The Center for Human Rights and Global Justice (CHRGJ) is pleased to name Anika Ades and Deirdre Dlugoleski as the winners of this year’s Global Justice Emerging Scholar Essay Prize. Anika and Deirdre receive this award for outstanding research and scholarship on papers submitted to the Center’s Sixteenth Annual International Law and Human Rights Emerging Scholarship Conference, held April 8–9, 2019 at NYU School of Law.

Anika Ades’s paper, “Remorse, Rehabilitation, and Release: A Case Study of Early Release Procedures at the Ad Hoc Tribunals,” discusses the tensions between victims’ rights and the early release of individuals convicted of grave human rights violations by international criminal tribunals. Anika explores the practice through a close examination of the UN Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals, and suggests concrete ways in which early release procedures may be improved with an eye toward serving the interests of justice for victims. Anika is a 2018-19 International Law and Human Rights Fellow and a rising 3L at NYU Law.

Deirdre Dlugoleski’s paper, “The Future of India’s Forest Rights Act: Environmental Protection, Identity Politics, and the Role of the Supreme Court,” provides an in-depth look at the history and implementation of the Forest Rights Act in India, the land tenure claims of forest dwellers and the role of the Indian Supreme Court in protecting the human rights of forest-dependent indigenous communities. The paper strives to draw broader lessons for advocates in other countries seeking to pursue a  rights-based approach to addressing climate change, in a manner that balances sustainable forest policy with land tenure security. Deirdre is currently a student advocate in the Global Justice Clinic, was a 2017-18 International Law and Human Rights Fellow and will graduate from NYU Law’s JD program this May.

CHRGJ commends both Anika and Deirdre for their rigorous scholarship. The award, inaugurated by CHRGJ in 2013, is based on quality of writing; clarity of argument; originality or creativity of topic; depth of research conducted; and engagement with human rights scholarship and/or jurisprudence.

CHRGJ congratulates all of the JD and LLM student scholars who participated in this year’s conference. Their excellent papers and presentations generated a dynamic and constructive discussion and drew commendation from faculty members and external commentators alike.  The Center looks forward to the 2020 Emerging Human Rights Scholarship Conference and encourages all NYU law students to submit their work for consideration.

About the Conference

The International Law and Human Rights Emerging Scholarship Conference is co-hosted by CHRGJ and the Institute for International Law and Justice (IILJ). For fifteen years, the conference has provided a unique opportunity for NYU School of Law JD, LLM, and JSD students to receive substantive feedback on their human rights scholarship from NYU Law faculty, visiting scholars, and external experts in the field.