Shift: Global Consequences of US Administration Change

Join the George Washington International Law Review for their symposium, Shift: Global Consequences of US Administration Change. One of the fundamental ideals of the US government is the peaceful transition of power between political parties from administration to administration. As a result, US policy can tend to fluctuate as the influence of each political party ebbs and flows. The domestic effects of this ebb and flow can be seen by decisions made by presidents, legislatures, and government agencies. However, as many have observed, these shifts do not operate in a vacuum. New policies and decisions stemming from transitions of new power in the US have direct effects on international law and policy. Using the US’s most recent transition from the Obama administration to the Trump administration as a case study, our panelists will discuss intended and unintended effects on the international community from changes in environmental policy, migration, trade, financial technologies, and healthcare—emphasizing the gravity of this particular shift.

Agenda

8:30 am: Breakfast and Check-in

8:55 am: Opening Remarks

9 am: New Prez on the Block

Blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies, and tokens have developed rapidly since the Trump administration came into office in January 2017, presenting unique questions for regulators. This panel will break down blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and tokens and describe their current US regulatory framework. Panelists will discuss the trans-border nature of these technologies, how other countries view and regulate them, and similarities and differences between current policies. Finally, our panelists will discuss any changes in this space since the Trump administration took office, the potential for SEC or legislative action, and what the future could look like internationally for these three emerging technologies.

Moderator

• Michael B. Abramowicz, Carville Dickinson Benson Research Professor, GW Law

Panelists

• Thomas Ahmadifar
• Benedetta Audia
• Amy Davine Kim

10:15 am: Barriers or Bridges

The Trump administration's international trade strategy, premised on the notion that existing laws and relationships have been fundamentally unfair to the US, has shaken up the long-standing international trade order. From challenging the World Trade Organization to instituting a trade war with China and developing the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, this Administration has already dramatically shifted the conversation on how the international trade system should look. Can this disruption bring about positive change to international trade law and institutions?

Moderator

• Steve Charnovitz, Associate Professor of Law, GW Law

Panelists

• Nate Bolin
• Lori Wallach
• Rufus Yerxa

11:30 am: Keynote: Shaken Up or Shaping Up?

Mr. John Bellinger III is well acquainted with diverse corners of international law and policy and the United States' role in the international legal order. After holding several senior Presidential appointments in the US government, including as the Legal Adviser to the Department of State from 2005 to 2009 and as Senior Associate Counsel to the President and Legal Adviser to the National Security Council (NSC) at the White House from 2001 to 2005, he joined Arnold & Porter as the  head of the firm’s public international law practice. Mr. Bellinger’s keynote conversation will draw upon this experience as he offers insight regarding the Trump administration’s impact on international institutions, such as the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, and the administration’s posture towards international trade agreements, human rights, counter-terrorism, and the use of force. Professor Sean Murphy will guide the conversation, adding to the discussion his diverse and distinguished background in public international law as the Manatt/Ahn Professor of International Law at the George Washington Law School, special rapporteur for crimes against humanity at the International Law Commission, former Attorney-Adviser at the Department of State, and former Legal Counselor of the US Embassy in The Hague. Together, Mr. Bellinger and Professor Murphy will present a keynote conversation that will serve as a touch point for the day’s diverse perspectives offered through each of the symposium’s five topical panels. Through nuanced analysis and personal anecdotes, Mr. Bellinger will call upon us as thought leaders and academics to consider our posture towards global rules both as they exist and as they are emerging.

12:30 pm: Lunch

2 pm: Grab Them By the Funding

Forty-eight hours after the Women’s March, President Trump implemented the Global Gag Rule, which stipulated that international nongovernmental organizations receiving US family planning funding cannot inform the public or educate their government on the need to make safe abortion available, provide legal abortion services, or provide advice on where to get an abortion. This panel will address the Trump administration’s impact on international reproductive health law. In particular, the discussion will surround antiabortion US policies in the context of the Global Gag Rule.

Moderator

• Sonia M. Suter, John and Inge Stafford Faculty Research Professor, GW Law

Panelists

• Elisha Dunn-Georgiou
• Victor Valdivia
• Alicia Ely Yamin

3:15 pm: The Paris Disagreement

Our panelists will discuss the implications of the Trump administration's looming withdrawal from the 2015 Paris Agreement, a landmark global deal designed to combat climate change on a historic level. With the Agreement's future in limbo as the world waits to see the fallout following the United States’ withdrawal, experts in international environmental law, economics, and international relations will analyze the decision to break with the previous administration’s commitment to the Paris Agreement, review the reception of the withdrawal in the international community, and predict what to expect in the months and years to come regarding international environmental law and policy.

Moderator

• Robert L. Glicksman, J. B. and Maurice C. Shapiro Professor of Environmental Law, GW Law

Panelists

• Jennifer Haverkamp
• Vincent T.Gawronski
• Nick Loris

4:30 pm: A Ban By Any Other Name

The current iteration of the Travel Ban, Proclamation No. 9645, was implemented by the Trump Administration in September 2017. In June of 2018, this proclamation was determined by the Supreme Court to be a valid exercise of presidential authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act. This panel will address how this series of actions by the administration shifted the previous approach to the issue, as well as how it affects both the US’s and other countries’ immigration and refugee policies. Panelists will discuss the role international human rights plays in the courts and administrative decisions, and whether adhering to these rights could have fundamentally altered recent judgments and policies concerning migrants and refugees.

Moderator

• Ralph G. Steinhardt, Lobingier Professor of Comparative Law and Jurisprudence, GW Law

Panelists

• Justin Cox
• Phillip Spector
• Patricia Stottlemyer

5:30 pm: Closing Remarks

5:35 pm: Closing Reception