GW Law Grad Spends Summer in Geneva at United Nations

Jillian Timko graduated from GW Law in early May 2022 and then immediately flew to Geneva to work as an assistant to GW Law Professor Sean D. Murphy at the U.N. International Law Commission (ILC). The ILC is a subsidiary organ of the U.N. General Assembly, and consists of 34 international law experts from around the world with a mandate to work on projects that codify and progressively develop international law. Many of its projects have been transformed by the General Assembly into treaties.

Ms. Timko conducted research and writing for Murphy on a variety of topics, including: protection of the environment in armed conflict; peremptory norms of general international law (jus cogens); immunity of State officials from foreign criminal jurisdiction; and sea-level rise in relation to international law.

“It was a wonderful experience, allowing me to apply the international law that I learned at GW to practical, hands-on lawyering at the United Nations,” said Ms. Timko. She noted that it was a perfect bridge to the next stage in her career as an associate at BakerHostetler in Washington, D.C.

“Jillian was terrific during our 12-week session, taking full advantage of the opportunity to see international law ‘from the inside’ and to make connections with others in the field,” said Murphy. Murphy has served for ten years on the ILC, having been elected twice by the U.N. General Assembly, but has now completed his tenure. He noted that during those ten years, some 20 GW Law students have served in Geneva or New York as his assistants, made possible by financial support from GW Law.