Borderlines

Third in a four-part series of special Borderlines episodes with UC Berkeley Law guest hosts Professor Roxanna Altholz and Professor Laurel E. Fletcher shining a spotlight on human rights champions—all guest speakers in their Human Rights Practice Workshop course, where leading practitioners working in a variety of institutional settings speak about their struggles against corruption and impunity, the relationship between legal and social justice, and the future of human rights movements.Episode 19 of Borderlines features guest host Professor Laurel E. Fletcher, Co-Director of Berkeley Law’s International Human Rights Law Clinic and the Miller Institute for Global Challenges and the Law interviewing Professor Claudia Martin (American Univ. Washington College of Law) about her work founding and co-leading the GQUAL Campaign for gender parity in international law tribunals, courts, agencies and monitoring bodies.Topics covered include GQUAL’s origin and recent achievements, including a forthcoming Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women/CEDAW General Comment, and strategies for building an inclusive transnational mobilization to change international institutions. Listeners will be inspired by Professor Martin’s journey in academia and activism, and her work changing the picture of women’s representation at the table applying, interpreting, and creating international law.For a transcript of this episode, please visit the episode page on Berkeley Law website.

Second in a four-part series of special Borderlines episodes with UC Berkeley Law guest hosts Professor Roxanna Altholz and Professor Laurel E. Fletcher shining a spotlight on human rights champions—all guest speakers in their Human Rights Practice Workshop course, where leading practitioners working in a variety of institutional settings speak about their struggles against corruption and impunity, the relationship between legal and social justice, and the future of human rights movements. Episode 18 of Borderlines features guest host Professor Roxanna Altholz, Co-Director of Berkeley Law’s Clinical Program and its International Human Rights Law Clinic, in discussion with Natali Segovia, Quechua, Legal Director, Water Protector Legal Collective and international human rights lawyer with extensive experience in criminal defense work and Federal Indian Law. Ms. Segovia shares the story about the Water Protector Legal Collective, a legal nonprofit, grew out of the No Dakota Access Pipeline resistance at Standing Rock and works to provide legal support and advocacy for Indigenous peoples and climate justice movements. Listeners will be enriched by powerful first-hand accounts of struggles to stop destruction of the environment and defend the rights of Native people affected by forced displacement, desecration of sacred lands, and human rights violations. Issues covered include leveraging of the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples with the US framework; SLAPP suits and the criminalization of protest; and protecting cultural and tribal sovereignty against encroachment. For a transcript, please visit the episode page on the Berkeley Law podcast hub.

First in a four-part series of special Borderlines episodes with UC Berkeley Law guest hosts Professor Roxanna Altholz and Professor Laurel E. Fletcher shining a spotlight on human rights champions—all guest speakers in their Human Rights Practice Workshop course, where leading practitioners working in a variety of institutional settings share their struggles against corruption and impunity, the relationship between legal and social justice, and the future of the human rights movement. Don’t miss an episode – subscribe to Borderlines today!Episode 17 of Borderlines spotlights guest host Professor Roxanna Altholz, Co-Director of both Berkeley Law’s Clinical Program and its International Human Rights Law Clinic, in discussion with Paul Goodwin (’13) about his work with the United Nations Development Programme. The UNDP serves as the UN’s global development network dedicated to advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience, and resources. Mr. Goodwin works as a legal and policy analyst with the Social and Environmental Compliance Unit (SECU), the UNDP’s independent accountability mechanism tasked with ensuring the proper implementation and adherence to the UNDP’s Social and Environmental Standards. Listeners will come away educated about the role of UN-created international accountability mechanisms – their promise as well as limitations in halting corporate human rights abuses.Borderlines from Berkeley Law is a podcast about global problems in a world fragmented by national borders. Our host is Katerina Linos, Tragen Professor of International Law and co-director of the Miller Institute for Global Challenges and the Law. In each episode of Borderlines, Professor Linos invites experts to discuss cutting edge issues in international law.For a transcript, please visit the episode page on the Berkeley Law podcast hub. 

Episode 16 of Borderlines features eminent jurist Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Thomas von Danwitz, Judge and former president of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg. Judge von Danwitz discusses the impact and import of the European Union Court of Justice (CJEU) 70 years after its inception in the aftermath of World War II as “a community of law instead of a primacy of politics.” In conversation with Professor Katerina Linos, they recount the ECJ’s vital function in shaping the evolving legal framework for key economic, social, and political developments in Europe and beyond, including its strong influence on supreme and constitutional courts across the globe. Listeners will learn key differences between EU and US court decisions, and hear about the ECJ’s recent rulings regulating the technology industry, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – the toughest privacy and security law in the world – as well discussion on crucial issues like climate change, gender equality, and how the court is responding to threats to the European integration project. Made a French Republic Knight of the National Order of Merit in 2002, von Danwitz has held several visiting professorships. He also served as dean of the Faculty of Law at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany and was a professor of German public law and European law at the University of Cologne, where he directed the Institute of Public Law and Administrative Science. At UC Berkeley Law School to give the 2023 Tragen Lecture in Comparative Law, Judge von Danwitz brings to life the European Court of Justice’s historic and hopeful role in navigating the fundamental human rights, international trade, and environmental challenges of today. Check back soon for a link to the Berkeley Journal of International Law’s forthcoming published article, “The Role of the Court of Justice in the Course of European Integration.” Learn more about the inimitable Mr. Irving Tragen in Episode #9 of Borderlines. For a transcript, please visit the episode page on the Berkeley Law podcast hub.

