Howard M. Holtzmann Archive
The Howard M. Holtzmann Paper collect and preserve documents from the work and life of Judge Howard M. Holtzmann, A unique collection, the Holtzmann Papers tell the story of international commercial arbitration and conciliation through the lens of one of its foremost experts and practitioners.
Judge Holtzmann helped to develop and codify many of the precepts and protocols of international arbitration and mass claims processes through his landmark work as an arbitrator with international organizations such as the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, the Claims Resolution Tribunal for Dormant Accounts in Switzerland, and the American Arbitration Association, among many others, as well as in private practice at the firm Holtzmann, Sheppard, and Wise.
The Holtzmann Papers were left to the Society as part of a grant from the Holtzmann Foundation. It will stand as the keystone archival collection of the Society's Holtzmann Research Center.
As archives become an increasingly important site for legal research, the Howard M. Holtzmann Papers stand as a major addition to this growing field.
The Holtzmann Papers is comprised of 65.25 linear feet of material, housed in 249 boxes archive standard boxes and folders, and includes material in English, French, German, Chinese, Swedish. The types of items contained within the collection include:
- manuscript and typescript drafts of Judge Holtzmann's published and unpublished writings
- organizational materials with annotations and notes by Holtzmann
- correspondence and circular memos; legal briefings and decisions
- printed material relating to his research interests
- photographs of Judge Holtzmann taken in both a personal and professional capacity
- personal diaries and notebooks
The Howard M. Holtzmann Papers are held in ASIL's deFord Library and Information Center. To request material, or to schedule a time to use the archives, contact us at 202-939-6000 or via email at services@asil.org.
For a detailed list of items in the Holtzmann Papers, click on the downloadable Container List (pdf) found in About the Collection.
This exhibit documents Judge Holtzmann's illustrious career and landmark arbitration, while showcasing some of the highlights from the collection.
Born to Lillian Plotz Holtzmann and Jacob L. Holtzmann in 1922, Judge Holtzmann attended the Poly Prep Country Day School in New York City before going on to earn an undergraduate degree at Yale College in 1942. After serving in the US Navy during the Second World War, Holtzmann returned to Yale to earn a law degree from Yale Law School in 1947, an institution with which he would continue to have an important relationship as a donor and regular speaker on campus.
Related Items
- US Navy Application (PDF - 9.7 MB) [Box 220, Folder 1]
- The Second Annual Yale Jewish Alumni Forum 'Jewish Life at Yale: Then and Now,' Reunion Weekend, 1992 (PDF - 1.5 MB) [Box 4, Folder 36]
Holtzmann's early career found him specializing in labor and other forms of domestic arbitration. He soon, however, expanded his scope as an arbitrator outward, as international trade arbitration became a critical area in international law in the second half of the Twentieth Century.
Judge Holtzmann would serve as a long-term member of the United States delegation to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1966 "to promote the progressive harmonization and unification of international trade law." As a delegate, he helped to develop UN model laws on trade and commercial arbitration. Also as part of UNCITRAL, Holtzmann arranged the CLOUT, or Case Law on UNCITRAL Texts, a compendium of legal decisions and arbitral awards made using UNCITRAL model laws, while also assisting in writing several of the UNCITRAL legislative guides.
Related Items
- Lecture Notes, 1950s-1978 (PDF - 2.4 MB) [Box 49, Folder 1]
- Labor Law Lecture to Pre-Law Students, St. Bonaventure University, 1951 (PDF - 2.4 MB) [Box 237, Folder 3]
- UNCITRAL 28 Session Draft Report, 1995 (PDF - 3.1 MB) [Box 126, Folder 7]
- UNCITRAL Model Clause, 1980 (PDF - 0.6 MB) [Box 116, Folder 5]
- UNCITRAL Origin, Mandate, and Composition, 1998 (PDF - 2.5 MB) [Box 117, Folder 4]
- UNCITRAL Working Group Notebook, 2005 (PDF - 10.5 MB) [Box 117, Folder 3]
Judge Holtzmann's career was largely defined by his arbitration work with international governance bodies, including the American Arbitration Association (AAA), a non-profit organization in the field of alternative dispute resolution that provides services to individuals and organizations who wish to resolve conflicts out of court. While he would later serve as president of the AAA, in 1974, Holtzmann acted as a delegate on the AAA's first mission to the People's Republic of China. As one of the earliest Western envoys to the People's Republic, this mission has a critical place in the development of global trade relations between the US and China, and Holtzmann remained an expert and key intermediary in Chinese-US trade arbitration throughout his life. The Holtzmann Papers contains a large amount of material relating to this crucial moment in international commercial arbitration, including Holtzmann's diaries, reports, photos, and correspondence.
