Update on the Master’s, a joint Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree offered by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Law Faculty of Sigmund Freud Private University Vienna

I am pleased to provide an update that I have completed eleven of the fourteen courses in the master’s in public international law, a joint Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree offered by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Law Faculty of Sigmund Freud Private University Vienna. I am grateful for the outstanding faculty, the opportunities provided through UNITAR, and the journey through the program with my colleagues from around the world. I highly recommend the course of study. The one-year program combines the academic strength of Sigmund Freud University Vienna with the practical focus of UNITAR, providing students with a deep understanding of international law, and direct insights into the activities of the United Nations and other international organizations. Before I describe the program further, it is helpful to explain how I arrived at this program.

My interest in public international law was sparked by working as a research assistant for Professor David D. Caron at Berkeley, during which I authored a paper on the Antarctic Treaty System. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to serve as an Internet domain name arbitrator for WIPO, intern with the United States Trade Representative, practice private law at a large law firm and in my own practice, intern with the Institución Nacional de Derechos Humanos y Defensoría del Pueblo (INDDHH) in Uruguay and twice attend the Hague Academy of International Law (with the two enrollments separated by over three decades). All of these experiences deepened my commitment to the field. My focus intensified around human rights issues, particularly the issue of what it means to be a citizen or national in the modern world, international mobility, statelessness and migration.

My journey into law began at the University of California, Berkeley, where I earned my law degree and focused on public international law. There, I first became fascinated by the intersection of law, social justice, and public policy. This passion led me to Harvard Divinity School, where I earned my Master of Theological Studies. My research at Harvard explored the impact of amicus briefs submitted by religious organizations on United States Supreme Court decisions regarding moral issues. Theological study complemented my legal education, underscoring my enduring commitment to justice from both philosophical and legal perspectives. My return to human rights was prompted by research into the fascinating administrative and constitutional issues surrounding nationality in Uruguay and its impact on statelessness.

Participation in this specialized European LL.M. program has significantly expanded my grasp of international legal frameworks and provided practical skills to navigate complex transnational issues effectively. Modules such as International Criminal Law, International Human Rights Law, and the Use of Force have given me a comprehensive view of global legal dynamics. Hands-on experiences at the Vienna International Center and interactions with UN experts have been invaluable, while guidance from esteemed professors further enriched my academic growth.

Notably, Dr. Otto Pfersmann, a leading scholar in legal theory and comparative constitutional law from the Panthéon-Sorbonne University, sharpened participants' legal argumentation, logic, and problem-solving skills. His extensive research on normative systems profoundly impacted my analytical approach. Professor Dr. Wolfgang Benedek provided practical perspectives grounded in extensive fieldwork, including OSCE missions in Ukraine and Belarus. His experiences in international human rights law and involvement with the European Training and Research Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (ETC Graz) offered invaluable real-world insights. Ambassador Bernardino Regazzoni, drawing from his tenure as Switzerland's Ambassador to France, guided critical debates on contemporary diplomatic issues, enriching discussions with his direct diplomatic experience.

Dr. Jane Hofbauer critically analyzed Europe's role within public international law, examining regional identities and ideological influences on international legal systems. Dr. Konrad Lachmayer, Vice Dean for Research, utilized a comparative legal methodology, offering varied case studies and perspectives to deepen our understanding of comparative constitutional developments. Werner Druml, leveraging his experience with the Austrian Ministry for European and International Affairs, clarified international organizations' inner workings and complexities.

Velina Chakarova, Director of the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy, introduced robust theoretical frameworks in International Relations, bringing clarity and dynamism to discussions on realism, liberalism, and constructivism. Elisabeth Hoffberger-Pippan enriched our understanding of International Humanitarian Law, addressing contemporary issues like autonomous weapon systems and humanitarian access in armed conflicts, drawing upon her scholarly work on emerging military technologies.

My specific interests within international law are human rights, nationality, citizenship, and migration. My Master's Thesis at Sigmund Freud University proposes a comparative analysis of the Inter-American and European human rights systems regarding nationality, focusing on the recent Resolution 2/23 of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), which establishes a mandatory right for long-term residents to naturalize, and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) jurisprudence, which approaches nationality through the right to identity and private life under Article 8 of the European Convention. The thesis seeks to explore the evolving concept of nationality in international law, including its classical roots in state sovereignty and the Nottebohm case, the statelessness conventions, and the broader interpretations of nationality rights in both systems, emphasizing the innovative "right to naturalization" in the Inter-American System versus the more constrained approach of the European framework. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Konrad Lachmayer for supervising this dissertation research.

While I am in the middle of writing my Master’s Thesis, I am also currently developing a Ph.D. thesis examining the emerging global landscape where human rights protections for migrants risk regression amid growing movements towards closed borders, rejection of migrants, and restrictions on asylum. If the post-World War II human rights systems are in retreat, we must analyze how national and regional authorities respond to migration crises, particularly those driven by environmental change, and develop new frameworks for examining human rights, might be, and develop ways to analyze human rights in a new international order.

My extensive legal practice, diverse academic background, and integrated philosophical and legal approach—combined with my technological proficiency and insights into artificial intelligence—uniquely position me within the field of international law.

I encourage others interested in an immersive one-year European LL.M. program with direct engagement with the UN system to explore this exceptional opportunity. I welcome any inquiries about the program and look forward to sharing my research on master's and Ph.D. thesis proposals. Through mutual exchange and intellectual challenge, we grow stronger and more insightful in our research.

Many thanks to Julian Caletti at UNITAR, who inspires so many, and to Dr. Henrikka Hannula for her tireless direction.