The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague has selected Luke Wilson, a third year J.D. student at GW Law to serve for one year as a law clerk under the ICJ’s University Traineeship Programme.  Luke has also been named the first Gruber Foundation International Law Fellow.  The fellowship was established at The George Washington University Law School in 2009 by a gift from the Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation, which honors and encourages educational excellence, social justice, and scientific achievements that better the human condition.

“By providing invaluable financial support for a GW Law graduate to clerk at the prestigious International Court of Justice, the Gruber Foundation is aiding in the development and understanding of international law,” said Frederick M. Lawrence, Dean and Robert Kramer Research Professor of Law at The George Washington University Law School.  “We are honored that the generosity of the Gruber Foundation will help GW Law to continue to expand its nationally-recognized program in international law in this meaningful and substantial way.”

Luke Wilson, a graduate of Bowdoin College with a B.A. in international relations and French, chose to study at GW for its strength in international law and its location in the nation’s capital.  Wilson has served as executive articles editor of The George Washington International Law Review and he has held several other on-campus positions, including having served as music director of the Law Revue variety show.  He secured coveted internships at the U.S. Department of State, Office of the Legal Adviser, and at the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division.  After his clerkship with the ICJ, he looks forward to a career as an international lawyer.

“Working for the International Court of Justice is an unparalleled opportunity for a young international lawyer,” Wilson said.  “I plan on making the most of my time in The Hague.  I am truly grateful for the support that GW Law and the Gruber Foundation have given me.  This fellowship will allow me to clerk at the Court during a particularly fascinating time in the Court’s history, and I look forward to engaging the legal issues on the horizon alongside some of the world’s foremost international jurists.”

The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.  Established in 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations, the ICJ settles a wide range of legal disputes that States may bring to it for resolution.  It also issues advisory opinions on legal issues that an authorized U.N. organ or specialized agency may refer to it.  Of the six principal organs of the United Nations, the ICJ is the only one located outside of New York City.

Under the ICJ’s trainee programme, distinguished law graduates with a background in international law are invited to clerk at the ICJ.  In 2008, Daniel Fromm (J.D. ’08) was GW Law’s first ICJ trainee; Wilson will be the first to be supported by the Gruber Fellowship.

The fellowship is not GW Law’s only connection to the Gruber Foundation.  Thomas Buergenthal, an ICJ judge and GW Law’s Lobingier Professor Emeritus of Comparative Law and Jurisprudence, was the co-recipient of the Foundation’s 2008 Justice Prize. For more information on that award, please click this link.