The International Justice Lab recently celebrated the start of its fifth year at William & Mary's Global Research Institute (GRI)! Dr. Zvobgo coordinated a weekend celebration to gather community members, alumni fellows, and supporters while initiating critical discussions about tensions between justice and democracy, inclusiveness in human rights law, outcomes of transitional justice, and more.
From a Nexus talk featuring IJL’s new Post-Doctoral Fellow Adriana Rudling to a panel on “Justice in Conflict: Politics, Law, and State Responses to Violence” — featuring Drs. Laia Balcells, Nancy Combs, Francesca Parente, and Kira Allmann — the lab sparked critical dialogue on pressing challenges, just as it was designed to do when it launched in 2019.
Though different changes and evolutions have taken place since, Dr. Zvobgo has engaged students at each stage of the lab’s growth. She has co-authored journal articles, op-eds, and Q&A explainers with undergraduate fellows, collaborating to synthesize new knowledge and publicize its implications. These successes already define the lab’s legacy, even with so much of IJL’s journey still ahead.
This very strength was the topic of a recent article in Political Science & Politics, which outlines how institutions can facilitate transformative research partnerships among students and faculty. In a testament to GRI's expertise in this domain, Zvobgo co-authored the article with the Institute’s Director Mike Tierney, ABC Project Director Paula Pickering, and SNaPP Lab Director Jaime Settle.