Paul Williams (professor)

Paul Williams holds the Rebecca Grazier Professorship in Law and International Relations at American University where he teaches in the School of International Service and the Washington College of Law. Dr. Williams is also co-founder and Executive Director of the Public International Law & Policy Group (PILPG) [http://www/publicinternationallaw.org] which provides "pro bono" legal assistance to developing states and states in transition. Since 1995 PILPG has provided pro bono legal assistance to states and governments involved in peace negotiations, drafting post-conflict constitutions, and prosecuting war criminals. In 2005, Dr. Williams, as Executive Director of PILPG, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by half a dozen of his pro bono government clients.

Previously, Dr. Williams served in the Department of State’s Office of the Legal Advisor for European and Canadian Affairs, as a Senior Associate with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and as a Fulbright Research Scholar at the University of Cambridge. He is a Member of the American Society of International Law and serves on the Board of Directors of several non-profit organizations. Dr. Williams earned his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, his J.D. from Stanford Law School, and his B.A. from the University of California at Davis.

Dr. Williams is regarded as a social entrepreneur for his practical and innovative approach to providing pro bono legal assistance to states and governments. During the course of his legal practice, he has assisted nearly a dozen states and sub-state entities in major international peace negotiations, and has served as a delegation member in the Dayton Agreement|Dayton negotiations (Bosnia-Herzegovina), the Rambouillet Agreement|Rambouillet/Paris negotiations (Kosovo), the Ohrid Agreement|Ohrid/Skopje negotiations (Republic of Macedonia|Macedonia), and the Belgrade/Podgorica negotiations (Serbia/Montenegro). He also advised parties to the Key West negotiations (Nagorno-Karabakh), the Oslo/Geneva negotiations (Sri Lanka), the Georgia/Abkhaz negotiations, and the Somalia peace talks.

He has also advised fifteen governments across Europe, Africa and Asia on matters of public international law. Dr. Williams has advised the governments of Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq, Kosovo, Montenegro and Nagorno-Karabakh on the drafting and implementation of post-conflict constitutions. He is also experienced advising governments on issues of state recognition, self-determination, and state succession.

Dr. Williams is a leading scholar on peace negotiations and post-conflict constitutions. He has authored four books on topics of international human rights, international environmental law and international norms of justice, and over fifteen articles on a wide variety of public international law topics. His latest book, "Peace with Justice? War Crimes and Accountability in the Former Yugoslavia", was co-written with Dr. Michael Scharf, Managing Director of PILPG. Dr. Williams is also a sought-after international law and policy analyst, and has been interviewed more than 250 times by major print and broadcast media.

Bibliography

*"Is it true that there is no right of self-determination for Kosova?", in "The Case for Kosova: Passage to Independence" (2006). Co-authored with Jennifer Ober.
*"Was the former 1999 NATO intervention an illegal war against the Former Republic of Yugoslavia?", in "The Case for Kosova: Passage to Independence" (2006). Co-authored with Catherine Croft.
*"Earned Sovereignty: Bridging the Gap between Sovereignty and Self-Determination", "Stanford Journal of International Law" (2004). Co-authored with Francesca Jannotti Pecci.
*"Preemption in the 21st Century: What are the Legal Parameters?", "ISLA Journal of International and Comparative Law" (2004). Co-authored with Scott Lyons & Tali Neuwirth.
*"Earned Sovereignty: An Emerging Conflict Resolution Approach", "ILSA Journal of International and Comparative Law" (2004). Co-authored with Karen Heymann.
*"The Role of Justice in the Former Yugoslavia: Antidote or Placebo for Coercive Appeasement", "Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law" (2003). Co-authored with Patricia Taft.
*"Earned Sovereignty: The Political Dimension", "Denver Journal of International Law & Policy" (2003). Co-authored with James Hooper.
*"Earned Sovereignty: The Road to Resolving the Conflict Over Kosovo’s Final Status", "Denver Journal of International Law & Policy" (2003).
*"Resolving Sovereignty-Based Conflicts: The Emerging Approach of Earned Sovereignty", "Denver Journal of International Law & Policy" (2003) Co-authored with Michael P. Scharf & James R. Hooper.
*"The Functions of Justice and Anti-justice in the Peace-building Process", "Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law" (2003). Co-authored with Michael P. Scharf.
*"Coercive Appeasement: The Flawed International Response to the Serbian Rogue Regime", "New England Law Review" (2002). Co-authored with Karina M. Waller.
*"Report of the Committee of Experts on Nation Rebuilding in Afghanistan", "New England Law Review" (2002). Co-authored with Michael P. Scharf.
*"State Succession to Debts and Assets: The Modern Law and Policy", "Harvard International Law Journal" (2001). Co-authored with Jennifer Harris.