Hunter fondly remembers
his early years of teaching and the impact of his students. “Well, many did, but I have to give a shoutout to my first year or two of teaching,” he said. Many of his students interned at CIEL and went on to establish influential organizations and pursue impactful careers. “Gustavo Alanis started
CEMDA — the Mexican Center for Environmental Law, and Gidon Bromberg started EcoPeace — a tripartite organization, incredibly still operating cooperatively with Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian co-leadership!” In his retirement, Hunter
plans to remain active in certain areas, including “climate change liability and the environmental standards of international financial institutions.” He will also continue to serve on several boards of directors and intends to spend more time fishing and birdwatching. Reflecting on his career, Hunter shared an anecdote about a recent trip to the Amazon, where he was hosted by Judge Mara Andrade LLM ’20, working on environmental protection issues in Brazil. “It’s been a great privilege to teach such amazing AUWCL students and work with such amazing colleagues, including my retiring colleagues,” he concluded.
College of Law’s LLM program in 1980, Méndez has always held a special connection to the school. When he returned as a full-time faculty member in 2009, it was the beginning of a new chapter in a life already rich in advocacy and international service. Méndez is best known
globally for his work as the United Nations special rapporteur on torture from 2010 to 2016. His deep experience in transitional justice and international human rights law also includes serving as the U.N. secretary- general’s special advisor on the prevention of genocide and as president of the International Center for Transitional Justice. At AUWCL, Méndez
taught international law and advanced seminars on human rights, using his real-world experience to illuminate complex legal issues. Over 16 semesters, he introduced hundreds of first-year students to the foundational principles of international law. “My aim was always to connect the theory with lived experience,” Méndez said. “The students come to AUWCL with an amazing passion for justice and human rights. It’s been a joy to help equip them with the tools to turn that passion into action.” One of his most meaningful
Juan Méndez: A Lifelong Pursuit of Human Rights Juan Méndez’s journey to AUWCL began not as a professor, but as a student. As a graduate of the Washington
experiences at AUWCL has been the opportunity to mentor students outside the classroom. Several worked directly with him on U.N. reports and legal briefs, an experience he describes as mutually enriching. “I learned as much from my students as they learned from me,” he said.
As Méndez steps away
from full-time teaching, he has no intention of slowing down. He plans to remain
active in international human rights work and to continue collaborating with the Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at AUWCL. “Retirement simply gives me more time to keep working for justice,” he said with a smile.
Diane Orentlicher: A Global Voice for Justice and Accountability For more than three decades, Professor Diane Orentlicher has been a guiding force in the development of international human rights and humanitarian law at AUWCL. Joining the faculty in 1992, she quickly made her mark — not only as a scholar and teacher but as a visionary who expanded opportunities for student engagement in global justice. Orentlicher’s influence
reached far beyond the classroom. In the mid- 1990s, she helped launch the War Crimes Research Office (WCRO), a student- led initiative that provided legal research support to the international criminal tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. Under her leadership, the WCRO became a model for experiential learning in international law. “It started with a student who wanted to help prosecutors at The Hague,” Orentlicher recalled. “That spirit of student initiative and public service was the heart of AUWCL, and it inspired me every day.” Over the years,
Orentlicher taught courses
in public international law, international criminal law, and transitional justice, constantly innovating her teaching style. She incorporated video clips, simulations, and guest speakers from around the world. “I loved seeing students come alive when they understood how international legal principles applied to real-world atrocities,” she said. She was especially moved by the perspectives of AUWCL’s international students, who often brought firsthand experiences from conflict zones and post- authoritarian states. “They helped me see the law not just as a set of norms, but as a living, evolving effort to respond to deep human suffering,” she said. “AUWCL is not just a place
where law is taught, it’s a place where law is lived,” she said. “It’s been the privilege of a lifetime to teach here.”
A Lasting Legacy As WCL bids farewell to Professors Davis, Hunter, Méndez, and Orentlicher, it also celebrates a legacy of teaching, mentorship, and global impact that will endure for generations. These four scholars leave behind not only an academic record of excellence but also a living legacy carried forward by the students they inspired. Their paths may now lead away from the classroom, but their influence will remain embedded in the fabric of WCL in the spirit of inquiry, the pursuit of justice, and the unwavering belief that the law can be a force for good. Their chapters at WCL may be concluding, but their stories and the ideals they championed will continue to shape the future of law and justice for years to come.
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY WASHINGTON COLLEGE OF LAW 43
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
