International and comparative law has long been central to the educational mandate of the American University Washington College of Law, and the cutting-edge international legal programs and degree offerings have been consistently ranked among some of the most prestigious in the United States. These programs encompass a wide variety of legal disciplines, including international commercial arbitration, international business and trade, human rights law, intellectual property law, and more. The diverse academic and programmatic offerings at AUWCL incorporate a rich array of international law courses and seminars, experiential learning, and special events that allow students to interact and network with esteemed faculty, international attorneys, diplomats, business leaders, and policymakers.
AUWCL cosponsored ASIL's 28th Grotius Lecture featuring Philippe Sands, KC, Professor of Law at University College London. His keynote "Ruptures, Justice and Order" was responded to by discussant John Bellinger, partner at Arnold & Porter.
WTO Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala delivered the 2026 Wenger Lecture, closing a daylong conference on the future of global trade. She highlighted major disruptions to the multilateral trading system while emphasizing its resilience. Read more
For over fifty years, AUWCL has been committed to advancing law. We invite you to read our Brochure for a quick snapshot of our latest achievements, research, and projects.
AUWCL co-sponsored ASIL’s 27th Grotius Lecture, featuring Stanford Law Professor E. Tendayi Achiume’s keynote and ACLU’s Jamil Dakwar’s response. The event also honored AUWCL student Sydney Robson, recipient of the 2025 ILSA Student Deak Award.
Since 2002, AUWCL has hosted the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program. Currently, we are the only law school that hosts Humphrey Fellows.
Our AUWCL faculty is consistently contributing to the development of diverse international legal fields, including international economic law, environmental law, human rights and intellectual property.
Our diverse and highly prominent full-time faculty lead the way in thinking about international law -- in the United States and abroad. Please see also our large variety of specialized academic centers and programs.
