:50 AMInternational Law and Technology IG Business Meeting
March 26 - 09:00 AM - 09:50 AMHow to Publish in AJIL and AJIL Unbound
March 26 - 09:00 AM - 09:50 AMMentor Session
March 26 - 09:00 AM - 09:50 AMThis session is for members of the Society. Students who signed up for free will need to become a member of ASIL to participate.
• Only one session per attendee
• Limited to 15 participants
Keynote: A Conversation with Judge Yusuf
March 26 - 10:00 AM - 11:00 AMThe Evolving Role of Arbitral Institutions
March 26 - 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM2021 Detlev F. Vagts Roundtable on Transnational Law: Pandemic Vaccines: Market products or global public goods?
March 26 - 11:15 AM - 12:15 PMCOVID-19's Lessons for Inter-governmental Pandemic Response Coordination
March 26 - 11:15 AM - 12:15 PMInternational Aid in a Time of Global Crisis
March 26 - 11:15 AM - 12:15 PMLate Breaking Panel: To Be Announced
March 26 - 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM"The Tribunal Knows the Law" (Iura Novit Curia), but What Should It Do With it?
March 26 - 12:30 PM - 01:30 PMBacklash to the International Legal Order: Breakdown or breakthrough?
March 26 - 12:30 PM - 01:30 PMCreating the Crime of Ecocide: An effective tool to address climate and environmental crises?
March 26 - 12:30 PM - 01:30 PMHuman Rights and COVID-19: Challenges and Good Practices to Effective Recovery
March 26 - 12:30 PM - 01:30 PMNinth Annual Charles N. Brower Lecture on International Dispute Resolution: Crisis Cases: Not Reconceiving International Dispute Resolution
March 26 - 12:30 PM - 01:30 PMBLM and International Human Rights Law: The challenge of systemic racism
March 26 - 01:45 PM - 02:45 PMInternational Law Online: How will the pandemic change the practice of law?
March 26 - 01:45 PM - 02:45 PMReframing International Legal Inquiries: New Voices Discussion
March 26 - 01:45 PM - 02:45 PMRealigning Investment Treaties with States' Interests
March 26 - 01:45 PM - 02:45 PMWinning Likes and Minds: Creative responses to the international struggle over information
March 26 - 01:45 PM - 02:45 PMDescription: Can international law help fight misinformation and disinformation? How can states, corporations, and other relevant stakeholders use international law to protect themselves from dangerous falsehoods? This panel brings together scholars and activists to discuss contemporary international challenges generated by the spread of misinformation and disinformation and ways for stakeholders to combat it. Panelists will highlight varying motivations for the spread of misinformation and disinformation, methodologies for its spread, and discuss its impact in law and policy across a range of issue areas, including elections and COVID-19. Panelists will also share possible short- and long-term solutions for identifying and countering the dissemination of misinformation and disinformation.
Hague Plenary and Closing Remarks - Reconceptualizing International Law’s Role in the Governance of AI: Autonomous weapons as a case study
March 26 - 03:00 PM - 04:00 PMArtificial intelligence (AI) plays an increasingly significant role in our daily lives, from social media algorithms determining what news is seen to machine learning-based models being used to search for effective viral therapies or to detect welfare fraud by governments. AI is also changing international relations and the challenges the international community is facing. International law has struggled to provide a governance framework within which the role of AI can be addressed, in significant part because the current structure of international law conceptualizes “actors” as states and multi-lateral organizations and, more recently, non-state actors. Existing international law has developed with human subjects in mind. Autonomous machines problematize traditional legal assumptions and categories, such as the military applications of AI, which poses increasingly urgent questions of well-established norms of jus ad bellum, jus in bello, and arms control law. This roundtable will examine the ways in which international law needs to reorganize its engagement with AI using the issue of autonomous weapons as a case study. Speakers will discuss how AI is challenging existing practices within the law of armed conflict; the underlying conceptual challenges that AI poses to the current international law framework, and ways in which a reconceived international law could contribute to the governance of AI.
2021 marks the 70th Anniversary of the Convention on the Status of Refugees. This event will look to the successes and failures of the Convention’s framework over the past 70 years, and then ask how this informs our understanding of the future of international refugee law. The speakers will take stock of state compliance with various articles of the Convention and with norms of refugee law, asking whether the Convention is adequate to address twenty-first century crises. Speakers will discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted our understanding of access to territory, and whether those shifts will continue to shape law once the pandemic has subsided. The event will look at innovations and future opportunities, including public health challenges and advancements and regional leadership on refugee rights issues.
