[Online summer workshop] International public interest advocacy

COVID-19 update
Due to the coronavirus outbreak, and the measures we have to take to protect staff, speakers and participants, this short course will be a live broadcast course.

From 1-3 July 2020, T.M.C. Asser Instituut is organising and hosting, for the first time, a 3-day online workshop on “International public interest advocacy”.

Practices like public interest advocacy face many challenges in the field of international law from developing strategic litigation to choosing and identifying funding opportunities to take on a cause. Working as a lawyer on behalf of public interests is an up-and-coming practice, and sustaining that work requires skills, knowledge, and the right network.

Learn the latest practices from leading practitioners and experts. Get exposed to new actions and ways of advocating for public interests internationally, including strategic litigation. Be introduced to the latest innovations in law and technology for public interests around the world. And develop your network in a three-day workshop that will challenge you to think differently about the issues of the day and what we can do about them. With leading figures in the world of international public interest advocacy - from the Public Interest Litigation Project, the Global Legal Action Network, and more – explore the possibilities with pioneers in the field. 

Background
Practices like public interest advocacy face many challenges in the field of international law from developing strategic litigation to choosing and identifying funding opportunities to take on a cause. Working as a lawyer on behalf of public interests is an up and coming practice, and sustain that work requires skills, knowledge, and the right network.

Explore the challenges of public interest advocacy in international law and rethink what it means to be a lawyer working on behalf of public interests in the international system. What tactics and methods can be used to advocate for a public interest? How can practitioners find the right cause and identify funding opportunities to support effective action?

At the “International public interest advocacy” workshop we bring together leaders in practice, including advocates, activists, academics and members of international NGOs, to discuss questions of legal techniques, different approaches to handling a cause, and practical issues like how to sustain a firm or a start-up.

To see the preliminary programme click here.

Confirmed lecturers

• Gearóid Ó'Cuinn, Global Legal Action Network (GLAN)
• Jelle Klaas, Public Interest Litigation Project (PILP)
• Gavin Sullivan, University of Kent
• Rob van Riet, Independent
• Nathalie Dijkman, SEMA / University of Amsterdam Law Lab
• Joseph Wilde-Ramsing, Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO)
• Valentina Azarova, Global Legal Action Network (GLAN)
• Louise Fournier, Greenpeace International
• Charlie Holt, Greenpeace International
• Helen Duffy, Human Rights in Practice 
• Itamar Mann, GLAN 
• Charles Heller, Forensic Oceanography

Key topics

• Strategic litigation
• Creative lawyering
• Identifying issues in the public interest
• Finding resources for public interest work
• New technologies and public interest innovation
• The challenges to public interest work internationally
• Networking

Eligible participants
Masters students; interns; PhDs; NGO workers interested in cutting edge practices and innovations; young professionals; seasoned professionals looking to develop a public advocacy practice; public interest lawyers interested in new possibilities and critical reflection on the field; academics looking to apply their knowledge for public advocacy; diplomats interested in public interest pursuits.

Application process
To register for this online course, please click here or on the register button above to fill out an application. Please read the terms and conditions carefully before registering. Kindly note that your place in the workshop is confirmed only when the online registration form has been submitted and the payment has been received.