JILP Symposium 2017 - Combating International Human Rights Abuses using U.S. Courts and International Mechanisms - Welcome, and First Panel: Using U.S. Domestic Liability as a Means for Accountability of International Human Rights Violations

Journal of International Law and Policy Symposium 2017 - Combating International Human Rights Abuses using U.S. Courts and International Mechanisms Welcome and Introduction: Hope Kwiatkowski, Editor in Chief, Journal of International Law & Policy, 3L First Panel: Using U.S. Domestic Liability as a Means for Accountability of International Human Rights Violations Moderator: Roza Essaw, Pritkin Chair, 2L Panelists: Catherine Sweetser, Partner, Schonbrun DeSimone Seplow Harris & Hoffman, LLP Franklin A. Gevurtz, Distinguished Professor of Law, McGeorge Law School Mugambi Jouet, Thomas C. Grey Fellow, Lecturer in Law, Stanford Law School (Catherine Sweetser was a sudden late substitute for Paul Hoffman of the same firm, and asked that her remarks be withheld.) The panel addresses the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) and Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA) as venues for jurisdiction and accountability in U.S. courts. This panel is geared towards weighing the pros and cons of using U.S. courts to hold actors accountable. This segues into keynote speaker, Kathy Roberts, Legal Director of the Center for Justice and Accountability, discussing the recent cases brought using the TVPA.