Sohn Fellowship

Georgia Law student attends 2026 ASIL Annual Meeting through professional development scholarship

This year, University of Georgia School of Law student N’Guessan (“Clement”) Kouame (LL.M. ’24, J.D. ’26) attended the 120th Annual Meeting of the American Society of International Law in Washington, D.C. This year’s ASIL Annual Meeting convened with the theme “Advancing and Defending The Rule of Law.”

Kouame received a Louis B. Sohn Professional Development Fellowship to support his attendance of this conference. Awarded by the law school’s Dean Rusk International Law Center, Sohn Fellowships enable students to attend professional development opportunities related to international law.

Kouame attended numerous panel discussions addressing a range of topics in international law. He met with D.C.-based Georgia Law alumni, including Caroline Bailey (J.D. ’24) and Sandon Fernandes (J.D. ’24), both pictured above with Georgia Law Professor Desirée LeClercq, also in attendance.

Reflecting on the conference, Kouame stated:

My favorite panel discussion was the one titled “The Great AI Race: Whiter Human Rights in the AI Supply Chain.” This topic is timely and critical for the future of humanity, as AI R&D affects all human beings by harming the environment and infringing on human rights. Attending the ASIL Annual Meeting deepened my understanding and perspective on human rights protection and the use of forced and child labor from the global south in multinationals’ supply chains for AI R&D.

To read prior posts about Georgia Law students using Sohn Fellowships to attend professional development opportunities, please click here and here.

Six Georgia Law students receive Louis B. Sohn Professional Development Fellowships in fall 2025

This fall, six University of Georgia School of Law students received Louis B. Sohn Professional Development Fellowships to support their attendance of international law conferences. Named after the inaugural holder of the Emily and Ernest Woodruff Chair in International Law at Georgia Law, Sohn Fellowships enable students to attend professional development opportunities related to international law. The Fellowships are administered by the Dean Rusk International Law Center.

Elizabeth Burns (J.D. ’26), Wambui Kamau (LL.M. ’26), Anu Paudel (LL.M. ’26), Kara Reed (J.D. ’26), and Haichen Zhao (J.D. ’27) attended the American Branch of the International Law Association’s International Law Weekend in New York City, New York. Jalyn Ross (J.D. ’27) attended the 14th annual conference of the Atlanta International Arbitration Society (AtlAS) in Atlanta, Georgia.

Zhao was selected to be a 2025 Student Ambassador (detailed here). She was one of eight Ambassadors selected nationwide to assist with International Law Weekend.

Ross shared about her favorite panel from the AtlAS annual conference:

I really enjoyed the panel discussion on the impact of tariffs on international arbitration. This panel was addressing tangible issues regarding how businesses, countries, and counsel are adjusting with the current instability surrounding tariffs in the United States. This panel was applying concepts I recently learned about in my International Business Transactions class, including Incoterms and articles of the CISG, and discussing questions of interpretation and application that brought to life what I have been studying in a very real way.

Reflecting on the experience of attending the ABILA ILW, Paudel stated:

This conference has encouraged me to advance my academics and career in international law. Personally, it allowed me to gain hands-on insights on different arenas of international law. Hearing invaluable thoughts of international legal experts, law professors , judges, partners and directors has increased my in-depth knowledge on international law, that I couldn’t have acquired from any written book or article. Professionally, the conference allowed me to build strong networks with the panelists, and participants from other law schools.

Burns noted her biggest takeaway from the ABILA ILW:

My biggest takeaway was an increased confidence in the future of international law. Many, if not all, of the panelists we heard from were exasperated with recent blatant violations of international treaties and a lack of action from international tribunals. Their frustration and insistence on continuing to push for change was inspiring, and they gave me hope that there are still many high-level international professionals who have not thrown in the towel yet.

To read prior posts about Georgia Law students using Sohn Fellowships to attend professional development opportunities, please click here and here.