Benchmark THE THOMAS M. COOLEY
LAW SCHOOL MAGAZINE
Spring 2011
Righting International Wrongs The pursuit of international justice can often be one of the most challenging, yet ultimately gratifying undertakings for an attorney. – Dr. Kelly Askin (Moore Class, 1993)
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BENCHMARK SPRING 2011 COOLEY.EDU
feature Dr. Kelly Askin, senior legal officer, Open Society Justice Initiative
. . . R I G H T I N G . . .
INTERNATIONAL . . . W R O N G S . . .
“When law is ignored, chaos ensues…it is my hope that with increasing enforcement of international laws, these atrocities will decrease.” Dr. Kelly Askin The pursuit of international justice – ending impunity for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide – can often be one of the most challenging, yet ultimately gratifying undertakings for an attorney. Even if it means risking limb or life to conquer that goal. Just ask Dr. Kelly Dawn Askin (Moore Class, 1993), senior legal officer and international human rights lawyer of the Open Society Justice Initiative. The New York City-based organization uses law to protect and empower people around the world through litigation, advocacy, research, training, reporting, and technical assistance. Her sole mandate is to assist and enhance the efforts of war crimes tribunals. The Moore Class graduate has traveled to more than 70 countries – sometimes solo, other times with a team – sleeping in cars or tents, subjecting herself to harsh climates, dilapidated roads dotted with land mines and other hostile environments, all in the name of justice. It is clearly not a position for the faint of heart. So, what drives the 49-year-old Cooley graduate to put herself in the crosshairs of danger when documenting or investigating gross human rights abuses?
CAREER INFLUENCERS
A self-described workaholic, Dr. Askin’s journey to international justice began during her coursework at Cooley Law School, where she attended after realizing a law degree could help her use her energies to help those less fortunate. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Georgia State University, then had a successful career in the travel industry. In 1990, she was accepted to Cooley Law School. It was during her international law course work, in particular with professors Dorean Koenig and Barry Dubner, that a chord was struck with Dr. Askin. “Both were extremely generous and fabulous mentors, helping me realize that I wanted to pursue a career in international human rights law and international criminal law, and that pursuing an advanced degree in law would be the best way to secure this goal,” she said. “It was also at Cooley that I began to understand that there was one key way to get to the top of your desired field (outside a courtroom): publish, publish, publish.”
“Like many in my field, I believe there is no real peace without justice, and no justice without peace,” she said. “I also believe one individual can have an enormous impact – positively or negatively – on thousands of lives.”
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feature “Like many in my field, I believe there is no real peace without justice, and no justice without peace. I also believe one individual can have an enormous impact – positively or negatively – on thousands of lives.” Dr. Kelly Askin Following her graduation from Cooley, she began doctoral studies in law at the University of Melbourne in Australia. She attended a United Nations World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna in which rape as a war crime was debated. At that conference in 1993, Dr. Askin met a Bosnian rape camp survivor. She decided to focus her dissertation on war crimes against women. This decision led her to work directly with the legal officer at the Yugoslav and Rwanda tribunals. Over time, Dr. Askin worked with tribunal officers and staff for the establishment of a permanent international criminal court. The work was a turning point in her career. “Once you work in justice and law at the international level, other work feels less satisfying, less challenging,” she said. Success, she said, is measured “small victory by small victory.”
Top: Dr. Askin on left, Entrance to the Tuel Sleng Genocide Museum in Cambodia Bottom: East Timor, UN helicopter crossing the border of Sudan into Chad
“Each arrest of a notorious war criminal, each trial, each conviction, and each well-reasoned decision applying and upholding international law is cause for celebration. While far from perfect, international war crimes courts have caused a major paradigm shift in the enforcement of international law… now, slowly but surely, there is a culture of accountability for the leading architects of mass atrocity crimes. Today, there is broad acknowledgement worldwide that rape, sexual slavery, and other gender-related crimes can be instruments of genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes of war, forms of torture, and means of persecution. That’s a huge success.”
PERSONAL PRICE
While friends and family members consider her globe-trotting pursuits to be exciting or even glamorous, Dr. Askin set the record straight. “In reality, while it certainly is tremendously rewarding, it is also emotionally draining and often physically challenging to work in places devastated by war and violence and witness firsthand the misery that war causes and the destruction left in its wake.” As a blonde-haired caucasian woman, Dr. Askin stands out in her travels to places like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Cambodia. “I try to be respectful of local customs or religious practices, and minimize activities which will generate hostility. It’s important to appear neither a threat nor a likely victim. Some of the strongest, most resilient, most courageous women I’ve ever met are from countries where women are actively repressed.” When not working on international justice, Dr. Askin has taught international law or served as a visiting scholar at Notre Dame Law School, American University’s Washington College of Law, Harvard University, Yale Law School, and Oxford University. Her work is frequently cited in scholarly writings the world over. She is an op-ed contributor to The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune and The Washington Post, among others. HER LIFE’S WORK
In addition to the incredible personal satisfaction that comes from her work, Dr. Askin takes comfort in enjoying the friendships she has made all over the world, visiting her family and her 13 nieces and nephews, and enjoying sports. As her 50th birthday approaches this year, she paused to reflect on her life’s contributions. “When law is ignored, chaos ensues…it is my hope that with increasing enforcement of international laws, these atrocities will decrease.”
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“Success is measured small victory by small victory.” Dr. Kelly Askin
Hometown: Augusta, Georgia Education: Georgia State University, B.S. Thomas M. Cooley Law School, J.D. Melbourne University, Australia, Ph.D. Employment: Senior Legal Officer, International Justice, Open Society Justice Initiative (www.justiceinitiative.org) Books/Writings: • War Crimes Against Women: Prosecution in International Law Crimes Tribunals
• Women and International Human Rights Law (3 volumes, co-editor with Cooley Law Professor Dorean Koenig) • Authored more than 50 law review articles and book chapters Career Highlights: • Fulbright New Century Scholar, Global Empowerment of Women • Testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary • Appearances on CNN, BBC and NPR
• Expert consultant, legal adviser, and international law trainer to prosecutors, judges, and registry at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the Serious Crimes Unit in East Timor, the International Criminal Court, the Special Court for Sierra Leone, and the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. • Serves on the executive board of the American Branch of the International Law Association, the International Judicial Academy, International Criminal Law Services, and the International Law Students Association.
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