International lawyers organization based at Case nominated for
Nobel Peace Prize
Case law professor Michael Scharf, co-founder
of organization, also nominated
February 2, 2005 | For more information: Jeff
Bendix (216)-368-6070
 The Public International Law & Policy Group (PILPG), which operates
in association with Case Western Reserve University School of Law, has
been nominated for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize.
According to the nomination letter, PILPG was nominated for “significantly
contributing to 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.” PILPG
was one of 100 organizations and individuals nominated for the 2005
Nobel Peace Prize The winner will be announced December 10, 2005.
PILPG co-founders and directors Michael Scharf and Paul Williams were
also nominated. Scharf is professor of law at the Case law school and
director of its Frederick K. Cox International Law Center and its War
Crimes Research Office. Williams is professor of law at American University
Washington College of Law.
Scharf, who is also PILPG managing director, said “I was stunned
when I heard the news. It seems surreal. But I guess if Doctors without
Borders could win the Nobel Prize in 1999, why not its legal counterpart,
PILPG?”
PILPG is a U.N.-designated Non-Governmental Organization (N.G.O.),
which operates in association with Case law school and American University,
with operations in London, Paris, Rome, Stockholm, The Hague and several
other cities across the globe. It has 60 affiliated lawyers most of
whom, like Scharf and Williams, are former foreign ministry or State
Department attorneys.
“In matters of public international law, most countries depend
on experienced foreign
ministry attorneys or high-priced foreign legal consultants, but developing
countries and countries emerging from civil war or transition to democracy
often can’t afford such specialized public international legal
expertise,” says Scharf. “Paul and I founded PILPG in 1995
to fill that gap, essentially transforming the State Department’s
Office of the Legal Adviser alumni association into the world’s
premier pro bono public international law firm.”
Since then, adds Williams, PILPG has provided legal assistance to a
dozen countries on the legal aspects of peace negotiations and constitution
drafting, and to 15 countries and international institutions concerning
the protection of human rights, self-determination, and the prosecution
of war crimes. PILPG’s nomination came with the support of a half-dozen
of its governmental clients.
In response to news of the nomination, Case President Edward M. Hundert
said, “We are thrilled that an N.G.O. affiliated with our law
school has been nominated for the most prestigious award in the world.
The group is performing a truly vital international service that has
an impact on all of us.”
Gerald Korngold, Case law school dean and McCurdy Professor of Law
added, “Our students have been in involved in many of the Public
International Law and Policy Group’s projects over the years,
giving them an opportunity to make a substantial contribution to the
cause of peace and justice throughout the world.”
PILPG has two main practice areas—the Peace Building Practice Group
directed by Williams at American University, and
the War Crimes Practice Group, directed by Scharf. Working in conjunction
with the War Crimes Research Office, the practice group provides research
assistance to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia,
the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the Special Court for
Sierra Leone, the Iraqi Special Tribunal, and the International Criminal
Court.
“PILPG is committed to the notion that if you wish for peace,
you must work for justice,” Scharf said. “No other institution
in the world has provided as much research assistance to as many international
criminal tribunals,” he added.
For more information about PILPG, please visit http://www.publicinternationallaw.org.
About Case Western Reserve University
Case is among the nation's leading research institutions. Founded in 1826
and shaped by the unique merger of the Case Institute of Technology and Western
Reserve University, Case is distinguished by its strengths in education, research,
service, and experiential learning. Located in Cleveland, Case offers nationally
recognized programs in the Arts and Sciences, Dental Medicine, Engineering,
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