Tribute to The International Lawyer

• Author: Sara P. Sandford
• Position: Chair of the ABA Section of International Law.
• Pages: 9-10

Tribute to The International Lawyer

S

ARA

P. S

ANDFORD

*

As the Chair of the Section of International Law for the 2016-17 ABA

year, it is indeed my honor to serve our members, but it is also my honor to

serve as Chair in this year, in particular, when The International Lawyer turns

fifty. What a privilege it is to have a chance to speak on behalf of all of the

Section’s members about the value that The International Lawyer has

represented in our collective lives as lawyers. Many of the other tributes

included in this edition are from academics and editorial board members

who, thankfully, have contributed to the publication and its quality. I, on

the other hand, have merely been one of the thousands of beneficiaries of

The International Lawyer and its content.

I am in my thirty-second year of practice and from my first year as a

lawyer, I regularly looked forward to receiving my copy of The International

Lawyer to learn about the latest academic thinking on a variety of

international legal topics. Many topics were quite relevant to my practice;

some were merely informative on topics that did not directly affect my

clients on a day-to-day basis. Some addressed topics of public international

law, which at least indirectly affect us all. Virtually all informed me,

regardless of whether I agreed or had my own views on the topic at hand.

When I describe the Section’s publications to members and prospective

members, I explain that we have several avenues for writers and scholars to

publish – many of which are designed to share information among

practitioners, academics, in-house counsel, students, non-governmental

organizations and government lawyers. I explain, however, that they should

look for an opportunity to publish in The International Lawyer if they are

looking to present truly scholarly material. The International Lawyer seeks to

publish content that is intended not just to report or analyze, but to present

new ideas and arguments for others who share our interest in international

law. In other words, The International Lawyer is the best publication for

those who wish to influence what international law should be.

In many traditions, fifty years may seem minor, but in a nation that is a

little over 200 years old, a publication of fifty years is truly remarkable,

especially when we can recognize it by its quality and influence in addition to

its longevity. The Section’s thirty-year collaboration with Southern

Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law to bring The International

Lawyer to press has been invaluable in sustaining the quality of the

publication, and for that we should all be grateful.

* Chair of the ABA Section of International Law.

THE INTERNATIONAL LAWYER

A TRIANNUAL PUBLICATION OF THE ABA/SECTION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW

PUBLISHED IN COOPERATION WITH

SMU DEDMAN SCHOOL OF LAW