The minimization of civilian casualties is a central objective of the law of armed conflict, but it poses legal, operational and policy challenges. To better understand these challenges, this simulation will demonstrate how a coalition war gaming exercise may be used to improve planning to minimize civilian harm in an urban setting. This session is organized by the Lieber Society on the Law of Armed Conflict.
The on-going Covid-19 pandemic has not left the legal profession unaffected. Following the first few days of confusion and disorientation, law firms were quick to adapt to their clients’ needs and ways to pursue projects effectively with a workforce at home. While certain practice areas have seen a decline, others have flourished during the crisis. The session will focus not on how the crisis has affected these areas but on new opportunities to be expected for international legal work upon the horizon. This includes two of the most important future topics: digitalization and sustainability. The brackets around these topics will be an assessment of where we stand today and which new legal fields may arise as the hot topics the day after tomorrow. The session is addressed to new professionals in practice, both private and in government, young scholars, as well as recent law school graduates. However, the implications of the discussion will be of interest to anyone practicing or studying law. The speakers will address how their own work has been affected and talk about current developments and signature topics to look out for due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Biden administration faces an array of challenges in foreign affairs, from the pandemic, climate change, and China's ascendance, to weakened U.S. relations with allies, heightened tension with Iran, and a hobbled State Department, to name just a few examples. Moreover, the administration does so amidst hyper-polarization of the American electorate, and with policy preferences that are in many ways quite different from those of its predecessor. These circumstances are likely to raise important questions for the field of U.S. foreign relations law over the course of the next four years. For example, if President Biden hopes to rejoin international agreements and institutions that the United States left under the Trump administration, what processes are available under domestic law for doing so? How should a body of foreign relations law that was developed largely in an era of American hegemony be adapted to an age of multipolarity? Will the legal positions that Democrats and Republicans adopted on issues in foreign relations law under President Trump flip on account of the new administration, or are there some features of the law that have durable political valences? Panelists will offer their insights on these kinds of questions.
Description: Can international law help fight misinformation and disinformation? How can states, corporations, and other relevant stakeholders use international law to protect themselves from dangerous falsehoods? This panel brings together scholars and activists to discuss contemporary international challenges generated by the spread of misinformation and disinformation and ways for stakeholders to combat it. Panelists will highlight varying motivations for the spread of misinformation and disinformation, methodologies for its spread, and discuss its impact in law and policy across a range of issue areas, including elections and COVID-19. Panelists will also share possible short- and long-term solutions for identifying and countering the dissemination of misinformation and disinformation.
Grotius Lecturer: Yves Daudet, University Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne
Distinguished Discussant: Hannah Buxbaum, Indiana University
It is well known that international law is currently undergoing transformations and challenges in many respects, regarding sources, subjects, ends and main principles in an international society that bears little resemblance to what it was in the aftermath of the Second World War. As international law is intended to be the glue that holds together a diverse international society, it is naturally at the heart of the crises affecting that society, as we are currently experiencing with the health crisis. Facing a crisis, one can be passive and hope for its end. Conversely, one can opt for a positive vision and try to find a dynamic of progress highlighted by the content of the crisis itself. In this perspective, it is necessary to check whether lessons can be learned, or even benefits achieved, as the crisis raises questions about the relevance or the need to reassess and transform major pillars of international law, such as the principle of sovereignty or that of multilateralism. Emergence of common interest or a principle of solidarity also needs to be addressed as they can provide legal means for responding to and preventing new crises. In this respect, this progress must be welcomed as an undeniable advance. Progress on other fronts, less comprehensive, should be seen as a step forward and a source of hope.
