Whitney R. Harris World Law Institute
A Washington University School of Law center devoted to international and comparative legal research, education, and policy engagement.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
The Whitney R. Harris World Law Institute is an academic and policy center at Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri. Established in November 2000 as the Institute for Global Legal Studies, it was created to strengthen teaching, scholarship, and public discussion in international and comparative law. The institute was later renamed in recognition of Whitney R. Harris, a lawyer who served as trial counsel in the prosecution of major German war criminals before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg in 1945. Harris subsequently supported international justice through writing, advocacy, philanthropy, and engagement with legal education. In 2008, Whitney and Anna Harris endowed the institute's World Peace Through Law Award, and the organization adopted its current name, Whitney R. Harris World Law Institute. The institute operates as a research, teaching, convening, and public-engagement platform rather than as a commercial brand. Its activities include research projects, conferences, lectures, workshops, expert meetings, student fellowships, visiting-diplomat programs, and collaborations with international institutions. According to the cited reference material, it has sponsored more than 125 speakers, organized or co-sponsored more than 70 conferences, workshops, and expert meetings, and hosted more than 120 lectures. Its work has contributed to at least six books and 15 law-review volumes. The institute's best-known initiative is the Crimes Against Humanity Initiative, launched in 2008 to examine whether a comprehensive international convention should address the prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity. The project brought together scholars and practitioners to study treaty design, develop legal analysis, and prepare a proposed convention. Its work helped inform broader international consideration of the subject, including the International Law Commission's work toward draft articles on crimes against humanity. The institute has also developed projects connecting international human-rights law to contemporary policy problems. Its Gun Violence and Human Rights Project, launched in 2017, examines United States government responses to gun violence against the country's obligations under international human-rights instruments. The project has involved Washington University law students, institute fellows, public-health researchers, international organizations, and civil-society groups. It has submitted information to United Nations review processes and contributed to hearings before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Other continuing or recurring activities include an International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Symposium, an Ambassador-in-Residence program, international humanitarian-law training, research concerning the International Criminal Court, scholarship roundtables, and opportunities for students to undertake international human-rights and public-interest placements. The institute has also supported student fellowships and research assistantships connected with international courts, tribunals, diplomatic institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and foreign legal programs. Its positioning is that of a university-based international law institute combining doctrinal scholarship with practical engagement. Rather than offering consumer products or conventional commercial services, it produces research, convenes experts, educates students, supports policy dialogue, and develops legal frameworks concerning international justice, human rights, humanitarian law, arbitration, and global governance.
History
The Whitney R. Harris World Law Institute was established at Washington University School of Law in November 2000 under the name Institute for Global Legal Studies. Its initial mission was to serve as a center for instruction and research in international and comparative law. The institute developed within the university's law-school environment, combining faculty scholarship with public programming, student opportunities, and engagement with practitioners and international organizations. In 2001, Margaret Dagen endowed the Dagen-Legomsky Student Fellowship Program. The program supported Washington University law students pursuing international human-rights work, including study at international law academies and summer placements with governmental, judicial, diplomatic, and nongovernmental organizations. This student-facing work became an important part of the institute's educational role, allowing students to connect classroom study with practical international legal experience. The organization expanded its diplomatic programming in 2007 through the Ambassadors Program. The initiative brought current and former foreign-service professionals to the law school to discuss international law and policy with students and the wider university community. Participants listed in the reference material included David Scheffer, Stephen J. Rapp, Louis Susman, Charles Stith, Feisal Amin Rasoul al-Istrabadi, Carla A. Hills, and Thomas A. Schweich. The program gave students direct exposure to the practical operation of diplomacy and international institutions. The institute's work on international criminal law became especially prominent after the launch of the Crimes Against Humanity Initiative in 2008. The project studied the legal and institutional case for a global convention addressing crimes against humanity, analyzed the elements such a treaty might contain, and developed a proposed text. The project was associated with Leila Sadat's work as a special adviser on crimes against humanity to the International Criminal Court Prosecutor. Its research helped stimulate wider international discussion, including consideration of the issue by the United Nations International Law Commission and the UN General Assembly's Sixth Committee. Also in 2008, Whitney and Anna Harris endowed the World Peace Through Law Award. The award recognizes individuals whose work and writing have advanced the rule of law and contributed to world peace. The endowment ceremony coincided with the institute's renaming as the Whitney R. Harris World Law Institute, honoring Whitney Harris's role as a Nuremberg prosecutor and his continuing commitment to international justice. In September 2009, the institute entered into a cooperation agreement with the International Criminal Court connected with the ICC Legal Tools Project. The institute's role included collecting and uploading domestic legislation and case law relating to genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The project covered materials from numerous countries, including states in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Pacific, and the former Soviet region. It reflected the institute's emphasis on making comparative and national legal materials useful to international criminal-law research. The institute continued to broaden its programming through workshops on humanitarian law, climate change, international criminal justice, globalization, immigration, taxation, and international relations. It also developed an annual International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Symposium, designed to bring together practitioners, academics, government and in-house counsel, arbitral institutions, and students. The symposium addressed topics such as protection of clients in the global economy, controversies in arbitration, and issues arising before and after arbitral proceedings. In 2017, the institute launched the Gun Violence and Human Rights Project. The project examined whether the United States government's response to gun violence satisfies obligations under international human-rights law. Its analysis connected gun violence with rights including life, security of person, health, freedom from ill-treatment, equality, religious and expressive freedom, children's rights, education, and participation in cultural life. The institute worked with Washington University's Institute for Public Health and external civil-society organizations. The gun-violence project produced public and international engagement. In 2018, the institute participated in an Inter-American Commission on Human Rights hearing in Bogotá concerning gun-sale regulation and social violence in the United States. In 2019, it submitted information to the UN Human Rights Committee's review of the United States under the ICCPR and participated in a stakeholder submission to the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review process. Institute representatives also addressed a later Inter-American Commission hearing on the impact of gun violence. By the period covered by the reference material, the Harris Institute had sponsored more than 125 speakers, organized or co-sponsored more than 70 conferences, workshops, and expert meetings, and hosted more than 120 lectures. Its output included books, law-review volumes, treaty-oriented research, policy submissions, and student research. The institute's continuing identity is that of an academic center whose activities connect international legal scholarship with education, diplomacy, human rights, humanitarian law, international criminal justice, arbitration, and public policy.
