International Law in Times of Great Power Competition

In our fast-moving, interconnected world, the rules-based international order and accountable judicial systems are critical to peace and progress. Between emerging debates over human rights, climate change and global economic challenges, questions of international law are central to upholding peace and prosperity in the 21st century.

Strategic competition among states and increasing kinetic conflict pose significant threats to the rules-based international order that forms the basis for peace, stability, and the rule of law around the world. This landscape is further destabilized as global tensions rise between great powers over how to address the structure of the international order and transnational challenges. During times of heightened uncertainty such as these, international law remains a vital tool in navigating both great power competition and global challenges like climate change, human rights, and the global economy.

The Salzburg Global Cutler Fellows Program is a one-of-a-kind program for students from top US law schools who intend to pursue careers in international law, legal practice, and public service. The Program identifies and empowers outstanding talents to tackle cutting edge issues in international law, fosters leadership skills, and builds lasting collaborative networks within the legal and public service sectors.

Date

Feb 08 - Feb 10, 2024

Session no.

S839-01

Location

Washington, DC

Contact

Jane Owen

Program Associate, Cutler Center for the Rule of Law, Salzburg Global

Content overview

Program Information Program Chairs Partner Schools

Program Information

Program Format

The two-day intensive session uses a mix of pedagogical approaches to build expertise and maximize ways in which every participant can share and learn.

Ahead of the intensive and highly interactive two-day program, Fellows present pre-prepared legal abstracts to their peers and top law faculty representatives from participating schools. The meeting itself combines plenary discussion and small thematic working groups, in which each Fellow receives feedback and guidance on how to strengthen the legal arguments in their papers and find publishing opportunities. Fellows also hear about and discuss traditional and non-traditional career paths in international law with experts and practitioners. The meeting will adhere to the Chatham House Rule, in order to allow for candid and open exchange of ideas.

The program encompasses the Lloyd N. Cutler Lecture featuring a distinguished speaker on international legal issues and the rule of law, presented this year by Hugh Verrier (Former Chair of White and Case LLP). Former Cutler lecturers included Eric Schmidt (former CEO and chairman of Google), Justice Richard J. Goldstone (Former Chief Prosecutor of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda), and Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, the eminent Russia-expert Dr. Fiona Hill.

Participant Profile

The program accepts up to 56 law student Fellows at the 2L, 3L, and LLM levels. Four students are selected by each of the 14 participating law schools: Berkeley, Chicago, Columbia, Cornell, Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Michigan, New York University, Northwestern, Penn, Stanford, Virginia, and Yale. Students’ areas of interest should include international human rights and humanitarian law; international and national security law; international environmental and climate law and policy; international courts and tribunals; international finance, investment, monetary and trade law; or the foreign relations law of various domestic legal systems.

To Apply

Application processes for this program are conducted through our 14 partner law schools and may vary from school to school.