Artificial intelligence (AI) plays an increasingly significant role in our daily lives, from social media algorithms determining what news is seen to machine learning-based models being used to search for effective viral therapies or to detect welfare fraud by governments. AI is also changing international relations and the challenges the international community is facing. International law has struggled to provide a governance framework within which the role of AI can be addressed, in significant part because the current structure of international law conceptualizes “actors” as states and multi-lateral organizations and, more recently, non-state actors. Existing international law has developed with human subjects in mind. Autonomous machines problematize traditional legal assumptions and categories, such as the military applications of AI, which poses increasingly urgent questions of well-established norms of jus ad bellum, jus in bello, and arms control law. This roundtable will examine the ways in which international law needs to reorganize its engagement with AI using the issue of autonomous weapons as a case study. Speakers will discuss how AI is challenging existing practices within the law of armed conflict; the underlying conceptual challenges that AI poses to the current international law framework, and ways in which a reconceived international law could contribute to the governance of AI.
Ask-Me-Anything
March 24 - 03:30 PM - 04:20 PMNGO Job-Seeking during a Global Pandemic
March 24 - 03:30 PM - 04:20 PMTeaching the Practice of International Law: L Alumni as Educators
March 24 - 03:30 PM - 04:30 PMAsk-Me-Anything
March 24 - 04:30 PM - 05:20 PMMentor Session
March 24 - 04:30 PM - 05:20 PMThis session is for members of the Society. Students who signed up for free will need to become a member of ASIL to participate.
• Only one session per attendee
• Limited to 15 participants
Editors-in-Chief Roundtable
March 24 - 05:30 PM - 06:20 PMMentor Session
March 24 - 05:30 PM - 06:20 PMThis session is for members of the Society. Students who signed up for free will need to become a member of ASIL to participate.
• Only one session per attendee
• Limited to 15 participants
Ask-Me-Anything
March 24 - 06:30 PM - 07:20 PMMentor Session
March 24 - 06:30 PM - 07:20 PMThis session is for members of the Society. Students who signed up for free will need to become a member of ASIL to participate.
• Only one session per attendee
• Limited to 15 participants
Ask-Me-Anything
March 25 - 08:00 AM - 08:50 AMMentor Session
March 25 - 08:00 AM - 08:50 AMThis session is for members of the Society. Students who signed up for free will need to become a member of ASIL to participate.
• Only one session per attendee
• Limited to 15 participants
Ask-Me-Anything
March 25 - 09:00 AM - 09:50 AMCareers in International Law
March 25 - 09:00 AM - 09:50 AMWomen in International Law Interest Group Award Discussion
March 25 - 12:30 PM - 01:30 PMPrivate Practice Job-Seeking during a Global Pandemic
March 25 - 03:30 PM - 04:20 PMMentor Session
March 25 - 03:30 PM - 04:20 PMThis session is for members of the Society. Students who signed up for free will need to become a member of ASIL to participate.
• Only one session per attendee
• Limited to 15 participants
Ask-Me-Anything
March 25 - 04:30 PM - 05:20 PMMentor Session
March 25 - 04:30 PM - 05:20 PMThis session is for members of the Society. Students who signed up for free will need to become a member of ASIL to participate.
• Only one session per attendee
• Limited to 15 participants
Ask-Me-Anything
March 26 - 07:00 AM - 07:50 AMMentor Session
March 26 - 07:00 AM - 07:50 AMThis session is for members of the Society. Students who signed up for free will need to become a member of ASIL to participate.
• Only one session per attendee
• Limited to 15 participants
Ask-Me-Anything
March 26 - 08:00 AM - 08:50 AMGovernment and International Organizations Job-Seeking during a Global Pandemic
March 26 - 08:00 AM - 08:50 AMHow to Publish in AJIL and AJIL Unbound
March 26 - 09:00 AM - 09:50 AMMentor Session
March 26 - 09:00 AM - 09:50 AMThis session is for members of the Society. Students who signed up for free will need to become a member of ASIL to participate.
• Only one session per attendee
• Limited to 15 participants
International Criminal Law IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 03:30 PM - 04:20 PMMinorities in International Law IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 03:30 PM - 04:20 PMIntellectual Property Law IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 03:30 PM - 04:20 PMLieber Society IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 04:30 PM - 05:20 PMASIL-Midwest IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 04:30 PM - 05:20 PMInternational Environmental Law IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 04:30 PM - 05:20 PMCultural Heritage and the Arts IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 05:30 PM - 06:20 PMInternational Legal Theory IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 05:30 PM - 06:20 PMPrivate International Law IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 05:30 PM - 06:20 PMTeaching International Law IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 06:30 PM - 07:20 PMRights of Indigenous Peoples IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 06:30 PM - 07:20 PMGovernment Attorneys IG Business Meeting
March 24 - 06:30 PM - 07:20 PMNew Professionals IG Business Meeting
March 25 - 08:00 AM - 08:50 AMAnti-Corruption Law IG Business Meeting
March 25 - 08:00 AM - 08:50 AMInternational Courts and Tribunals IG Business Meeting
March 25 - 09:00 AM - 09:50 AMAsia-Pacific IG Business Meeting
March 25 - 09:00 AM - 09:50 AMSpace Law IG Business Meeting
March 25 - 09:00 AM - 09:50 AMInternational Refugee Law IG Business Meeting
March 25 - 03:30 PM - 04:20 PMDispute Resolution IG Business Meeting
March 25 - 03:30 PM - 04:20 PMTransitional Justice and Rule of Law IG Business Meeting
March 25 - 03:30 PM - 04:20 PMLaw of the Sea IG Business Meeting
March 25 - 04:30 PM - 05:20 PMASIL-Southeast IG Business Meeting
March 25 - 04:30 PM - 05:20 PMInternational Economic Law IG Business Meeting
March 25 - 04:30 PM - 05:20 PMInternational Legal Research IG Business Meeting
March 26 - 07:00 AM - 07:50 AMAfrica IG Business Meeting
March 26 - 07:00 AM - 07:50 AMHuman Rights IG Business Meeting
March 26 - 08:00 AM - 08:50 AMNonproliferation, Arms Control, and Disarmament IG Business Meeting
March 26 - 08:00 AM - 08:50 AM- Nicole Hogg has served at the ICRC for 16 years. She is the Legal Advisor and Head of Department at the ICRC’s Regional Delegation for the United States and Canada, which involves work on weapons issues, including arms transfers, urban warfare, new technologies of warfare, and nuclear weapons. She previously worked as Legal Adviser in the ICRC’s Arms Unit in Geneva, as well as Legal Adviser to Operations for Asia and the Pacific. She holds a Law degree and an Arts degree from the University of Melbourne and an LLM in international law from McGill University in Canada.
- Loren Voss is the Senior Advisor for Civilian Harm Mitigation at the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency where she leads efforts to integrate civilian harm mitigation into security assistance and security cooperation with allies and partners. She previously served as an active duty officer in the Air Force, clerked for the Israeli Supreme Court, and conducted research as a Harvard Frederick Sheldon Traveling Fellow on national security and the law of armed conflict. She holds a JD from Harvard Law and an MA in Global Affairs from Yale.
- Mike Meier is the Senior Civilian Adviser to the Army Judge Advocate General on matters related to the Law of War. He advises on legal and policy issues related to the law of war, reviews proposed new weapons, and serves as a member of the DoD Law of War Working Group. Mr. Meier served as an Attorney-Adviser with the Office of the Legal Adviser for Political-Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State, from June 2009 until June 2016, where his portfolio included arms control agreements, such as the Ottawa Convention, Convention on Cluster Munitions, the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, and the Arms Trade Treaty. He holds a JD from St. Mary's University School of Law, an LLM from Georgetown University School of Law, and LLM from the Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School and an MS from the United States Army War College.
Participants will have the opportunity to ask them about their career trajectories. We hope you will join us for what promises to be a fascinating discussion. You will receive the information on how to attend after registering for the Annual Meeting.
