Editorial

Bridging Scholarship and Practice: 20 Years of the Public International Law and Policy Group

Authors:

Brianne McGonigle Leyh
Email Brianne McGonigle Leyh
Julie Fraser

Brianne McGonigle Leyh, Senior Counsel, PILPG (headquartered in US); Associate Professor, Netherlands Institute of Human Rights, Utrecht University, Netherlands
Dr. Brianne McGonigle Leyh is an attorney specializing in international criminal law and procedure, human rights, victims’ rights and transitional justice. She received her Bachelors degree (BA) from Boston University, graduating magna cum laude with a self-crafted major in the study of international law and human rights, her Law degree (JD) from American University’s Washington College of Law, graduating cum laude, and her Masters (MA) in International Affairs from AmericanUniversity’s School of International Service. In 2011 she obtained her PhD from Utrecht University’s Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (SIM) where she wrote her award-winning dissertation on victim participation in international criminal proceedings.

Currently, she is an Associate Professor with SIM where she is a member of the Montaigne Centre for Judicial Administration and Conflict Resolution. She is also an executive editor of the Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights and co-directs the Utrecht Centre for International Studies (UCIS), which is a centre supporting and encouraging study and research on international issues across the humanities and law at Utrecht University. Recently, she has been named to the Utrecht Young Academy. In addition to her academic work, she is a Senior Counsel with the Public International Law & Policy Group (PILPG), and sits on the advisory boards of the Netherlands Helsinki Committee and Pro Bono Connect.
Julie Fraser, Senior Counsel, PILPG (headquartered in US); PhD Candidate, Netherlands Institute of Human Rights, Utrecht University, Netherlands
Julie Fraser is a PhD Candidate at the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. In addition to research, she also has teaching experience at both the master and bachelor level. Julie is simultaneously the Managing Editor of the Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights, and Senior Counsel at the Public International Law and Policy Group. Prior to commencing her PhD research, Julie worked for almost two years with the Registrar of the International Criminal Court, and for three years at the Australian Government Solicitor. Julie is a qualified solicitor before the Australian High Court and obtained her bachelor in law (LL.B. Honours) and bachelor of arts from the University of Melbourne, Australia, and graduated cum laude from the LL.M. in International Human Rights and Criminal Justice at Utrecht University.

Abstract

When the Editor-in-Chief of the Utrecht Journal of International and European Law (UJIEL) approached us with the possibility of guest editing a special issue related to public international law and policy, we felt the timing could not have been better. As academics at Utrecht University with the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights and Montaigne Centre for Judicial Administration and Conflict Resolution, we felt that a theme linking the world of lawyers with that of policymakers was important in order to examine the role of law in protecting human rights and security. Moreover, as Senior Counsel with the Public International Law & Policy Group (PILPG), which celebrated its 20-year anniversary in 2016, we welcomed the idea to link academic scholarship with the work of PILPG. After all, PILPG’s founders, Professor Paul Williams and Professor Michael Scharf, have themselves acted as bridges between scholarship and practice for years.

As a result, this special edition is not only intended to highlight the extraordinary work carried out by PILPG on issues of law and policy around the world, but also to emphasise the importance of linking scholarship with practice and addressing contemporary issues impacting the world in which we live. PILPG’s motto ‘lawyering peace’ requires reflection on the role that law can play in helping to bring about the peaceful resolution of serious problems affecting individuals and societies as a whole. This special edition of UJIEL, addressing a variety of themes, does just that.

Keywords:

International law Federalism Yemen Piracy Voting rights Fact-finding MH17 ISIL International Criminal Court

Year: 2017
Volume: 33 Issue: 84
Page/Article: 1-3
DOI: 10.5334/ujiel.401

Submitted on 30 Mar 2017
Accepted on 30 Mar 2017
Published on 12 Apr 2017