Related Items
- First Mission to China Notebooks, 1975 (PDF - 8 MB [Box 151, Folder 1]
- First Mission to China Notebooks, 1975 (PDF - 1.5 MB [Box 151, Folder 1]
- Speech by Ren Jianxin, 1975 (PDF - 9 MB [Box 151, Folder 4]
Judge Holtzmann's contributions to international arbitration and conciliation continued, in 1977, when he helped to draft the USA-USSR Optional Clause Agreement, which made Sweden the location for commercial arbitrations between the US and the Soviet Union, an agreement that made the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce the authoritative body for these negotiations. He continued his involvement by aiding in the revisions to the Agreement after the fall of the Soviet Union.
One of Judge Holtzmann's most important contributions to commercial arbitration and international governance was his work as an arbitrator on the US delegation to the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal, established by the Algiers Accords on January 19, 1981 by the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America to resolve the claims of nationals of both states and between the states themselves. Holtzmann served as the first arbitrator, and remained the senior US member until 1994. The Tribunal stands as a landmark event in the establishment of international arbitration protocols. <
The Howard M. Holtzmann Papers include extensive material relating to his work with the Tribunal. Included are correspondence, chronological files, official documents, memos, communiqués, personal notes, and drafts of rulings and resolutions from this Tribunal. Also contained here is a substantial Index to Issues that outlines the various claims and rules covered by the Tribunal. The items on display below provide a brief glimpse of the materials contained in the collection pertaining to this groundbreaking arbitration.
Related Items
- Administrative Directive No.2—Tribunal Rules, 1981 (PDF - 14 MB) [Box 54, Folder 8]
- Appointment to Tribunal—Official Letter (PDF - 0.5 MB) [Box 57, Folder 4]
- Appointment to Tribunal—Press Release, 1981 (PDF - 0.6 MB) [Box 54, Folder 5]
- Given by US Arbitrators to Iranian Arbitrators, 1988 (PDF - 1.3 MB) [Box 72, Folder 4]
Throughout his career, Holtzmann was a key member of many international legal organizations, including the SCC International Advisory Board, the American Bar Association, the Environmental Law Institute, the International Chamber of Commerce, the International Council for Commercial Arbitration, and the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
Judge Holtzmann also produced a voluminous canon of writing on all aspects of international arbitration. Among his most important works are his contributions to the Code of Ethics for Arbitrators and A Guide to the UNCITRAL Model on International Commercial Arbitration: Legislation History and Commentary (1994), written with Joseph E. Neuhaus, which remains the standard reference volume for that field. Holtzmann's lifelong dedication to the international arbitration can be seen most clearly in his seminal work, International Mass Claims Processes: Legal and Practical Perspectives, edited with Edda Kristjánsdóttir. Alongside these major works, Holtzmann wrote and presented hundreds of essays, articles, speeches, and lectures for law review journals and conferences.
Judge Holtzmann died on December 9, 2013. He is survived by his wife, Carol, and his daughters, Susie and Betsey, as well as his grandsons McLaren (Jodi), Anthony (Erin) and Abe Noyes, and Jill van Berg (David Manella), Elizabeth van Berg and Allison van Berg. He also leaves five great-grandchildren. He also leaves his step-daughter Louise Mullen (Henry) and his step-son William van Berg.
Related Items
- Claims Resolution Tribunal Appointment Letter, 1998 (PDF - 1.5 MB) [Box 192, Folder 3]
- Code of Ethics for Arbitrators, Introduction (PDF - 1.2 MB) [Box 233, Folder 1]
- Code of Ethics for Arbitrators, Draft (PDF - 9 MB) [Box 233, Folder 1]
The Howard M. Holtzmann Papers
Collection Dates
1885-2014 (Bulk Dates: 1966-2011)
Processed by
Aaron Winslow
Abstract
The Howard M. Holtzmann Papers contain materials relating to Judge Holtzmann's legal career, both as an arbitrator with international organizations such as the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, the Claims Resolution Tribunal for Dormant Accounts in Switzerland, and the American Arbitration Association, among many others, as well as in private practice at the firm Holtzmann, Sheppard, and Wise. As a major innovator in the field of international arbitration, Holtzmann's papers illuminate the development of arbitration as it intersects with international and national law, as well as the protocols of international governance at the UN and The Hague. Contained in the collection are drafts of Judge Holtzmann's published and unpublished writings; organizational materials with annotations and notes by Holtzmann; correspondence and circular memos; legal briefings and decisions; and printed material relating to his research interests. Also held are photographs of Judge Holtzmann taken in both a personal and professional capacity, along with his personal diaries and notebooks.
