Clint Williamson, former US Ambassador for War Crimes Issues, joins ASU

TEMPE, Ariz., Oct. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Clint Williamson, who most recently served as a special prosecutor for the European Union, will be a Professor of Practice at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. Williamson, an international law expert, will also serve as Senior Director for Law and National Security at the McCain Institute for International Leadership at ASU.

"I am delighted to be joining ASU and to be a part of what I believe is an exciting time in the life of the university and, particularly, of the law school," Williamson said.

Williamson will be part of an international law program at the College of Law, which last year was ranked No. 18 in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

"We are thrilled to have Clint joining our faculty at the law school," said College of Law Dean Douglas Sylvester. "Clint brings unsurpassed expertise and experience in the field and he will bring a valuable academic perspective for our students."

In 2011, Williamson was appointed to serve as the European Union's special prosecutor, examining allegations of war crimes in Kosovo. Previously, Williamson was the U.S. Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues. Williamson also served as special expert to the Secretary-General of the United Nations at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. The tribunal was charged with prosecuting senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge and others responsible for mass crimes committed in Cambodia during the 1970s.

"Clint is a world-renowned expert on war crimes investigations, and has vast experience at the crossroads where law and national security meet," said Kurt Volker, executive director of the McCain Institute. "I am confident he is going to make a significant contribution to the Institute's projects in the national security area."

Earlier in his career, Williamson served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice's Organized Crime Section and as an assistant district attorney in New Orleans, Louisiana. He holds a bachelor's degree from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston (Louisiana) and a law degree from Tulane University Law School in New Orleans.

About the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
Arizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law is one of the leading public law schools in the country. Currently ranked No. 31 nationally by U.S. News & World Report, the College has moved up further and faster in national rankings than nearly any other law school. The College is the preeminent law school in metropolitan Phoenix, the nation's sixth-largest city. In addition to its renowned faculty, the College is home to several leading centers and programs recognized for excellence, including the Center for Law, Science & Innovation, the Center for Law and Global Affairs and the Indian Legal Program. Its students choose and benefit from numerous opportunities for experiential and practical-skills training as well as an array of theoretical courses. With a writing program that is ranked No. 8 nationally by U.S. News, a wide range of clinical opportunities, a breadth of externship offerings, and a pro bono program that annually contributes more than 100,000 hours of legal and law-related services to the community, the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law is pursuing a path of boundless impact, excellence, engagement and opportunity. For more information, visit law.asu.edu.

About the McCain Institute

Located in Washington, DC, with a strong footprint in Arizona, the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University (ASU) is a non-partisan do-tank dedicated to advancing character-driven leadership based on security, economic opportunity, and human freedom and democracy in the United States and around the world. The Institute seeks to promote leadership and decision-making in the best American tradition of open inquiry, spirited debate, and practical action, and to embrace technology in producing better designs for better decisions in national and international policy. For more information about the McCain Institute for International Leadership, please visit: http://www.mccaininstitute.org.

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SOURCE The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University