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Takeaways from the 2023 Cutler Fellows program
February 16-18, 2023 – This year’s Cutler Fellows brought a wide range of interests and ideas about international law with them to Washington, DC for The Future of Public and Private International Law. During the program, some excitedly discussed trade law while others debated human rights and artificial intelligence. Matching the interests of students, the weekend’s panels covered topics as diverse as international accountability for war, climate law and human rights.
Among the many insights offered by the speakers were three lessons that any law student, no matter what their interests are, could apply to a future career. The lessons were to think creatively, take every opportunity to learn, and to keep people at the forefront of legal practice.
When Mark Ellis, Robin Dunnigan and Bill Taylor discussed the war in Ukraine and international accountability, Dr. Ellis explained that with records of over 65,000 war crimes, Russia's invasion of Ukraine is the most documented war in history. Despite a rising pile of evidence accessible to the International Criminal Court (ICC), Ellis emphasized that the ICC is only as powerful as the international community’s political willingness to support it and thus any legal action will be at the hand of evolving geopolitics. During the conversation it was noted that as countries grapple with how to legally approach the actions of Russia in Ukraine, the international community needs legal experts to navigate the gray areas of international law with smart and original thinking.
The second lesson came during a panel on climate law when Leslie Fields and Ambassador Daniel Feldman discussed their career trajectories. What stood out from both speakers’ stories was their unwavering commitment to seize every learning opportunity. Ms. Fields, whose climate career began while volunteering before and after law school, on intersectional issues such as public health, civil and human rights, advised Fellows to be advocates first, and lawyers second. Ambassador Feldman, who shared memories of the Biden Administration’s efforts to advance U.S. climate action, encouraged students to take advantage of the growing number of opportunities in a field that is becoming increasingly important and timely. Students came away from the panel feeling hopeful about what a career in public service might offer and encouraged to seek out new opportunities.
Finally, the third lesson for this year’s Cutler Fellows came from a panel on human rights. Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis and Ambassador Roya Rahmani emphasized that human rights must exist on both individual and societal levels, and we therefore need laws and institutions to foster individual practice of human rights. During the conversation, the story of a foreign organization offering women’s rights classes in a country in conflict arose as an example of how challenging it can be to integrate human rights practices into communities lacking the institutions to support them. While many women attended the classes, the country lacked the institutions - childcare, spaces for public representation, and employment opportunities - that would allow them to exercise these rights. Thus, the matter of women’s rights was largely left in the classroom. The example and remaining panel reminded Cutler Fellows that no matter what type of legal practice they pursue, people should be placed at the forefront.
The words of the speakers - to think creatively, take every opportunity to learn, and to keep people at the forefront of legal practice - reverberated through the weekend. One participating student inspired by the program’s content said: “I am a 2L and had been feeling a bit like giving up on the international law path. I see more possibilities after this weekend and feel more confident in pursuing them.”