Latin American IG Business Meeting
March 26 - 08:00 AM - 08:50 AMWomen in International Law IG Business Meeting
March 26 - 09:00 AM - 09:50 AMInternational Organizations IG Business Meeting
March 26 - 09:00 AM - 09:50 AMInternational Law and Technology IG Business Meeting
March 26 - 09:00 AM - 09:50 AM2021 Annual Meeting Co-Chairs
Simon Batifort, Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLPChristie Edwards, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
Darin Johnson, Howard University School of Law
2021 Annual Meeting Committee Members
Andre Abbud, Barbosa, Müssnich & Aragão Advogados
Rob Anderson, U.S. Department of the Treasury
Raymond Atuguba, University of Ghana
Ari Bassin, Office of Global Criminal Justice, U.S. Department of State
Saadia Bhatty, Gide Loyrette Nouel
Colin Brown, Directorate General for Trade, European Commission
Gary Corn, Technology, Law, & Security Program, AUWCL
Melissa del Aguila, Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, AUWCL
Andrés Felipe Esteban Tovar, National Agency for the Legal Defense of the Republic of Colombia
Ezequiel Heffes, Geneva Call
Jaroslav Kudrna, Ministry of Finance, Czech Republic
Andrew Larkin, Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP
Rachel Lopez, Drexel University School of Law
Ben Love, Reed Smith LLP
Kate Mackintosh, Promise Institute for Human Rights, UCLA School of Law
Manoj Mate, University of California, Irvine School of Law
Alina Miron, University of Angers
Sahr Muhammedally, Center for Civilians in Conflict
Katerina Ossenova, Office of Foreign Litigation, U.S. Department of Justice
Duncan Pickard, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
Michele Potestà, Lévy Kaufmann-Kohler
Lisa Sachs, Columbia Center for Sustainable Investment
Victoria Sahani, Arizona State University College of Law
Camilo Sanchez, University of Virginia School of Law
Lela Scott, Office of the Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of State
Arsalan Suleman, Foley Hoag LLP
Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh, Leiden University Law School
Alyssa Yamamoto, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
Hongchuan Zhang, Attorney General's Chambers, Singapore
Adnan Zulfiqar, Rutgers Law School
Sponsors
2021 ASIL Annual Meeting Frequently Asked Questions
REGISTRATION
What is included in my registration?
Fees include access to all program sessions, keynotes, interest group meetings, side events, and networking and social tools on the AM website. Please note that access to professional development sessions is limited to members of the Society.
Who qualifies for the Government, Non-governmental, and International Organization Rate?
To qualify for the Government/NGO/IO rate, you must be (a) a full-time employee of a U.S. or foreign government agency (federal, state, local, or tribal) (government-supported universities or colleges, government contractors, and government consultants do not qualify); (b) a full-time employee of a U.S. non-profit organization or a non-U.S. non-profit organization recognized by the United Nations; or (c) a full-time employee of an organization designated by the President of the United States through Executive Order as qualified for the privileges, exemptions, and immunities provided in the International Organizations Immunities Act.
Do members of the media need to register?
Yes. Complimentary press registrations are available to those who meet ASIL's media accreditation guidelines. To request a complimentary press pass, please email services@asil.org with your name and media affiliation.
VIRTUAL MEETING FEATURES
What should I expect from the virtual AM?
You can join any session and can move "from room to room" if you wish to change sessions. If you miss a session, or wish to see a session again, you can watch it at any point during the Annual Meeting. All sessions will continue to be available to registrants after the meeting is over.
All registrants will have access to the attendee directory. If you wish to be removed from the attendee directory, please use the "Tech Help" feature on the Annual Meeting website. You may send a request to start a private chat or video call with any registrant who is currently online. If a registrant is offline, the chat and video options will be grey, indicating they are unavailable. You can ignore any chat or video requests. Affirmative acceptance from you is required for anyone to be able to share a chat or video message.
I'm a speaker. What do I need to do to prepare for the virtual AM?
We recommend business casual dress or the equivalent for all sessions. Prior to your session, check your internet connection, background, lighting, sound, and the position of your camera. As this is a new experience for many participants, familiarize yourself with the features of the platform. Make sure your face is well-lit and that there is no background noise that might interfere when you speak (e.g., children, pets, or unmuted phones). Additionally, be sure to read the "Best Practices for Presenting on Zoom" document sent to you by your committee member and/or moderator.
I'm an attendee. Can I ask the panelists questions?
Yes. For live sessions, you may submit questions in writing through the Q&A function on the Annual Meeting website. These questions will be collected and read out by the moderator during the course of the session (to the extent time permits).
For all sessions, we have added a new feature called "Continue the Conversation (CTC)." There is a button on the page of every session below the video screen that you can click once the session finishes to join a private Zoom room, where you will be able to share your video, turn on your mic, and ask questions directly of speakers (including some speakers whose remarks were pre-recorded).
As a non-panelist, am I allowed to speak during the online substantive sessions?
Only speakers will be able to turn on their microphone or video camera during substantive sessions. In other sessions, such as business meetings or social events, you can participate using video and/or audio. It is important that you check your video and audio equipment in advance, and make sure that you have good lighting.
Are there particular rules of behavior for a virtual meeting?
