Keep up with the latest news and events from the Washington Foreign Law Society.
On Monday, October 1, 2012, the Washington Foreign Law Society and the American Society of International Law, with support from the Open Society Foundations, hosted a luncheon continuing legal education course at Tillar House on accountability and legal protections for victims of human trafficking. The discussion included a review of current U.S. federal regulation and enforcement, as well as civil and criminal procedures. The panelists included Susan R. Benda, Office of the Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of State; Robert Reed, Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Department of Defense; Steven Watt, American Civil Liberties Union; and Jennifer Green, University of Minnesota Law School. The event was moderated by Martina Vandenberg from the Open Society Foundations.
On Friday, September 28, 2012, the Washington Foreign Law Society, the American Society of International Law, and cooperating committees of the ABA Section of International Law presented a special breakfast program with legal representatives from both the Department of State and Department of the Treasury. The panelists discussed the significant new sanctions imposed under Executive Order 13622 and under the Iran Threat Reduction and Syrian Human Rights Act of 2012 (ITRSHRA). In particular, the panel discussed the issues associated with how these new sanctions will be implemented and enforced. The event was moderated by Jonathan Epstein, Partner at Holland & Knight LLP.
The Washington Foreign Law Society and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) were pleased to present a special breakfast program on September 13, 2012 at Arnold & Porter LLP with Tim Adams, Managing Director of the Lindsey Group, former Treasury Undersecretary and CSIS Senior Advisor, and Heather Conley, Director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The panel engaged in a timely and lively discussion on the political and economic implications of the European sovereign debt crisis.
The Washington Foreign Law Society (WFLS) held its annual Garden Party on June 21, 2012. The event brought together dozens of members of the WFLS community to socialize, discuss programs during the last year, and plan for the coming year. The year’s accomplishments thus far include the programming of seven events over the last six month period, which included collaborations with the World Bank, ASIL, ABA and others and distinguished guest panelists from the government, international NGO’s, the private sector and academia. Click
here to view a short description of the past year’s events and/or to suggest an event for the coming months. The WFLS also received the report of the Nominating Committee and elected officers and members of the board of Governors for 2012-2013. Click
here to meet the new Board and its officers.
The Washington Foreign Law Society and co-sponsors were pleased to present a special breakfast program with Mark Jaskowiak, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Investment Security at the Treasury Department. Mark discussed and answered questions about the process followed by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) in its reviews of transactions involving foreign investment in the United States. Treasury chairs the interagency Committee responsible for reviewing certain foreign investments for potential national security concerns.
The Washington Foreign Law Society (WFLS) was pleased to award Senator George J. Mitchell the annual Harry LeRoy Jones Award for Senator Mitchell’s role in advancing the rule of law in his extraordinary career as a legislator, diplomat, and leader. The award was presented at the Society’s annual Gala dinner, held at Union Station in Washington, DC, on Wednesday evening, May 23, beginning at 7 pm. Legal Adviser of the U.S. Department of State, Harold Hongju Koh, introduced Senator Mitchell at the dinner.