Amnesty International USA Lawyers' Conference
A biennial gathering of lawyers, legal professionals, law students, and
human rights activists interested in issues of international justice.
February 17-18, 2006 at the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle, WA
In 1945, the Nuremberg Tribunal was established to prosecute the
leading military and political leaders of Nazi Germany. The Tribunal is
a testament to the triumph of the rule of law in the struggle against tyranny
and oppression. As noted by Justice Robert Jackson in his opening
statement to the Tribunal, "[t]hat four great nations, flushed with victory
and stung with injury stay the hand of vengeance and voluntarily
submit their captive enemies to the judgment of the law is one of the
most significant tributes that Power has ever paid to Reason."
Convened by the Legal Network of Amnesty International USA, this
conference will examine the Nuremberg legacy as it relates to current
efforts to promote accountability for human rights abuses. It will also
consider how Nuremberg influences contemporary views on fair trial
norms.
The conference will be held in conjunction with the Fitzpatrick Fund
and Condon-Falknor Lecture at the University of Washington School of
Law. The late Joan Fitzpatrick was a leader in the human rights movement
and a firm believer in the power of the rule of law. The Fitzpatrick
Fund was established in her honor at the University of Washington to
provide grants for work in the field of human rights. The keynote address will be given by John Shattuck at 6 p.m. on February 17.
QUESTIONS? Please contact the AIUSA Legal Network at
networks@aiusa.org or 312.435.6397.
Related Links
In 1946, Chief Justice Walter Beals of the Washington State Supreme Court took leave from his position to serve as a judge in the Nuremberg Military Tribunals. A member of the first graduating class (1901), Walter Beals remains one of the most distinguished graduates in the history of the University of Washington School of Law.