Episode 15 of Borderlines showcases leading international law and international relations educators discussing their new book, IOM Unbound?: Obligations and Accountability of the International Organization for Migration in an Era of Expansion. Host Katerina Linos interviews the volume’s editors, Megan Bradley (McGill), Cathryn Costello (Hertie School and Oxford), and Angela Sherwood (Queen Mary) about the IOM’s activities and influence, unearthing key insights from this ground-breaking title in the field. The IOM’s role in migration crises from Haiti to Libya is discussed, and current efforts to address global humanitarian emergencies, internal displacement, data collection, accountability, and controversial detention practices are analyzed. Listeners will come away with vital new information about this powerful yet under-researched organization, including the IOM’s relationship to the United Nations, its history and involvement in moving white Europeans to apartheid South Africa, and highlights from expert author contributions on climate change and displacement, ethical labor recruitment, and the fundamental human rights of migrants and refugees. Support for the book also comes from the RefMig project, under the direction of Professor Costello, which is a collaborative project based at the Centre for Fundamental Rights at the Hertie School in Berlin and the Refugee Studies Centre (RSC), Oxford Department for International Development, University of Oxford. The project is a Horizon 2020 award funded by the European Research Council and runs between January 2018 to December 2023 (grant number 716968).For a transcript, please visit the episode page on the Berkeley Law podcast hub.

Diverse international organizations play an increasingly important role on the modern world stage, helping maintain global peace, protecting human rights and displaced persons, and regulating economic cooperation. How have attempts to build more nimble alternatives to slow-moving bureaucratic bodies fared in the 21st century? Join leading thinkers and coauthors Professor Kristina Daugirdas (Michigan) and host Professor Katerina Linos as they deliver a mini-Master Class on the features, forms, and futures of international organizations. Discover common problem-solving features and functions among intergovernmental entities, and explore how multilateral environmental treaties have adapted to changing conditions and scientific knowledge in the absence of a formal effective organization on climate change. From the World Health Organization to regional non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Episode #14 of Borderlines helps listeners understand how international organizations and transnational networks develop and shape government conduct as well as impact non-State actors.For a transcript, please visit the episode page on the Berkeley Law podcast hub.

Episode #13 of Borderlines features distinguished international economic law scholar Paul B. Stephan discussing his new book, The World Crisis and International Law: The Knowledge Economy and the Battle for the Future. Professor Stephan (Virginia) joins host Professor Katerina Linos (Berkeley) for a fascinating look at how the limits of international law are tested and found wanting in the era of globalization. The development of the tech economy in the 1990s changed historic international institutions, creating fissures between nations that demand new forms of international cooperation in the face of global crises. Don’t miss these renowned experts as they examine Putin’s misjudgment of response to Ukraine one year after the invasion, and reveal that both the Trump and Biden administrations are more protectionist and populist then their predecessors. From free trade to open borders, listeners will come away with a new perspective on the Information Age and what the future may hold for economic liberalism and the rule of law. For a transcript, please visit the episode page on the Berkeley Law podcast hub.

Ralph Bunche’s monumental impact as a ground-breaking scholar, diplomat, Nobel Peace Prize winner, civil rights advocate and world influencer receives a thrilling spotlight in Episode #12 of Borderlines. UCLA Professor Kal Raustiala shares stories and highlights from his recent book, The Absolutely Indispensable Man: Ralph Bunche, the United Nations and the Fight to End Empire, tracing the fascinating life of one of the twentieth century’s most prominent Black Americans. Discover hidden history about Bunche’s pivotal role in international decolonization efforts and learn why his leadership and inspiring ideas still reverberate today.Borderlines listeners who preorder the book from Oxford University Press by December 1, 2022 can receive a 30% discount when using code AAFLYG6 at their website.For a transcript, please visit the episode page on the Berkeley Law podcast hub.

How can Western democracies defend themselves against the weaponization of social media by authoritarian states? Episode #11 of Borderlines welcomes Santa Clara Law Professor David Sloss, author of Tyrants on Twitter, a new book examining Russia and China’s manipulation of digital platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram to wage information warfare. His analysis includes innovative proposals for transnational cooperation to counter this modern threat while still protecting privacy and free speech rights. Listeners will take away fresh ideas about combatting foreign influence operations in the U.S. and Europe, and regulating the internet in the age of disinformation.For a transcript, please visit the episode page on the Berkeley Law podcast hub.