- 2018
World Peace Through Law Award presented to Christine Van den Wyngaert
[1]The award was presented to Judge Christine Van den Wyngaert for contributions to international law and the rule of law.
- 2017
Gun Violence and Human Rights Project launched
[1]The project began analyzing gun violence in the United States through international human-rights law.
- 2009
ICC Legal Tools cooperation begins
[1]A cooperation agreement with the International Criminal Court supported the collection and organization of national legal materials on core international crimes.
- 2008
Crimes Against Humanity Initiative launched
[1]The institute began research toward a comprehensive international convention on crimes against humanity.
- 2008
Institute renamed after Whitney R. Harris
[1]The institute adopted its present name after the Harris family's endowment of the World Peace Through Law Award.
- 2007
Ambassadors Program founded
[1]The program began bringing current and former diplomatic professionals to the law school for educational engagement.
- 2001
Dagen-Legomsky Student Fellowship Program endowed
[1]The fellowship program began supporting Washington University law students pursuing international human-rights study and practical placements.
- 2000
Institute for Global Legal Studies established
[1]Washington University School of Law established the institute as a center for international and comparative legal instruction and research.
Products and positioning
A university-based international law and policy institute linking research, legal education, international justice advocacy, and expert convening.
International criminal law research · 2008
Crimes Against Humanity Initiative
A research and policy project launched in 2008 to assess the need for a global convention on the prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity. It studied treaty structure and substantive legal requirements, prepared a proposed convention, and contributed to international discussion later taken up by the UN International Law Commission and General Assembly processes.
Human-rights research · 2017
Gun Violence and Human Rights Project
A project examining United States gun violence and governmental responses through international human-rights obligations. Its research addresses rights to life, security, health, equality, education, and related freedoms, and has supported submissions and testimony before United Nations and Inter-American human-rights bodies.
Legal recognition program · 2006
World Peace Through Law Award
An award recognizing individuals whose work and writings have advanced the rule of law and contributed to world peace. Recipients listed in the reference material include Philippe Kirsch, Richard Goldstone, M. Cherif Bassiouni, Fatou Bensouda, Christopher Greenwood, Benjamin B. Ferencz, and Christine Van den Wyngaert.
Legal education and convening
International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Symposium
An annual forum for practitioners, academics, government and in-house counsel, arbitral institutions, students, and users of international arbitration. The program addresses developments in arbitration and dispute resolution, provides professional education, and connects international practice with the Midwest legal community.
International criminal-law research database support · 2009
ICC Legal Tools Project
A cooperation-based project supporting the International Criminal Court through collection and organization of national legislation and case law relating to genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
Diplomatic education · 2007
Ambassadors Program
A program that brings current and retired ambassadors and other foreign-service professionals to Washington University to share practical perspectives on diplomacy, international law, and global policy.
Student fellowship · 2001
Dagen-Legomsky Student Fellowship Program
A fellowship program supporting law students' international human-rights education, summer study, research, and public-interest placements with courts, tribunals, government agencies, international organizations, and nongovernmental groups.
Marketing campaigns
- 2017Gun Violence and Human Rights Project
United States · International human-rights institutions
The institute developed a human-rights-based research and advocacy program concerning gun violence in the United States, working with students, public-health researchers, and civil-society organizations.
Outcome. The project generated academic analysis, international submissions, and testimony before United Nations and Inter-American human-rights bodies.
- 2008Crimes Against Humanity Initiative
International
A long-term legal research and treaty-development effort focused on creating a comprehensive framework for preventing and punishing crimes against humanity.
Outcome. The initiative helped advance international discussion of a possible treaty and informed subsequent consideration by UN legal and political bodies.
Brand decisions
2009
Enter cooperation agreement supporting the ICC Legal Tools ProjectOtherBackground
The International Criminal Court required organized access to national legal materials relevant to genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
Action taken
The institute agreed to collect, analyze, and upload materials concerning national jurisdictions and domestic cases involving core international crimes.
Aftermath
The project extended the institute's comparative-law and international-criminal-law work across a broad set of national legal systems.
2008
Rename the institute in honor of Whitney R. HarrisStrategyBackground
Whitney and Anna Harris endowed the institute's World Peace Through Law Award in recognition of Whitney Harris's international-justice work and support for legal education.
Action taken
The Institute for Global Legal Studies adopted the name Whitney R. Harris World Law Institute.
Aftermath
The renamed institute continued its focus on international and comparative law while placing international justice and the rule of law more prominently at the center of its identity.
Sources2 sources
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