Rhonda Copelon's Legacy in Action: Int'l Women's Human Rights Law
March, 2012 On March 30, 2012, a packed auditorium of human rights advocates, lawyers, students, and others gathered at the CUNY Graduate Center for the CUNY Law Review Symposium, “Looking Forward: Rhonda Copelon's Legacy in Action and the Future of International Women's Human Rights Law.” The symposium brought together leading scholars and activists from around the world to honor Rhonda Copelon and to share and learn about current extensions of her groundbreaking work.
Watch the full day of panels on YouTube, or as a free download from iTunes U.
The day-long event looked at how Copelon's work helped to define and shape the field of international women's human rights and described how her vision continues to influence and inspire advocates and practitioners. The panels focused on areas of work where Copelon made a significant impact: sexual rights developments under international law, reproductive rights at home and abroad, rape as a form of torture, and domestic implementation of international human rights law. Panelists and speakers discussed how Copelon influenced them personally and professionally and reflected on how her vision, tenacity, and commitment to gender justice help to shape their responses to the challenges they face today. As the speakers described their approach to building human rights protections for gender rights, they invoked Copelon's lesson that the role of advocates is not to argue what the law is, but rather what the law should be. CUNY School of Law Dean Michelle J. Anderson delivered the welcome remarks for the afternoon sessions.
The speakers and panelists included:
Catherine Albisa, Executive Director, National Economic and Social Rights Initiative
Michelle J. Anderson, Dean, CUNY School of Law
Caroline Bettinger-Lopez, Professor of Law and Director, Human Rights Clinic, University of Miami School of Law
Blaine Bookey, Staff Attorney, Center for Gender and Refugee Studies Lauren Dasse ('12), Editor-in-Chief, CUNY Law Review
Lisa Davis ('08), Clinical Professor of Law, International Women's Human Rights Clinic, CUNY School of Law
Felice Gaer, Vice Chair, UN Committee Against Torture Scott Long, Visiting Fellow, Human Rights Program, Harvard Law School
Joey Mogul ('97), Partner, People's Law Office and Director, Civil Rights Clinic, DePaul University College of Law
Marianne Mollmann, Senior Policy Advisor, Amnesty International Nancy Northup, President, Center for Reproductive Rights
Andrea Ritchie, Director, Streetwise and Safe; Co-Author of Queer (In)Justice
Monica Roa, Director of Programs, Women's Link Worldwide
Sir Nigel Rodley, Member, UN Human Rights Committee and Former UN Special Rapporteur on Torture
Celina Romany, Director, Center for Human Rights, Inter-American University of Puerto Rico School of Law
Patricia Viseur Sellers, Former Legal Advisor for Gender-Related Crimes, Office of the Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the Former Yugoslavia
Cindy Soohoo, Professor of Law and Director, International Women's Human Rights Clinic, CUNY School of Law
Pam Spees ('98), Senior Staff Attorney, Center for Constitutional Rights Jessica Stern, Director of Programs, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)
Yifat Susskind, Executive Director, MADRE
Vincent Warren, Executive Director, Center for Constitutional Rights
Moderators included:
Penelope Andrews, Associate Dean and Professor of Law, CUNY School of Law
Caitlin Borgmann, Professor of Law, CUNY School of Law
Julie Goldscheid, Professor of Law, CUNY School of Law
Ruthann Robson, Distinguished Professor of Law, CUNY School of Law
