A judge on the International Court of Justice will return to The George Washington University Law School this fall. Judge Thomas Buergenthal will resume his tenure as Lobingier Professor of Comparative Law and Jurisprudence and teach international law.

Judge Buergenthal recently announced his retirement from the international court effective September 2010, after serving as the American Judge since 2000.

Dean Frederick Lawrence said he is excited for Judge Buergenthal’s return.

“Judge Buergenthal is respected the world over as an advocate for peace and justice, and we are exceedingly grateful that he is returning to GW Law to help shape future generations of legal practitioners on the global stage,” Dean Lawrence said.

“We could not ask for a better role model for the importance of international legal education and academic collaboration than Judge Buergenthal,” Dean Lawrence continued.

The George Washington University Law School announced Judge Buergenthal’s return at a symposium held at The Peace Palace in The Hague, home to the international court, called Preparing the Next Generation of International Lawyers: The Role of Legal Education.

“It is important for educators and scholars to discuss the current state of international legal education and its future, and today’s discussion at the Peace Palace underscores the importance of international and comparative law,” said Judge Buergenthal. “GW Law’s presence here today shows that it is a leader in the field, and I am pleased to return to the Law School and the classroom this fall.”

Along with the symposium, there was an evening reception honoring the life and work of Judge Buergenthal. Both events are part of a weeklong series hosted by George Washington Law in The Hague and Paris to bring together leaders in the field of international law. The events reflect not only the Law School’s commitment to shaping the future of international legal teaching and practice, but exemplify the University’s global presence.

A child of the Holocaust who became a world leader in the pursuit of justice, Judge Buergenthal co-authored the first international human rights law textbook in the United States. He also recently published A Lucky Child: A Memoir of Surviving Auschwitz as a Young Boy.

As judge and president of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, he helped end the practice of disappearances in Honduras and helped secure the government of Guatemala’s compliance with a Court order ending executions of human rights activists by special tribunals.

In 2008, he was the co-recipient of the 2008 Gruber Prize for Justice for his contributions to the promotion and protection of human rights. Upon receiving the award, he established a scholarship fund to support law students. Prior to announcing his return to GW Law, Judge Buergenthal served for several years as an emeritus faculty member of the school.