Former Ambassador Presents D’Alemberte & Palmer Lecture in International Human Rights

Press Date
March 8, 2024
Moot Court Final Four competition winners presenting awards

Ambassador David Scheffer presents to a packed room.

On Thursday, February 29, we hosted Ambassador David Scheffer, who presented “The Future of International Criminal Justice” for our 2024 D’Alemberte & Palmer Lecture in International Human Rights. Scheffer, who was the first U.S. ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues (1997-2001), examined the current performance of international criminal tribunals as well as the character of crimes being investigated and, when possible, prosecuted against perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression. Scheffer’s lecture focused on international criminal justice in the context of the Russia-Ukraine and the Israel–Hamas wars, and he also addressed gaps in international criminal justice, including in the United States. During the event, we recognized two outstanding FSU Law students—Robin Rodriguez received the 2024 Ellis medal for excellence in international human rights studies and activities, and Nicholas Lower received the 2024 D’Alemberte-Ellis Fellowship. You can read a university article about the lecture to learn more, and watch a recoding to see the full lecture.