LETTER FROM THE MANAGING BOARD

Over the past decade, the Public International Law & Policy Group has emerged as a leading provider of pro bono public international legal services around the globe.

The vision of a global nonprofit organization that would provide legal services to states and government clients emerged in 1995. From 1996 until 1998, PILPG operated under the auspices of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. In July 1999, the United Nations granted PILPG official Non-Governmental Organization status. In January 2005, a half-dozen of our clients nominated PILPG for the Nobel Peace Prize for "significantly contributing the promotion of peace throughout the globe by providing crucial pro bono legal assistance to states and non-state entities involved in peace negotiations and in bringing war criminals to justice." Nobel recognition for PILPG attests to the effectiveness of the practical support that our clients have received over the past 10 years.

PILPG promotes the use of international law as an alternative to violent conflict or other destabilizing means for resolving international disputes. To accomplish this objective, we provide free legal counsel to states and governments during peace negotiations, advise on the creation and operation of tribunals for the prosecution of war crimes, and assist states with drafting post-conflict constitutions and implementing legislation. To prepare for this and other work, PILPG administers high-level negotiation simulations, publishes field reports concerning ongoing or potential conflicts, and convenes expert roundtables to identify points of conflict and potential solutions.

To provide pro bono legal advice and policy formulation expertise, PILPG draws on the volunteer services of more than sixty former legal advisors and former Foreign Service officers from the US Department of State and other foreign ministries. PILPG also benefits from pro bono assistance from major international law firms, including Baker & McKenzie; Covington & Burling; Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt, and Mosle; DLA Piper Rudnick Gray & Cary; Howrey; Milbank Tweed; Orrick, Herrington, & Sutcliffe; Shearman & Sterling; Skadden Arps; Steptoe & Johnson; Sullivan & Cromwell; Sutherland Asbill & Brennan; Vinson & Elkins; and Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr, as well as graduate international affairs and law students at American University and Case Western Reserve School of Law.

Frequently, PILPG sends members in-country to facilitate the provision of legal assistance. Our members often serve on clients’ delegations during peace negotiations, granting PILPG access to decision-makers at the highest levels of the governments involved. To facilitate this personal assistance, PILPG maintains points of contact in key cities around the globe.

By drawing on these volunteer resources, PILPG has developed a new model of operation as a network-based organization providing legal assistance to a large number of clients without a central physical infrastructure or any full-time paid staff. By minimizing overhead expenses, PILPG is able to maximize the impact of grant funds.

Our vision has become a reality with the assistance of our members that provide pro bono legal services our supporters, and our clients. To date, PILPG has advised more than two dozen states and governments on the legal aspects of peace negotiations and constitution drafting, and more than fifteen states in Europe, Asia, and Africa concerning the protection of human rights, self-determination, and the prosecution of war crimes.

We believe that there are alternatives to violence. These alternatives are not always simple or easy, but they exist. PILPG is committed to exploring the possibilities with its clients and sharing its wealth of specialized knowledge with others.

Sincerely,

Paul Williams, Ph.D.
Executive Director

James Hooper
Managing Director

Michael Scharf, Esq.
Managing Director