The American Branch of the International Law Association and the International Law Students Association have issued a call for panel proposals for International Law Weekend 2018, which will take place October 18-20, in New York City. The theme is "Why International Law Matters." Here's the call:International Law Weekend 2018 (ILW 2018) – the premier international law event of the fall season – is scheduled for October 18-20, 2018 in New York City. The conference will be held at the New York City Bar Association (42 West 44th Street) on October 18, 2018 and at Fordham Law School (150 West 62nd Street) on October 19-20, 2018.
ILW 2018 is sponsored and organized by the American Branch of the International Law Association (ABILA) – which welcomes new members from academia, the practicing bar, and the diplomatic world – and the International Law Students Association (ILSA). This annual conference attracts an audience of more than one thousand academics, practitioners, diplomats, members of governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and law students.
The unifying theme for ILW 2018 is Why International Law Matters
Like any legal system, international law is a reflection of the past. Its norms, rules, and institutions are built upon a foundation that is moored in prior decades and steeped in previous centuries. And yet, international law plays an important role today, while setting the stage for the future. Current developments and emerging trends will form into future law. International lawyers must, therefore, serve as both historians and fortune tellers, while applying international legal norms in the present. How does the past inform our present? What current events and movements will most impact our future? And why does international law matter today? Wading through these moments in time, panels at ILW 2018 will consider the past, reflect on the present, and survey the future of our discipline and our profession, while addressing the fundamental question of why international law matters.
Proposal SubmissionThe ILW Organizing Committee invites proposals to be submitted online by May 25, 2018. Panels will only be accepted through the online ILW Panel Proposal Submission Form located here.
When submitting your proposal, please consider the following points.
- Panel proposals may concern any aspect of contemporary international law and practice including, but not limited to, international arbitration, international environmental law, national security, cyber law, use of force, human rights, international humanitarian law, international organizations, international criminal law, international intellectual property, the law of the sea and outer space, and trade law. When submitting your proposal, please identify the primary area(s) of international law that your proposed panel will address.
- Provide the names, titles, and affiliations of the chair and likely speakers. One of the objectives of ILW 2018 is to promote dialogue among scholars and practitioners. Panels should include presenters with diverse experiences and perspectives.
- Please identify what format you are proposing for your panel. We welcome various formats, such as debates, roundtables, lectures, and break-out groups, as well as the usual practice of panel presentations.
- Please indicate whether you are an ABILA member and whether or not your panel is sponsored by an ABILA committee. Panel organizers are encouraged to include at least one ABILA member on the panel.
- We hope to offer several CLE panels at ILW 2018. The CLE accreditation is very easy. More information will be provided once panels have been selected for the conference. If asked, we encourage you to consider taking the necessary steps to qualify your panel for CLE credit.