Size
65.25 linear feet (249 archival boxes)
Location
Howard M. Holtzmann Research Center for the Study of International Arbitration and Conciliation
The American Society of International Law
2223 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
Language(s) of material
English, French, German, Chinese, Swedish
Biographical Note
Howard M. Holtzmann is regarded as one of the world's foremost experts and practitioners of international commercial arbitration, whose fifty year career was integral to the development of that field. Holtzmann was a foundational figure in the field of international arbitration and conciliation. Judge Holtzmann helped develop and codify many of the precepts and protocols of international arbitration and mass claims processes as one of the first U.S. appointees to the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal, and through his work with international governance institutions including the UN and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and as part of the American Arbitration Association's first mission to the People's Republic of China in 1975.
Born to Lillian Plotz Holtzmann and Jacob L. Holtzmann in 1922, Judge Holtzmann attended the Poly Prep Country Day School in New York City before going on to earn an undergraduate degree at Yale College in 1942 and, subsequently, a law degree at Yale Law School in 1947. Holtzmann went on to serve as a member of the United States delegation to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1966 "to promote the progressive harmonization and unification of international trade law," as stated in their charter. As a delegate, he helped to develop UN model laws on trade and commercial arbitration. Also as part of UNCITRAL, Holtzmann arranged the CLOUT, or Case Law on UNCITRAL Texts, a compendium of legal decisions and arbitral awards made using UNCITRAL model laws, while also assisting in writing several of the UNCITRAL legislative guides.
Judge Holtzmann's career was defined, largely, by his arbitration work with international governance bodies. He served as a delegate on the American Arbitration Association's first mission to the People's Republic of China in 1974. This mission has a critical place in the development of global trade relations between the US and China, and Holtzmann remained an expert and key intermediary in Chinese-US trade arbitration throughout his life. In 1977, Holtzmann helped to draft the USA-USSR Optional Clause Agreement, which made Sweden the location for commercial arbitrations between the US and the Soviet Union, an agreement that made the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce the authoritative body for these negotiations. He continued his involvement by aiding in the revisions to the Agreement after the fall of the Soviet Union.
From 1997 through 2001, Judge Holtzmann worked as an arbitrator on the Claims Resolution Tribunal for Dormant Accounts in Switzerland, a series of tribunals established with the aim of resolving all claims to dormant accounts, defined to include accounts opened by non-Swiss customers that have been inactive since the end of the Second World War and which were made public by the Swiss Bankers Association.
One of Judge Holtzmann's most important contributions to commercial arbitration and international governance was his work as an arbitrator on the US delegation to the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal, established by the Algiers Accords on January 19, 1981 by the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America to resolve the claims of nationals of both states and between the states themselves. Holtzmann served as the first arbitrator, and remained the senior US member until 1994. The Tribunal stands as a landmark event in the establishment of international arbitration protocols.
Throughout his career, Holtzmann was a key member of many international legal organizations, including the SCC International Advisory Board, the American Bar Association, the Environmental Law Institute, the International Chamber of Commerce, the International Council for Commercial Arbitration, and the Permanent Court of Arbitration, and the American Arbitration Association, for which he served as President.
Judge Holtzmann also produced a voluminous canon of writing on all aspects of international arbitration. Among his most important works is A Guide to the UNCITRAL Model on International Commercial Arbitration: Legislation History and Commentary (1994), written with Joseph E. Neuhaus, which remains the standard reference volume for that field. Holtzmann's lifelong dedication to the international arbitration can be seen most clearly in his seminal work, International Mass Claims Processes: Legal and Practical Perspectives, edited with Edda Kristjánsdóttir. Largely based on Holtzmann and Kristjansodottir's work with the Permanent Court of Arbitration and its Steering Committee, this book considers high profile mass claims cases such as the Iran-US Claims Tribunal, the Holocaust and the Claims Resolution Tribunal for Dormant Accounts in Switzerland, Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, and others that Holtzmann was personally involved with. Along with these books, Holtzmann wrote and presented hundreds of essays, articles, speeches, and lectures for law review journals and conferences.
Judge Holtzmann died on December 9, 2013. He is survived by his wife, Carol, and his daughters, Susie and Betsey, as well as his grandsons McLaren (Jodi), Anthony (Erin) and Abe Noyes, and Jill van Berg (David Manella), Elizabeth van Berg and Allison van Berg. He also leaves five great-grandchildren. He also leaves his step-daughter Louise Mullen (Henry) and his step-son William van Berg.
Description
The Howard M. Holtzmann Papers contains the correspondence, writings, legal and business files, organizational material, and research material created by Judge Holtzmann during his fifty year career in international arbitration. The material ranges from the 1920s through 2014, with the bulk of the material focusing on Holtzmann's arbitration work from the 1970s until the early 2000s.
The collection is arranged in ten series that cover the many facets of Holtzmann's arbitration career. The Correspondence series contains personal and business communications, and has a subseries organized by Holtzmann himself and a subseries of general correspondence arranged by sender/recipient and date. The bulk of this material dates from the 1970s through the 2000s, and includes items relating to Holtzmann's work in UNCITRAL, the Iran-US Claims Tribunal, and various other arbitration activities. Further correspondence relating to specific activities and projects can be found elsewhere in the collection.
A Writings series covers the wide variety of Holtzmann's written output, primarily from the 1970s through the 2000s. The series is organized in three subseries, the first of one, "The Papers of Howard M. Holtzmann," arranged by Holtzmann himself and retained in original order. This subseries consists of several binders of typescript drafts of writings from the 1960s through the 2000s, completed in 2010 and 2011 by Holtzmann's assistant, as well as the original manuscript and typescripts of some of these binders. The subseries "Other Writings" holds items from across Holtzmann's career, including original manuscripts and typescripts of speeches, articles, and presentations. Also included here are original draft manuscripts, correspondence, and research material pertaining to several of Holtzmann's books, including International Mass Claims Processes: Legal and Practical Perspectives (2007), edited with Edda Kristjánsdóttir, and A Guide to the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration (1989), written with Joseph E. Neuhaus. The items in this subseries are arranged alphabetically by title. Finally, this series contains a small subseries of writings By Others, and held by Holtzmann—some of the items in this subseries have marginalia and annotations and comments by Holtzmann.
The majority of the collection consists of material relating to Judge Holtzmann's work as a practicing international arbitrator. The bulk of this material is arranged in two series: the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal, and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). The former material pertains to Judge Holtzmann's time as the senior arbitrator with the US delegation to the Tribunal from 1981 to 1994. Materials include correspondence, drafts and revisions of rulings and procedural rules, Holtzmann's chronological files, and memos and communiqués, ranging from 1981 to 2009. The UNCITRAL series houses material from Holtzmann's work as a US delegate to this organization, and includes draft model laws, CLOUT case files, correspondence, memos, and working group papers and reports. Similar material is included in the Claims Resolution Tribunal series and Arbitration series, with material ranging from the early 1970s to 2013. The items in all of these series are arranged alphabetically by type of material and function.
Holtzmann's work with various organizations devoted to international arbitration is documented in two series: American Arbitration Association and Organizations. Dated from 1968 to 2012, the items include meeting minutes and notes; model clauses and decisions for various cases; conference information, publications, and proceedings; research materials; and correspondence. Items are arranged alphabetically by function and type of material.
A broad spectrum of materials relating to Holtzmann's varied arbitration and other legal activities can be found in the series Business Files. Arranged by Holtzmann himself and retained in original order, the series contains writings, correspondence, legal briefs and decisions, and research materials, dating from 1973 to 2013. Finally, materials relating to Judge Holtzmann's personal life—including his endowments and donations to Yale, photographs, and family information—can be found in the Personal series, ranging from 1941-2012.
About the Collection
The Howard M. Holtzmann Papers are organized into ten series (large groupings and categories) and subseries (smaller sub-categories within series). The container list contains a detailed index of every item in the Howard M. Holtzmann Papers. This index provides the exact box and folder location of every item in the collection.