Oona Hathaway

Oona Hathaway is a renowned American professor of international law, currently serving as the Gerard C. Smith Professor of International Law at Yale Law School. Her work focuses on the intersection of international law and national security, with a particular emphasis on the United Nations and its role in promoting global peace and security, as seen in the Geneva Conventions and the Hague Conventions. Hathaway's research has been influenced by prominent scholars such as Joseph Nye and Robert Keohane, and she has collaborated with institutions like the Brookings Institution and the Council on Foreign Relations. Her expertise has been sought by organizations like the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United States Department of State.

● Early Life and Education

Oona Hathaway was born in the United States and grew up in a family that valued international relations and global governance, with her parents having worked with organizations like the United Nations Development Programme and the World Health Organization. She pursued her undergraduate degree at Harvard University, where she was exposed to the works of prominent scholars like Henry Kissinger and Samuel Huntington. Hathaway then went on to earn her law degree from Northwestern University, with a focus on international law and human rights, inspired by the work of Amnesty International and the International Court of Justice. During her time at Northwestern University, she was influenced by professors like Eric Posner and Cass Sunstein, who have written extensively on international law and constitutional law for publications like the University of Chicago Law Review and the Harvard Law Review.

● Career

Hathaway began her career as a law clerk for Judge Patricia Wald on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, where she worked on cases involving national security and international law, including the USA PATRIOT Act and the Guantanamo Bay detention center. She then joined the faculty at Yale Law School, where she has taught courses on international law, national security law, and human rights law, using case studies like the Nuremberg Trials and the Tokyo Trials. Hathaway has also held visiting positions at institutions like the University of California, Berkeley and the London School of Economics, where she has collaborated with scholars like Anne-Marie Slaughter and Martti Koskenniemi on projects related to global governance and international institutions, such as the G20 and the World Trade Organization. Her work has been recognized by organizations like the American Society of International Law and the International Law Association.

● Research and Publications

Hathaway's research focuses on the intersection of international law and national security, with a particular emphasis on the role of international institutions in promoting global peace and security, as seen in the United Nations Security Council and the European Union. She has published numerous articles and book chapters on topics like the law of war, human rights law, and international criminal law, in publications like the American Journal of International Law and the European Journal of International Law. Hathaway has also written for popular outlets like the New York Times and the Washington Post, on issues like the War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War, and has been cited by scholars like John Yoo and Harold Koh in their work on national security law and international law. Her book, The Internationalists: How a Radical Plan to Outlaw War Remade the World, co-authored with Scott Shapiro, explores the history of international law and its impact on global relations, from the Treaty of Versailles to the United Nations Charter.

● Awards and Honors

Hathaway has received numerous awards and honors for her contributions to the field of international law, including the American Society of International Law's Deák Prize and the Yale Law School's Lipkin Prize. She has also been recognized by organizations like the National Security Agency and the Department of Defense for her work on national security law and international law, and has received funding from institutions like the National Science Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York for her research on global governance and international institutions. Hathaway has been elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Council on Foreign Relations, and has served on the board of directors for organizations like the International Rescue Committee and the Human Rights Watch.

● Public Service and Advocacy

Hathaway has been an active advocate for human rights and international law, working with organizations like Amnesty International and the International Committee of the Red Cross to promote global justice and accountability, as seen in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the Convention Against Torture. She has also served as a consultant to governments and international institutions, including the United States Department of State and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, on issues like the Arab Spring and the European migrant crisis. Hathaway has been a vocal critic of torture and human rights abuses, and has worked to promote greater transparency and accountability in national security and international law, as seen in the USA Freedom Act and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Her work has been recognized by scholars like Samantha Power and Michael Ignatieff for its impact on human rights law and international relations.