World Court Judge Donoghue Speaks at King Hall

King Hall students and faculty packed the Kalmanovitz Appellate Courtroom August 30 for a lecture by Judge Joan E. Donoghue of the International Court of Justice, sometimes known as the "World Court."  The event was the first in a series of lectures to be presented by the California International Law Center at King Hall (CILC) during the 2011-12 academic year.

Following introductions by Dean Kevin R. Johnson and CILC Director and Professor Anupam Chander, Judge Donoghue, the first American woman to serve on the court and one of only three female judges in its history, spoke on how the International Court of Justice operates, how it is different from our national system, and the kinds of cases it hears. 

Judge Donoghue described the challenges she faces as part of a court in which jurisdiction derives from the consent of participating states, and the Court's growing docket of contentious cases and advisory issues.  She said she felt "really optimistic about the role of international adjudication and the role I get to play" and gratified to be working in "a field that will always be dynamic, always be growing, and always be a work in progress."