Numerous governments have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by declaring states of
emergency and restricting individual liberties protected by international law. However, many
more states have adopted emergency measures than have formally derogated from human rights
conventions. This discussion critically evaluates the existing system of human rights
treaty derogations. It analyzes the system’s problems, identifies recent developments that have
exacerbated these problems, and proposes a range of reforms in five areas—embeddedness,

As governments respond to the novel coronavirus, the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people are under increasing threat. Some face increased risks from stay-at-home orders when home is not a safe environment or when health care discrimination deters LGBTI people from seeking COVID-19 treatment. Discriminatory measures that stigmatize and blame LGBTI people for outbreaks as well as governments’ crackdown on LGBTI rights defenders, heighten vulnerabilities and violence.

Professor Curtis A. Bradley's discusses his recent book, The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Foreign Relations Law, a groundbreaking text in this relatively new field of study. Professor and contributing author Laurence R. Helfer provides introductory remarks.

Co-sponsored by the Goodson Law Library and Office of the Dean.

Daniel Klaeren ’22 prevailed in the final round of the 2019 Jessup Cup international law moot court competition on Sept. 24. Klaeren squared off against Allyson Veile ’21, arguing a closed-universe international law problem before final round judges Professors Curtis Bradley, Laurence Helfer, and Jayne Huckerby.

Sponsored by the Moot Court Board.

On Sept. 6, 2018, the Supreme Court of India ruled that the "criminalisation of consensual conduct between adults of the same sex" is unconstitutional. Duke Law presented a panel discussion on the case and LGBTI rights in India featuring Vardhman Kumar, Menaka Guruswamy, and Arundhati Katju, moderated by Prof. Laurence R. Helfer.

This event is part of the Duke Law Human Rights in Practice series organized by the Center for International and Comparative Law and the International Human Rights Clinic.

Professor Macarena Sáez, Faculty Director of the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and Fellow in International Legal Studies at American University Washington College of Law, and Professor Laurence R. Helfer , Harry R. Chadwick, Sr. Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Center for International and Comparative Law at Duke Law, give a talk titled "New Developments in LGBT Rights within the Inter-American System."

Eric Gitari, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC) in Kenya, gives a talk on "Litigating LGBTIQ Rights: The Kenya Experience." Gitari draws from social factors (constitutional dictatorship, poverty, institutional corruption, etc) underlying the remaking of Kenya's Constitution in 2010, from its ongoing implementation, and from his own involvement in three pending test cases concerning sexual orientation and gender identity. The talk is moderated by Laurence Helfer, Harry R. Chadwick, Sr.

Professor Laurence Helfer and co-author Karen J. Alter discuss their new book, "Transplanting International Courts: Law & Politics of the Andean Tribunal of Justice," which provides a deep, systematic investigation of the most active and successful transplant of the European Court of Justice.

Sponsored by the Goodson Law Library and Office of the Dean.

The spring Faculty Author Event celebrated a new book by co-authors Larry Helfer, Molly Land, Ruth Okediji and Jerome Reichman, "The World Blind Union Guide to the Marrakesh Treaty: Facilitating Access to Books for Print Disabled Individuals." The Marrakesh Treaty is a watershed new agreement situated at the intersection of intellectual property and human rights law. The Treaty creates mandatory exceptions to copyright to expand the availability of books and cultural materials in accessible formats to individuals with visual disabilities.

Recent actions by the Trump administration raise many unresolved legal issues. Although much of the focus has been on the U.S. Constitution, many of these actions also raise challenging issues of international law. Executive orders on immigration and the "global gag rule" implicate human rights and refugee law. Plans to withdraw the U.S. from or renegotiate NAFTA and introduce a border adjustment tax affect international trade law. U.S.

“Foreign Official Immunity and the Attribution Puzzle” by Chimène Keitner (University of California, Hastings College of Law), with discussant Laurence R. Helfer (Professor, Duke Law School).

From the Duke Journal of Comparative & International Law's 2015 Symposium on Foreign Immunity.

1:30–2:15: “The Sovereign Immunity Underpinnings of Foreign Official Immunity” by Elizabeth Wilson (Seton Hall University), with discussant Laurence R. Helfer (Duke University School of Law).

This discussion was part of the Duke Journal of Comparative & International Law's 2015 Symposium on Foreign Immunity.

Sungjoon Cho, Professor of Law at IIT Chicago-Kent Law, gives a lecture titled after his recently published book "The Social Foundations of World Trade: Norms, Community and Constitution."

This lecture is sponsored by the Center for International and Comparative Law.

As marriage equality seems poised to take effect nation-wide in America within the immediate future, many advocates of LGBT rights are shifting their energies towards challenging other forms of discrimination faced by LGBT individuals, both domestically and internationally. Duke Law Professor Laurence R. Helfer presents a lecture on the current state of LGBT rights and issues across the globe, drawing from his own well-recognized work in international LGBT advocacy and human rights research. Co-sponsored by OutLaw, the Human Rights Law Society, and the International Law Society.

The National Security Law Society presents a conversation about the Islamic State. Jack Jenkins, Senior Religion Reporter for ThinkProgress, discusses the appropriateness of referring to IS as "Islamic." Duke Law Professor Laurence Helfer addresses the international law justifications proffered by the United States to justify use of force against IS in Syria.

Karen J. Alter, Professor of Political Science and Law at Northwestern University, delivers a lecture sponsored by Duke's Center for International & Comparative Law. The talk addresses topics from her newly released book, "The New Terrain of International Law: Courts, Politics, Rights."

Recorded on April 15, 2014

Appearing: Laurence R. Helfer (Duke Law), host/introductions ; Karen J. Alter (Northwestern University), speaker.

Recorded on April 16, 2010.

Part of the conference: National Security Challenges and the Obama Administration.

Law, Ethics and National Security Conference.

Appearing: Laurence R. Helfer, chair ; Douglass Cassel, Vijay Padmanabhan, and Edward J. Flynn, panelists.

Susan Sell, professor of political science and international affairs, and director of The Institute for Global and International Studies at George Washington University, presents a lecture titled, "Cat and Mouse: the Intellectual Property Enforcement Agenda." Introduction by Laurence Helfer ; sponsored by the Center for International & Comparative Law.

Recorded on April 15, 2010.

Full title: Cat & Mouse: The Intellectual Property Enforcement Agenda.

Appearing: Susan Sell (George Washington University), speaker.

CICL Public Lecture and Book Signing: Kal Raustiala, Professor at UCLA Law School and author of "Does the Constitution Follow the Flag? The Evolution of Territoriality in American Law" presented a lecture titled, "Is Bagram the New Guantanamo? Obama, Bush, and the Extraterritorial Constitution." Introduction by Laurence Helfer.

Recorded on March 24, 2010.

Appearing: Kal Raustiala (UCLA School of Law), speaker.

Panel discussion on access to research and data resources, the scientific commons, and related issues related to economic development. Includes the following short lectures: Robert Evenson, "The Future of Public Agricultural Research in the World Economy" ; Richard Nelson, "Patents and the Scientific Commons" ; Ruth Okediji, "The Impact of the TRIPS Agreement on Educational and Cultural Aspects of Economic Development" ; and Paul Uhlir, "Preserving Access to Public Data Resources for Science and Development."

Recorded on April 05, 2003.