CM Law Faculty

Professor Milena Sterio presented as a panelist on 11/19 at an event entitled “Future of Peace in Eurasia.”  This event was part of World Trade Organization’s Trade for Peace Week, and it was co-sponsored by the WTO and the Public International Law and Policy Group.  Professor Sterio’s remarks focused on the role of trade and the role of the WTO in resolving the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed area between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Professor Sterio also participated as a panelist in a 11/18 event organized by the Atrocity Prevention Study Group and the Stimson Center at George Mason University, on the topic of “Looking at the Bosnian Municipalities Cases Through the Mladic Prosecution.”  In her remarks, Professor Sterio discussed the lack of the genocide conviction for General Mladic regarding crimes committed in Bosnian municipalities, as compared to his genocide conviction for crimes committed in Srebrenica. 

Professor Christa Laser was featured extensively in a live segment on Cleveland’s Channel 19 News, discussing the recent settlement by the Cleveland Guardians baseball team and the Cleveland Guardians roller derby team over their trademark dispute to the “Guardians” name. Professor Laser, an IP expert, discussed the possible terms of the settlement and how trademark disputes are commonly resolved.

The segment can be viewed here.

Professor Jonathan Witmer-Rich has published Reforming the High-Stakes Gamble of Covert Government Seizures, 69 Drake L. Rev. 401 (2021). The article discusses the dangers created by covert government seizures, and suggests reforms to the practice.

Professor Milena Sterio authored a blog post on the topic of “Where are the Women? Breaking International Law’s Glass Ceiling.”  In this blog post, Professor Sterio discusses the under-representation of women at international law institutions, as well as the under-citation of women in prominent publications.  The blog post is available here.

Professor Milena Sterio presented at International Law Weekend, a prominent international law conference organized and sponsored by the American Branch of the International Law Association (ABILA). Professor Sterio is a member of ABILA Board of Directors and co-chairs the ABILA Committee on Teaching International Law.  Professor Sterio moderated a panel entitled “Prosecuting the Crime of ‘Ecocide’ at the ICC and Elsewhere” on October 29th.  In addition, Professor Sterio hosted a virtual session on Teaching International Law also on October 29th.  

Professor Reginald Oh has published an article in Washington Monthly titled “Asian Americans and the Pursuit of Unhappiness.” The article discusses the ongoing litigation over Harvard’s affirmative action admissions policies, as well as the pressures experienced by some Asian Americans to achieve.

Professor Oh states, “What is the path forward for young Asian Americans? One path could be working to end negative action and racially biased decisions against Asian Americans. But the aim should not be an end to affirmative action, which not only would frustrate the American Dream of racially integrated schools, it also would only intensify the hyper-focus on achievement, and the stress and pressure that comes along with it. . . . The way forward requires finding creative ways to accommodate both family and self.”

Professor Karin Mika, Senior Legal Writing Professor, has been awarded the 2022 AALS Section Award by the Section on Legal Writing, Reasoning, and Research. This prestigious award recognizes professors who have made significant lifetime contributions to the field of legal research and writing.

The Awards Committee noted the following about Professor Mika’s exceptional career achievements:

“Professor Mika has dedicated the better part of her career to academia. She has advocated to improve the status of legal writing professors…. Her talent as a teacher and mentor over the past 30 or so years is undeniable…. Generally regarded as the ‘Keeper of the Flame,’ Professor Mika has been a faithful archivist and historian for the legal writing community, preserving our memories and experiences through documents, photos, and friendships…. Professor Mika is a passionate and selfless advocate who has been a backbone of the national legal writing community.” 

Professor Milena Sterio will participate as a speaker and expert in a IUSTICOM and UN Institute for Training and Research Online Executive Diploma on International Criminal Law and Transitional Justice program.  The program will take place from February- April 2022 over a series of 1-day seminars.  Professor Sterio will address the topic of “International Criminal Law and Statehood” in her lecture.  The audience will be comprised of early to mid-career diplomats as well as others.  Other program speakers include Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel; Joanna Korner, Judge, International Criminal Court, Catherine Marchi-Uhel, Head of the International Impartial Independent Mechanism for Syria, Nicholas Koumjian, Head of the International Independent Mechanism for Myanmar, etc. 

Professor Milena Sterio moderated a panel discussion on Transitional Justice on October 20th, as part of Public International and Policy Group’s training program for Ukrainian government officials.  The panel discussion was a “capstone” seminar within the larger training program, and panelists included David Crane and Jim Johnson, former Prosecutors at the Special Court for Sierra Leone, Robert Petit, former Prosecutor at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, Michael Scharf, Dean at CWRU School of Law, and Stephen Rapp, former State Department Ambassador for War Crimes and former Prosecutor at the Special Court for Sierra Leone and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwarnda.

Professor Milena Sterio presented at the American Society of International Law Midyear Meeting, on a panel on the International Criminal Court.  Professor Sterio’s presentation, titled “Sentencing and Mitigation at the ICC,” focuses on the recent conviction of Dominic Ognwen, former Lord’s Resistance Army leader, at the ICC, and his sentence of 25 years of imprisonment.  In her remarks, Professor Sterio discussed whether Ongwen’s status as a former child soldier was a relevant mitigation factor at sentencing, and whether Ongwen’s sentence was fair and proportionate.  The ASIL Midyear Meeting was held virtually this year, and Professor Sterio’s paper was selected from a competitive call for papers.

Professor Sterio also presented at a CLE seminar on October 21th at the international law firm, Cleary Gottlieb Steen and Hamilton, on the topic of “Working in Post-Conflict Settings: Lessons in Ethics.”