Homer Moyer ’67 to Moderate Rule of Law Keynote Address with Justice Kennedy

Yale Law School alumni are invited to attend the Rule of Law Symposium 2016 on Friday, September 23, at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park, Washington, DC. The Symposium, which marks the final day of the annual conference of the International Bar Association, is sponsored by the IBA's Rule of Law Forum, co-chaired by Essam Al-Tamimi and Homer Moyer '67, and will feature a keynote speech from Justice Anthony Kennedy. There is no registration fee to attend the Symposium, but you must pre-register by completing the online registration form. Register for the Rule of Law Symposium here.

The Symposium schedule is as follows:

09:30 – 11:30
MORNING SESSION: Voices of the Next Generation: Bringing Change to the Middle East

Over the past 18 months, the IBA and the CEELI Institute in Prague have jointly sponsored a project known as the 'Regional Young Law Leaders Discussion Group.' This project has brought together a diverse group of young lawyers from the Middle East for a series of three-day meetings, during which participants met, came to know one another and employed communication techniques that enabled them to speak honestly, exchange views, examine applicable principles of international law and jointly explore difficult, emotional issues affecting Israel and Palestine.

In this program, you will hear about this unusual process and the experiences from some of the young lawyers who participated. Furthermore, you will also learn what the Israeli, Arab and US lawyers in the IBA, who conceived, organised and facilitated these discussions, and observed and learned from their engagement in the project. Finally, experienced former diplomats and negotiators who have dealt with the complex issues that plague the region will share their insights on what could bring about change in one of the most persistent conflicts and gravest threats to the rule of law in the world.

Members of the Steering Committee of this project are Essam Al Tamimi, Senior Partner, Al Tamimi & Company, Dubai; Co-Chair, Rule of Law Forum; Mark Ellis, Executive Director,  International Bar Association, London; Eytan Epstein, Senior Partner, M Firon Epstein & Co, Tel Aviv; IBA Council, Member; Homer Moyer, Miller & Chevalier, Washington, DC; Chair, CEELI Institute, Co-Chair, Rule of Law Forum; and David W Rivkin, Debevoise & Plimpton, New York; President of the International Bar Association.

Guest speakers are Aaron David Miller, who between 1988 and 2003 served six US Secretaries of State as an advisor on Arab-Israeli negotiations participating in American efforts to broker agreements between Israel, Jordan, Syria and the Palestinians, and Kito de Boer, the Special Envoy of the Quartet of the Middle East Head of Mission of the Office of Quartet.

11:45 – 12:45
KEYNOTE ADDRESS: A Conversation with Justice Anthony Kennedy moderated by Homer Moyer '67

Justice Anthony Kennedy is the senior Associate Justice on the US Supreme Court. The author of numerous landmark Supreme Court decisions, and often the critical swing vote in key cases, Justice Kennedy has long been a thoughtful commentator on the Rule of Law and is someone who, as a Supreme Court Justice, lives issues and challenges to the rule of law on a daily basis.

Moderated by Homer Moyer, Co-Chair of the Rule of Law Forum

14:00 – 14:30
PRESENTATION OF THE IBA HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD

14:30 – 16:30
AFTERNOON SESSION: Combating International Terrorism: Implications for the Rule of Law

Combatting global terrorism raises multiple issues affecting the rule of law. Acts of terrorism taken against innocent civilians, including brutal acts, are themselves fundamental affronts to the rule of law. In its most savage or barbaric forms, terrorism may constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity. At the same time, responses to terrorism and efforts to combat or thwart terrorism may go beyond legal limits and may themselves offend the rule of law. And responses that violate international law may, in turn, incite further acts of terrorism. The challenges of combatting terrorism have also prompted calls to modify existing legal standards ranging from criminal laws to regulation of firearms and munitions, surveillance and eavesdropping, and individual privacy. This international panel of experts will address these and other issues.

The session will feature Alberto Mora, past recipient of the IBA Rule of Law Award.  During his tenure as General Counsel of the U.S. Navy, Mora opposed the legal theories of John Yoo, the former deputy director of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel and primary author of the now infamous "Torture Memo."  Mora fought to end coercive interrogation tactics at Guantanamo Bay, arguing they were unlawful. Jennifer O'Connor, General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Defense, and Renauld Beauchard, Fellow of the Institute des Hautes Etudes sur la Justice, France will also provide insights on terrorism and related issues of law, including the practical challenges of mounting an effective campaign against global terrorism without impinging on the rule of law.

Moderated by Essam Al-Tamimi, Co-Chair of the Rule of Law Forum