Advocacy for the ICC in the
US and US Lawyers at the Court
At the International Criminal Court, there are
656 lawyers enrolled to practice. Of them, 58 are American lawyers. At AMICC, we researched each individual
American lawyer to determine if these attorneys could, individually or
collectively, contribute to our advocacy. Although we could not find extensive
information on every individual, we have analyzed all available information on
each American attorney we could locate. An overwhelming majority of the 58
American attorneys are experts in criminal defense law and procedure. These
attorneys have been involved with criminal defense and civil litigation, and
are specialists in these fields. However, although they specialize in criminal
defense, their expertise extends to other subjects.
From AMICC’s research, we have determined
that a majority of the 58 attorneys work in private practice. We discovered
only a small number of attorneys who work in major law firms. Of those
attorneys who do work in such firms, we identified a few senior lawyers and
partners in them. After researching each attorney and his or her type of
practice, AMICC has identified 38 criminal defense firms with American lawyers
enrolled at the ICC.
The number of American lawyers enrolled
to practice at the ICC is a meaningful figure. Although the United States has
still not ratified the Rome Statute, there is a significant number of American
attorneys who have wanted to be enrolled at the Court. While an attorney’s
precise reasons for enrolling at the Court are not clear, it is apparent that they
relate to his or her preliminary practice of criminal defense law.
Although each attorney’s reason to enroll
at the Court may vary, we believe these attorneys have good reasons to advocate
for the Court in the US to achieve a growing and more extensive relationship
with the ICC. Furthermore, AMICC believes it is possible to bring these 58
American attorneys together to promote the ICC in the United States because
each lawyer made the decision to enroll at the International Criminal Court. We
will try to do this both creating an informal group and by approaching the
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL). We will begin the
approach by consulting with enrolled attorneys who are also NACDL members.
Written by Julia Keenan
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