News and Events

Pulitzer Prize finalists and Wall Street Journal reporters, Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson recently spoke about their investigation into the "New Cold War," with a focus on prisoner swaps, based on their new book Swap: A Secret History of the New Cold War. Their presentation was co-sponsored by the Russian Studies Program and the International Justice Lab. #IJLNexus

Dr. Chipo Dendere, Assistant Professor in the Department of Africana Studies at Wellesley College, recently presented her new book Death, Diversion, and Departure: Voter Exit and the Persistence of Authoritarianism in Zimbabwe (Cambridge University Press, 2025). There are many explanations for the survival of long-serving political parties, from access to state wealth to the use of excessive violence. A yet unexplored reason, particularly for parties that have survived under

Damian Boldt, Postdoctoral Research Associate with the National Security Data and Politicy Institute at the University of Virginia, gave a talk on his research in progress on shaming and compliance with human rights norms. Abstract below. When countries name and shame does this generate a backlash and lead to greater public support for governments accused of violent repression? I argue that this is not the case; instead, shaming can reduce support for repressive governments b

The spring semester's first IJL Nexus Series talk was on February 13 at the Global Research Institute. Rebecca Cordell, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Pittsburgh, presented in-progress research "Targeting Truth and Accountability: The Global Crackdown on Human Rights Advocacy at the United Nations." The project examines why some states repress UN human rights reporters, focusing on domestic factors such as levels of democracy and international f

Dr. Rebekah Klein-Pejšová, Associate Professor History at Purdue University, recently presented "Temporalities of Postwar Jewish Emigration." She discussed the role of time as a key factor in the excruciating process by which Jewish Holocaust survivors emigrated from their countries of origin out into the shattered post-World War II world. #IJLNexus

The fall semester's first IJL Nexus Series talk was on October 3 at the Global Research Institute. Gino Pauselli, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, presented in-progress research "Legitimizing States: Illiberal NGOs in the Universal Periodic Review." Abstract below. Who promotes illiberal NGOs within the human rights system, and what impact do these organizations have on state behavior in the human rights regime? Illibera

Dr. Victoria Sanford, Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Lehman College–City University of New York, recently presented "Gender Violence and Migration: Co-Optation of the Guatemalan Judicial System and Post-Election Optics." She discussed the weaponization of the Guatemalan judicial system, gender violence, and migration in a conversation about her new book Textures of Terror that investigates the unsolved murder of a female law student and the pervasive violence

Dr. Meg Guliford, Assistant Professor in the Department of Politics at Drexel University, recently presented "Shaping Violence: How...

Sumin Lee, Assistant Professor of International Affairs at Texas A&M University, gave a talk on her book project, titled "Gender Justice...

The spring semester's first IJL Nexus Series talk was on February 2 at the Global Research Institute. Jenn Trivedi, Assistant Professor...

Dr. Tina Kempin Reuter, Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration and the Department of...

This past October 17, Dr. Sarah Dreier, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of New Mexico, discussed some of her...

On September 22, Dr. Cyanne Loyle, Associate Professor of Political Science at Penn State, shared some of her work on rebel law and...

The fall semester's first IJL Nexus Series talk was on September 14 at the Global Research Institute. Adriana Rudling, our new...

Many victims of human rights abuse do not know that they can file international, legal complaints against their own governments in the...

IJL was excited to welcome W&M History Ph.D. candidate Tyler Goldberger to the Global Research Institute to present on some of his...

Many thanks to Dr. Genevieve Bates, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of British Columbia and postdoctoral...

We would like to thank Dr. Andrea Vilán, Assistant Professor of Justice, Law and Criminology at American University, for coming back to...

Many thanks to Nicole Sbitani for speaking with us about her career in the U.S. Foreign Service, including posts in Kenya, Washington...

On November 9, the International Justice Lab had the unique privilege of hosting a book launch for The Problem of Democracy: America, the...