International Law Weekend 2019 (ILW 2019) is a premier international law event of the fall season. The unifying theme for ILW 2019 is The Resilience of International Law. In recent years, the international legal system has been challenged at home and abroad. Growing nationalism, shifts in geo-political power, deepening economic inequality, climate change, and a global migration crisis have generated cracks in the established international order. These schisms have been exacerbated by other factors, including the power of private corporations over speech platforms and personal data and the rapid progression of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. Even our discipline and profession are challenged with growing calls for inclusivity of diverse voices. Can the international legal system adapt to address these profound developments?

ILW 2019 will address the resilience of international law. The conference will explore international law’s capacity to preserve the rule of law, promote both peace and justice, and maintain stability in the face of growing fault lines. The world is changing. ILW 2019 seeks to answer whether its theme—The Resilience of International Law—is a question or an affirmation.

This year’s keynote speakers include U.N. Undersecretary-General for Legal Affairs Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares; Judge Kimberly Prost, International Criminal Court; Dr. Christopher Ward, SC, ILA President; and Jennifer Newstead, General Counsel of Facebook and Former Legal Adviser of the US Department of State.

WilmerHale Special Counsel Lauren Mandell will speak on the panel “The Return of the State in International Trade and Investment Law.”