Innovate. Engage. Lead. We are one of the world’s premier centers for interdisciplinary, international, non-partisan analysis and research of global developments.
Offering a unique intersection of business and law in an international environment, our aim is to provide students, alumni, policymakers, and market participants with the foundation to navigate an increasingly complex regulatory landscape in trade policy, international tax, monetary affairs, fintech and financial regulation.
At this year's 9th Annual Greenwald Lecture, IIEL welcomed Raj Subramaniam, President and CEO of FedEx, in conversation with Doug Palmer, Senior Trade Reporter for POLITICO. The session —"Navigating an Era of Re-Globalization"—served as the keynote of the 47th Annual International Trade Update.
The conversation covered the evolution of global supply chains, strategic competition, AI-driven logistics, and the implications for industry and legal practitioners alike. Continuing John Greenwald's legacy of innovative thinking in trade law and policy, the lecture was made possible by the generous support of Cassidy Levy Kent.
Drawing more than 500 attendees from more than 12 countries, the Institute hosted the 47th Annual International Trade Update, the premier continuing legal education programs for the trade and customs bar, on March 12-13.
Led by IIEL Faculty Co-Director Kathleen Claussen, the conference spanned 12 sessions and brought together leading practitioners, policymakers, and scholars to address the most pressing developments in international trade law and policy. Topics covered tariff litigation, the USMCA joint review, the expanding use of Section 232, third-party litigation funding, key regulatory developments, and more—offering attendees a comprehensive look at the legal landscape shaping global trade today.
Georgetown Law and the Institute of International Economic Law are pleased to announce that Peter Jaffe, former General Counsel of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, has joined the Institute as a Senior Fellow.
He brings extensive experience in international law, foreign assistance, and anti-corruption issues from a career spanning government and the private sector. In addition to the Millennium Challenge Corporation, he has served at the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and the U.S. Department of Justice, and practiced at leading international law firms, focusing on anti-corruption and cross-border regulatory matters. He has also served as chief ethics and compliance officer of a global energy company and is widely recognized as a leading expert in organizational and government ethics.
The Center on Inclusive Trade and Development is housed at the Institute of International Economic Law and was founded in 2022. It aims to bring together scholars, students, practitioners, NGOs, business and labor leaders, and international organizations to find solutions to the challenges facing the international trading system and develop global approaches to making trade rules more inclusive and sustainable.
The Sovereign Debt Forum is one of the Institute of International Economic Law's initiatives founded in 2019. Its work focuses on low- and middle-income countries at risk of sovereign debt distress, as well as countries that have recently gained market access and have limited debt management experience. This year, the Forum will host DebtCon 8 in Fall 2025.
