Letter from London: Discussing Constitutional Crises, Economic Treaties and More at the Center for Transnational Legal Studies

The Center for Transnational Legal Studies (CTLS) in London, England is a unique institution for students and scholars interested in international, comparative and transnational law. Georgetown Law is one of the founding members of what is now a 21-member consortium of law schools from around the world that have partnered to offer opportunities to learn from global leaders in the field and build priceless professional networks. In addition to semester-long programs for law students, CTLS holds a variety of events throughout the year. We asked our colleagues across the pond to share some updates on what they’ve been up to recently in their suite at historic Bush House, once the home of the BBC and now part of the campus of King’s College London, which is also a CTLS partner school.

CTLS Global Conference 2024: “Constitutionalism in Times of Crisis”

On May 9, CTLS hosted a daylong conference on “Constitutionalism in Times of Crisis: Transnational Perspectives on Challenges & Ways Forward.” The Global Conference is the Center’s annual scholarly event aimed at bringing together faculty, alumni,and students from the CTLS network of partner schools. Organized by the Center’s co-academic directors for 2023-2024, Georgetown Law Professor Yvonne Tew and Hebrew University of Jerusalem Professor Yuval Shany, the conference brought scholars from around the world to explore the causes and implications of various constitutional challenges, from democratic backsliding to crises in constitutional adjudication.

The keynote session, “A Dialogue between Constitutional Judges: Judging in Times of Crisis,” featured speakers Brenda Hale, Baroness Hale of Richmond, former president of the U.K. Supreme Court, and Kate O’Regan, Professor of Human Rights Law and Director of the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights at Oxford and a former judge on the Constitutional Court of South Africa. “I was honored to moderate this discussion between two pathbreaking women jurists. It was a delight to hear from these extraordinary justices, who shared such thoughtful insights with eloquence and humor – and to welcome back CTLS alumni for the panel and the closing reception that followed,” said Tew.

CTLS Summer Roundtable 2024: “International Economic Deals: Changing Forms and New Practices”

On May 21, CTLS hosted an expert roundtable organized by Georgetown Law Professor Kathleen Claussen. Her workshop, “International Economic Deals: Changing Forms and New Practices,” brought together some two dozen government officials from several countries, along with academic experts and private practitioners, to exchange thoughts on the changing landscape for international economic treaties.

The event was off the record, so details of the participants and discussions are not disclosed, but Claussen notes it was an engaging and fruitful day. “I was especially pleased to have so many perspectives at the table. It quickly became clear that new forms of economic dealmaking are on the agenda in multiple jurisdictions,” said Claussen. “CTLS is a perfect home for these sorts of cross-cutting conversations.”

CTLS Summer Scholars in Residence

For the second year in a row, CTLS is hosting academics for up to four weeks each so they can work on research projects or scholarly collaborations that would meaningfully benefit from time in London. This summer’s scholars, chosen through a competitive application process, are: from Georgetown Law, Professors J. Peter Byrne, Victoria Nourse, Kevin Tobia and Urska Velikonja, and from the National University of Singapore, Professors Ernest Lim and Mark McBride.

Last summer’s inaugural scholars, all from Georgetown Law, have spent the year since building on connections they made during their time in London. Along with the previously mentioned Professor Kathleen Claussen, the 2023 scholars were Georgetown Law professors William Buzbee, Don De Amicis and Amanda Levendowski. All four scholars spoke about their time in London in glowing terms, with Levendowksi describing her experience as “a career highlight.”

“Our summer scholars program has become a wonderful opportunity to share the CTLS experience with colleagues from D.C. and beyond. I look forward to following the scholarship and events that may grow out of conversations that began here in London,” said Tew, who will soon return to Washington after a year in London as academic co-director, but will continue in her role as the Georgetown CTLS Faculty Director. “In addition to being a wonderful teaching program, the scholarly conferences and initiatives like the summer scholars program highlight CTLS’s exciting position as a global intellectual hub,” she added.