Athens, Ga. – International Court of Justice Judge Joan E. Donoghue will present “The Role of the World Court Today” as the University of Georgia School of Law’s 108th Sibley Lecturer. To be held April 3 at 3:30 p.m. in the Hatton Lovejoy Courtroom of Hirsch Hall on North Campus, the event is free and open to the public.
The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial arm of the United Nations and was established in 1945 to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by various countries. Since then, international law has evolved to address new topics, and many other courts and tribunals have been created. During her presentation, Donoghue will discuss the continuing role of the World Court in light of these developments in international law.
Prior to being elected to the 15-judge court in 2010, Donoghue was a U.S. government lawyer. As the principal deputy in the U.S. Department of State Office of the Legal Adviser, her duties included advising Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other officials on all aspects of international law. In 2009, she received the Distinguished Honor Award, the highest honor given by the secretary of state. Additionally, she received the Presidential Rank Award at the meritorious level, a recognition that requires presidential approval.
Donoghue began her career with the State Department in 1984 as an attorney for the Office of Inter-American Affairs and held a variety of positions before becoming the principal deputy legal adviser in 2007. This included serving as assistant legal adviser for oceans, environment and science; director of the Office of Diplomatic Law and Litigation; assistant legal adviser for African affairs; and assistant legal adviser for economic and business affairs.
She also has held several positions outside of the State Department, including deputy general counsel for the U.S. Department of the Treasury from 1999 to 2000 and general counsel for Freddie Mac from 2003 to 2005.
Donoghue earned her bachelor’s degree with honors in Russian studies and biology from the University of California at Santa Cruz and her law degree from the University of California at Berkeley.
The Sibley Lecture Series, established in 1964 by the Charles Loridans Foundation of Atlanta in tribute to the late John A. Sibley, is designed to attract outstanding legal scholars of national prominence to Georgia Law. Sibley was a 1911 graduate of the law school.
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Note to editors: Donoghue will be available for media interviews on April 3 and April 4. Contact Cindy Rice at 706/542-5172 or cindyh@uga.edu to schedule a time.
