Elise Keppler is executive director of the Global Justice Center. She brings two decades of experience working to advance justice for serious crimes committed in violation of international law — including sexual and gender-based violence — before domestic, hybrid, and international courts. Prior to joining GJC, Elise worked in Human Rights Watch’s International Justice Program between 2003 and 2024. She focused on strengthening prospects for justice for atrocity crimes committed in Central African Republic, Guinea, and other African nations. She worked with activists across Africa to counter backlash against the International Criminal Court. She helped lead campaigns for Darfur’s referral to the ICC and for the surrender of former Liberian president Charles Taylor. Elise also worked half-time in Human Rights Watch’s General Counsel’s Office from 2020 onward. She is regularly quoted by international and African media. Elise holds a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University and a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.