2011 Events Archive

Reception Honoring Japan

Nov 01, 2011

On November 1, the Washington Foreign Law Society co-hosted its annual reception with Harold Koh, the Legal Adviser for the U.S. Department of State, in the historic Diplomatic Reception Rooms at the Department of State. The honoree for the 2011 reception was Japan, and Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki accepted the honors in a keynote address to the more than 250 people in attendance

WFLS and ABA Breakfast on Careers in International Anti-Corruption

Oct 25, 2011

The Washington Foreign Law Society in conjunction with the Anti-Corruption Committee of The ABA Section of International Law and local D.C. law schools presented an expert panel on careers in international anti-corruption compliance and enforcement. The audience heard from practitioners from the Justice Department, the Securities and Exchange Commission, international organizations, and private practice as they provide an update on international policy and enforcement trends of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and other anti-bribery laws and discussed careers for lawyers working in these areas.

World Bank Sanctions and Anti-Corruption Efforts

Oct 24, 2011

The Washington Foreign Law Society was pleased to collaborate with the World Bank Group on an important breakfast program on October 24, 2011, on the World Bank’s sanctions and anti-corruption efforts.

Washington Foreign Law Society Annual Garden Party

Sep 21, 2011

The Washington Foreign Law Society recently held its Annual Garden Party on Wednesday, September 21,

After the Protests: Supporting Democratic Transitions in the Middle East

Jul 20, 2011

The interim governments in Egypt and Tunisia have promised transitions to democratic rule and the Tunisian and Egyptian people have embraced the opportunity for reform. They have begun to form new associations to address the many needs facing their country as it transitions to democracy. These include, building accountable and transparent government institutions and addressing the country’s economic woes.

The Washington Foreign Law Society held a panel discussion focused on the importance of maintaining a focus on human rights during this transition period, the role of civil society in the process, and the efforts of U.S. policy makers to support the transitions in Egypt and Tunisia.

Rule of Law in Conflict Zones – A Discussion with Brigadier General Tom Ayres

Jun 29, 2011

With the United States currently expending significant effort in both Iraq and Afghanistan to shape each respective government and transform each country into a stable democracy, policymakers and military commanders have increased their focus on military involvement in reconstruction, stabilization and the development of the “rule of law” in post-conflict societies. Brigadier General Tom Ayres discussed how military lawyers have been at the forefront of this area of activity, assisting in the reconstruction of courts, facilitating the training of legal professionals, and engaging in a wide array of activities designed to rebuild broken legal landscapes.

Gender Violence & State Accountability

May 18, 2011

Carolyn Lamm, a Partner at White & Case, Immediate Past-President of the American Bar and the current ABA representative to the United Nations, was the featured speaker at the event “Gender Violence & State Accountability,” hosted by the Washington Foreign Law Society. Ms. Lamm spoke about the lack of recourse for victims of state-sponsored sexual violence to criminally prosecute perpetrators or to receive remedies for harms stemming from sexual violence, whether state-sponsored or by those fighting against the state. Ms. Lamm detailed her efforts on behalf of the ABA to develop a system of civil responsibility for state-sponsored violence against women as a weapon of war and for a system of reparations to victims from these states

WFLS Annual Gala

Apr 28, 2011

The Washington Foreign Law Society (WFLS) was delighted to award Mr. William H. Neukom the Society’s annual Harry LeRoy Jones Award for Mr. Neukom’s important work in advancing the rule of law. The award was given at the Society’s annual Gala dinner, held at the Willard Hotel in Washington, DC.

Mr. Neukom is the Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of the World Justice Project, a multinational, multidisciplinary initiative to strengthen the rule of law. Mr. Neukom has previously served as General Counsel of Microsoft Corporation, President of the American Bar Association, and Chairman of Preston Gates & Ellis, and is currently the Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer of Major League Baseball’s world champion San Francisco Giants

Embassy Roundtable: A Conversation with Mexican Ambassador to the United States Arturo Sarukhan

Mar 28, 2011

Trade and investment, migration, and border security are just some of the factors critical to the relationship between the United States and Mexico. We are delighted that the Ambassador of Mexico to the United States, Arturo Sarukhan, shared his thoughts on these and other issues.

Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan is a career diplomat. He served as deputy assistant secretary for Inter-American affairs and in 1993 was posted to the Mexican Embassy in the United States, where he served first as chief of staff to the ambassador and then as head of the counternarcotics office. He became chief of policy planning at the Foreign Ministry in 2000 and was appointed Mexican consul general to New York City. In 2006, he received the rank of ambassador, and in February 2007, he was appointed Mexican ambassador to the United States

WFLS/ASIL CLE INSTITUTE: “Revisiting ICSID Annulment — The Twin Challenges of Finality and Correctness”

Mar 15, 2011

In recent years, losing parties in investor-state arbitrations brought under the framework of the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) have increasingly sought to have adverse decisions annulled by ad hoc Committees. Professor David D. Caron first wrote about ICSID Annulment in the ICSID Foreign Investment Law Journal in 1992 and returned in this discussion to the current questions concerning annulment mechanism. He argued that this second wave of questions will be more difficult to address than the first, and summarized the mechanism’s ups and downs