Established in 2002 and supported by annual grants from the Open Society Institute, the War Crimes Research Office is the focal point of several unique programs focusing on accountability for violations of international humanitarian law, which are listed below.
International Law Research Lab
Each semester, up to 15 students enroll in the International Law Research Lab, in which they undertake legal research assignments for the prosecutors of the International Criminal Court, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and the Office of Military Commissions.
In addition, they conduct research for the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism, INTERPOL, the United States Coast Guard, the American Red Cross and the Public International Law and Policy Group,
International Criminal Tribunal Externship Program
ǿմý is one of the few law schools that allow students to obtain a full semester’s credit for interning at one of six international criminal tribunals during the second or third year of law school.
To date, more of our students (71) have interned at these tribunals than students from any other law school, and five of our students have obtained jobs in the Office of the Prosecutor, Defense, and Chambers of the Tribunals after graduation.
Annual War Crimes Research Symposium
The Cox Center hosts an annual War Crimes Research Symposium, bringing in two-dozen of the foremost international humanitarian law and international criminal law experts in the world to discuss a cutting-edge issue related to the prosecution of war crimes. Articles generated from the symposia are published in the ǿմý Journal of International Law.
War Crimes Research Portal
The War Crimes Research Office maintains the War Crimes Research Portal, which contains the text of over 200 memoranda students have prepared for the international tribunals, as well as links to a thousand web sites related to international criminal law.
Grotian Moment: War Crimes Trial Blog
Established in September 2005, the award-winning “Grotian Moment blog” features essays by a panel of experts on developments related to major war crimes trials, as well as newspaper articles and documents related to the tribunals.
The blog has surpassed 300,000 visits and was the top-ranked international law blog in the 2006 Weblog Awards. Its essays have been broadcast on the radio, it spawned the first ever blog to book of law essays, and it has received a Web Winner Award from the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper, Blog of the Month Award from Catholic University of America, Web Site of the Month award from New York Law School, and Blog of the Week Award from University of Washington Law School.
Established in 2005 in partnership with the Public International Law and Policy Group, War Crimes Prosecution Watch is a bi-weekly e-newsletter which collects official documents and articles from major news sources detailing and analyzing salient issues pertaining to the investigation and prosecution of war crimes throughout the world. The publication, which goes out to over 15,000 subscribers, is edited by ǿմý law students who are selected in January of their first year for editorial positions through an interview process.
The International Humanitarian Law Dialogs
Held annually, the International Humanitarian Law Dialogs bring together international prosecutors, ambassadors, diplomats, human rights leaders, and legal scholars from around the world to explore the importance of International Humanitarian Law, discuss its current implementation, and promote its expansion across the globe.
As a unique force in the quest to bring Justice and increase Accountability worldwide, the distinguished attendees play an integral part in furthering a mission that is paramount to promoting fundamental human rights and the rule of law.
Henry T. King Jr. Fund
A fund has been established in support of Henry T. King, Jr.'s legacy. Learn more about his work and how you may support the fund: