On September 24, GW Law welcomed Judge Elizabeth Odio Benito to campus as the 2019-2020 Brand-Manatt Lecturer. Judge Benito is a highly-respected international jurist, who has served in three different international tribunals addressing cases that involve international criminal law and human rights law. In the context of this work, Judge Benito has distinguished herself as a strong advocate for gender justice and women’s rights. She currently serves as a Judge of the Inter-
American Court of Human Rights, and previously served as a Judge and Vice-President of the International Criminal Court and a Judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
During her lecture, Justice Benito discussed her personal experience with gender justice issues in international tribunals, alluding to challenges, advances, and the path forward in the definition of legal standards in this key area of international law. Manatt/Ahn Professor of International Law Sean D. Murphy moderated the lecture and offered commentary based on his experience as Special Rapporteur for Crimes against Humanity for the United Nations International Law Commission. Dean Christopher A. Bracey also offered welcoming remarks.
Following the lecture, Associate Dean for International and Comparative Legal Studies Rosa Celorio moderated a panel discussion on the prosecution of rape and sexual violence as tools of war. The Ambassador of Costa Rica before the Organization of American States (OAS), Montserrat Solano Carboni, Professor Ralph G. Steinhardt, and Professor Laura A. Dickinson were panelists. The Brand-Manatt Lecture events concluded with a movie screening of The Prosecutors, a film that documents the experience of several prosecutors working to secure justice for international and national crimes committed against women in the context of armed conflict.
The Brand-Manatt Lecture events this year offered a space for dialogue, discussion, and engagement concerning international and national cases for gender-related violence. Among those present throughout the day were key actors in international law, including OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro and ten Ambassadors to the OAS.
Associate Dean Celorio said GW Law is particularly grateful for the support of Kathleen Manatt, Michele A. Manatt, Joseph L. Brand, and Weston D. Burnett in making these events possible. She acknowledged the collaboration of her event co-sponsors, including the Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to the OAS, the American Society of International Law, the ABA Section of International Law, and the GW Law International Law Society and International Law Review.
The Brand-Manatt Lecture was established by Joseph L. Brand, JD ’63, and Ambassador Charles T. Manatt, JD ’62. Mr. Brand is a partner in the law firm of Squire Patton Boggs and a former Member of the GW Board of Trustees. The late Mr. Manatt, the founder of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, was a US Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Chair of the Democratic National Committee, and Chairman of the GW Board of Trustees.