The ECCC Project

YLS Students Assisting the Extraordinary Courts in the Chambers of Cambodia (Khmer Rouge Trials)

The Yale Law School Legal Project Assisting the Extraordinary Courts in the Chambers of Cambodia (ECCC), colloquially referred to as the ECCC Project, is a special initiative within the Lowenstein Project started in the spring of 2007.  Students in the ECCC Project perform legal research for the Supreme Court Chamber of the ECCC, which is working to prosecute Khmer Rouge leaders for atrocities committed during the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to 1979.  Although specific project topics are confidential, projects generally involve cutting-edge issues of international law, such as jurisdiction, immunity, amnesty, victims' participation, reparations, and compliance with international human rights standards.  The students generally work in teams, and each team's final product is a bench memorandum to a sitting judge on the court regarding an unresolved question of Cambodian or international law.  The ECCC Project also meets weekly during the semester as a reading group to learn about and discuss human rights law, international criminal procedure, and Cambodian politics and history.  In addition, the ECCC Project arranges a variety of film screenings and hosts guest speakers such as international judges, regional experts, and professors with expertise related to the project.  Students also give presentations to fellow project members on their research.

Students receive two ungraded units for their participation in the project.  No previous knowledge or experience with transitional justice, international law, or Cambodia is necessary to participate, although such experience is welcomed.  

In Fall 2008, the ECCC Project will be co-directed by Kathleen Claussen, Sadie Blanchard, and Michael Allen.  Please e-mail them with any questions.

Fall 2008 Participants:
Erin MacDonald
Courtney Hostetler
Elizabeth Nielsen
Mike Brown
Daniel Winik
Brett Edkins
Sophia Brill
Sarah Chervinsky
Nate Freeman
Liza Kahn
Mike Breen
Heejin Kim
Burke Butler
Seun Adebiyi

Spring 2008 Participants:
Michael Thad Allen
Sara Aronchick
Laurie Ball
Sadie Blanchard
Kathleen Claussen (Co-Director)
Tom Dannenbaum
Dawn Yamane Hewett (Co-Director)
Erin MacDonald
Levi Pinsky
Emily Stirba
Benjamin Taibleson

Fall 2007 Participants:
Laurie Ball
Kathleen Claussen
Michael Farry
Dawn Yamane Hewett (Director)
Jonathan Kobrinski
Victoria Lee
Erin MacDonald
Jaclyn Neo
Emily Stirba

Spring 2007 Participants:
Amanda Aikman
Emma Alpert
Aparna Chandra
Kate Dominguez
Adam Gustafson
Dawn Yamane Hewett (Director)
Bomi Lee
Joshua Rosensweig
Mrinal Satish
Vasudha Talla
Benjamin Vogt