international courts and international lawyers becomes all the more important.”


Throughout both days, a common thread ran through every discussion: the WCRO’s transformative role in the careers of the more than 1,500 students who have passed through its doors.


“My time at the War Crimes Research Office was really incredibly formative,” said Christian De Vos ’07. “What stands out to me is the combination of rigorous legal research with work that had clear real-world relevance.”


For many students, the WCRO is the reason they chose AUWCL in the first place. “It was the number one reason I even applied to the school,” said Naziha Kabbani, a current AUWCL student. “Even being here, I’m just blown away every day.”


The office has long distinguished itself by taking students directly to the institutions they study. As part of the Summer Law Program in The Hague, the WCRO takes students “to the International Court of Justice, to the International Criminal Court,” SáCouto explained. “They get exposed to not just the doctrine, but the practice.”


That hands-on philosophy has produced a global alumni network with reach across every region. Former students are now working at international tribunals, human rights organizations and governments around the world.


“While I was in The Hague interning at the ICTY [International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia], it was all the Ivy Leagues and then AUWCL — and everyone knew the reputation of the office,” said Vy Nguyen ’15, a WCRO alumni council member.


Built on a foundation of rigorous scholarship, real-world practice, and a global community of advocates, the War Crimes Research Office enters its next chapter with the same conviction that launched it: that accountability matters, that the law can be made to answer for the worst of human conduct, and that the next generation of practitioners will be the ones to prove it.


The work continues. — Brice Helms


Watch the Video tinyurl.com/WCRO-30


A Decade of Developing Human Rights Leaders


American University Washington College of Law is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its LL.M. in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, a milestone that reflects a decade of preparing lawyers and advocates to advance justice worldwide. The program remains the leading specialized degree of its kind among the top-ranked international law programs in the United States. Since its founding, the program has trained a global community of legal professionals committed to advancing human rights across the world. Rooted in AUWCL's longstanding tradition of human rights leadership, the LL.M. combines rigorous academic


coursework with hands-on opportunities, including externships and independent research, equipping graduates with both theoretical grounding and practical skills to make an impact in the field. Students can also join AUWCL’s Summer Abroad Program in Geneva.


The program's distinguished faculty sets it apart. Renowned scholars and practitioners — among them U.N. special rapporteurs, international judges, and commissioners serving bodies such as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the International Court of Justice — bring unmatched real- world expertise to the classroom. Over the past decade, the program


has cultivated a richly diverse alumni network spanning dozens of countries and sectors, from international tribunals and U.N. agencies to NGOs, governments, and private practice. These graduates carry AUWCL's human rights mission into every corner of the globe, translating their training into lasting advocacy and systemic change. As AUWCL marks this anniversary, the program stands as a testament to what a decade of purpose-driven legal education can build: a vibrant alumni network, a globally recognized curriculum and a new generation of advocates ready to champion what matters. — By Brice Helms


AMERICAN UNIVERSITY WASHINGTON COLLEGE OF LAW 15


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