Paul Williams - Co-Founder of Public International Law and Policy Group and Professor in Law and International Relations, American University-Washington DC
In this episode, Jonathan speaks with the tireless Paul Williams. Paul is a former US State Department officer, Paul co-founded the Public International Law & Policy Group - a non-profit, pro bono global law firm advising everyone from sovereign governments to non-state armed groups. He also finds time to be a professor at American University, Washington DC.
Public International Law & Policy Group - https://www.publicinternationallawandpolicygroup.org
Formal bio:
Paul R. Williams holds the Rebecca I. Grazier Professorship in Law and International Relations at American University. Professor Williams teaches at the School of International Service and the Washington College of Law and also directs the joint JD/MA program in International Relations. Professor Williams is co-founder of the Public International Law & Policy Group (PILPG), a non-profit group, which provides pro bono legal assistance to states and governments involved in peace negotiations, post-conflict constitution drafting, and war crimes prosecutions. Over the course of his legal practice, Professor Williams has assisted over two dozen peace negotiations. Professor Williams has advised governments across Europe, Asia, as well as North and Sub-Saharan Africa on state recognition, self-determination and state succession issues, and on drafting and implementation of post-conflict constitutions.
Prior to his arrival at American University, Professor Williams spent time as a Senior Associate with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and as a Fulbright Research Scholar at the University of Cambridge. Professor Williams also served as an Attorney-adviser for European and Canadian affairs at the U.S. Department of State, Office of the Legal Adviser. Professor Williams has authored five books on a variety of topics such as international human rights, international environmental law and international norms of justice; he has also written over three dozen articles on a wide variety of public international law topics. He holds a PhD from Cambridge, a Law degree from Stanford and an undergrad degree from UC Davis.