Rwanda’s Impact: Shaping Modern Genocide Law
Date: Dec 3, 2024 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location: Online
Member Price: $143.00
Non-Member Price: $179.00
Section Price: $135.00
Areas of Law: For All Attorneys
Earn up to 2.9 credits! (More Information)
Keynote
Moderator
- Zachary D. Kaufman, J.D., Ph.D.
- Professor of Law
University of Florida Levin College of Law
Presenters
- Wanda M. Akin, Esq.
- Wanda M. Akin & Associates, Newark
- Raymond M. Brown, Esq.
- Civil and Criminal Litigator
Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, Hackensackis a Partner in Pashman Stein Walder Hayden with offices in Hackensack and Holmdel, New Jersey, and Purchase, New York. A highly-respected civil and criminal litigator, he concentrates his practice in white collar criminal defense, international human rights compliance, internal investigations and complex commercial litigation, and has appeared in high-profile trials including the nine-month trial involving former Labor Secretary Raymond J. Donovan and the successful eight-year defense of senior executives of a major multinational corporation charged with environmental violations, as well as serving as Defense Co-Counsel for Senator Robert Menendez against criminal allegations of public corruption and bribery brought by the U.S. government.
Admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York, and before the Special Court for Sierra Leone and the United States Supreme Court, Mr. Brown is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, the American College of Trial Lawyers and the American Board of Criminal Lawyers, and a member and Past President of the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey. He is also a member of the American Bar Association Sections of Criminal Justice and International Law, and the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Criminal Law Section and Task Force on Judicial Independence. He has been a Trustee of the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey and is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, where he is a former Board Member and Parliamentarian.
Host of the Emmy Award-winning New Jersey Network program Due Process, Mr. Brown has been a Visiting Professor and Research Scholar at Seton Hall University School of Law, where he has taught international criminal law, criminal procedure and professional responsibility. He has also taught international criminal law at the Seton Hall/American University Program in Cairo, Egypt, and at Seton Hall University’s School of Diplomacy and International Relations. Mr. Brown is the recipient of the Litigation Counsel of America’s Peter Perlman Service Award and the (inaugural) 2018 Francis X. Dee Award bestowed by the American College of Trial Lawyers, as well as a 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Essex County Bar Association and several other honors. His articles have appeared in the New Jersey Law Journal and other professional publications, and he has lectured for ICLE, the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Professional Education Group and other organizations.
Mr. Brown received his B.A. from Columbia University and his J.D. from Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California at Berkeley. - Jean-Damascene Gasanabo, PhD
- Former Director General, Research and Documentation Center on Genocide
Rwanda National Commission for the Fight Against Genocide (CNLG) - David J. Simon, Ph.D.
- Assistant Dean, Graduate Education and Director, Genocide Studies Program
Yale University
Join us for a comprehensive program focusing on legal aspects of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Take a deep dive into the origins, responses, and ongoing implications of genocide from a legal perspective. You will gain valuable insights into the mechanisms of justice and accountability, the power of legal advocacy, and the role of law in preventing genocide and other atrocity crimes. Enhance your understanding and skills to better serve your clients in the realms of international law, human rights, and atrocity prevention.
Program Agenda:
10:00 | Welcome and Introductions
10:05 | Catalysts of Catastrophe: Understanding the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda - David J. Simon, Ph.D.
Discover the complex historical and socio-political events that culminated in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Our expert faculty will:
- Illuminate the historical context and both longer-term and immediate causes of the genocide.
- Analyze the roles of local and international actors in the escalation and response.
- Discuss the application of digital technology in documenting and preventing atrocity crimes.
10:40 | Courts of Justice: Prosecuting Genocide Perpetrators - Zachary D. Kaufman J.D., Ph.D.
Examine the four main legal methods that have responded to the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda: Rwanda’s ordinary courts, Rwanda’s innovative Gacaca courts, foreign courts, and the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). You will gain insights into the international, foreign, and domestic legal mechanisms employed post-genocide and:
- Detail the creation, function, and achievements of the ICTR.
- Explore the evolution of international legal frameworks for addressing genocide and related crimes.
- Assess the impacts and legacies of these judicial processes on international law.
11:30 | Rwanda' s Law on Genocide and "Genocide Ideology" - Jean-Damascene Gasanabo, PhD
- Explore why Rwanda did not have any law on genocide before 1994
- Analyze the law on genocide since 1994
- Understand what we call "genocide ideology"
11:50 | Legal Lessons from Rwanda: Insights on the Nexus of Genocide Prevention, Intervention & Prosecution - Wanda M. Akin, Esq.; Raymond M. Brown, Esq.
The 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda has profoundly influenced international law, providing critical insights into legal frameworks, victim representation, and intervention strategies. Our experts will share the key legal lessons in preventing and addressing genocide and other atrocity crimes.
- Understand the legal complexities of the Genocide Convention's requirements for intervention and prevention.
- Examine the legal significance of victim representation and survivor testimony in international criminal tribunals.
- Explore the interplay between public discourse, legal intervention, and criminal prosecution in genocide cases.
- Reflect on how lessons from Rwanda inform legal approaches to accountability, justice, and treaty obligations.
12:20 | Q&A Session with All Presenters
Engage with our speakers in a live Q&A session, posing your questions about the legal intricacies discussed.
12:30 | Wrap-Up and Closing Remarks
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