Please observe the same etiquette you would practice at the in-person Annual Meeting. Be civil, respectful, and courteous, and avoid interrupting other speakers. Refrain from distributing commercial or inappropriate content. Additionally, ASIL has a zero-tolerance policy for harassment and offensive content. Individuals who behave inappropriately will be removed from the Annual Meeting.
When participating in Interest Group meetings and interactive sessions, including in the CTC sessions, please mute your audio when you are not speaking. (Don't forget to unmute your audio when you wish to speak, and to go on mute when you are finished speaking).
How should I use the chat function?
Some sessions will have an embedded chat, which you can use to engage in discussion of the topic with other participants. Please do not use the chat for off-topic discussions or to ask questions of the speakers (use the procedure described above). If you are using the chat, make sure that your message is addressed only to the person(s) with whom you wish to chat before you hit "send." Think carefully before sending a message to all participants.
What if I have technical issues during the meeting?
If you have any technical questions or difficulties, use the "Help" button on the virtual AM page to address the question to the technical staff member who is monitoring the session. The "Help" button can be found on every page of the Virtual Annual Meeting site, and there will be technical staff monitoring the Help channel throughout the Annual Meeting.
Are the virtual sessions secure?
Access is restricted to registered attendees, who must use their assigned password to enter the site. Registrants are not permitted to share their password with any other individual.
Interference with the Annual Meeting, or with any user, host, or network, whether by sending a virus, overloading, spamming, or mail-bombing or by any other means, is strictly prohibited. Persons who interfere with the Annual Meeting will be removed from the conference immediately and will not be permitted to return.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
For any additional questions before the virtual Annual Meeting, don't hesitate to reach out to ASIL's Member Services team at services@asil.org.
CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION (CLE)
Is CLE credit available for meeting sessions?
Yes, a number of the substantive panels at the ASIL Annual Meeting will be accredited for CLE. Sessions that are approved for CLE credit will be designated as such in the final program and in the online agenda. ASIL will obtain accreditation for all of the CLE sessions from California, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. New York attorneys can gain automatic approval for CLE credits from the Annual Meeting through the Approved Jurisdictions policy. Attorneys from states recognizing out-of-state CLE credits in compliance with MCLE standards can obtain reciprocity for credits earned at the Meeting, but attendees are responsible for obtaining their own certification through their state board. ASIL will not submit on behalf of the attendee. There is a flat $75 fee for CLE registration for the Annual Meeting. You must include the CLE option during your registration to obtain the necessary credentials for CLE tracking.
How do I get CLE documentation?
To get CLE credit, you must register for CLE when you register for the Annual Meeting, as noted above.
As this is a virtual conference, attendees seeking CLE credit will register their presence at CLE sessions at the end of each session by clicking on a button on the session page. This serves as a self-certification that you attended and were present for the entire session. Data will not be shared with any other organization for any purpose other than state required audits.
Can I receive partial credit?
To receive credit for a session, you must attend the entire session. If you leave one session and join another, you cannot receive any CLE credit for either of those sessions. Furthermore, you may not watch multiple sessions simultaneously and receive CLE credit for both of them. If our tracking information shows you watching two sessions at the same time, you will receive CLE credit for only one of them. Please note that states require a minimum of one hour for CLE credit. Since our sessions are all only one hour long, you must observe the entirety of a session to receive CLE credit.
What should I do if I believe my Certificate of Attendance shows an incorrect CLE credit or contains a typo?
Contact the ASIL via e-mail at cle@asil.org with the following:
1. Your contact information (name, phone, e-mail, and address)
2. The session title
3. What you believe to be incorrect (e.g., name misspelled, etc.)
Providing ASIL with this information will allow us to respond to you quickly. Please remember that ASIL is not permitted to change any sign in/sign out data after the meeting has ended.
How do I get my CLE certificate of attendance form?
Following the Meeting, ASIL will process all of the attendee records for CLE sessions. ASIL will email every individual with a complete CLE record and ask for certain information (state(s) licensed, attorney id numbers, etc.) to be provided in an online survey form. Individuals who respond to that survey will receive their CLE certificate of attendance. Individuals who fail to respond to that survey will NOT receive their CLE certificates.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
Please contact ASIL's Service Center, at services@asil.org or (202) 939-6001.