WashU Law congratulates Professor Leila Sadat who was awarded the American Society of International Law’s 2025 Goler T. Butcher Medal! The award is given to a distinguished person of American or other nationality for outstanding contributions to the development or effective realization of international human rights law.
Professor Sadat was selected to receive this award because of her profound commitment to international justice, advancing and defending the rule of law, and shaping the future of human rights protection, as well as her leading role in the elaboration of a new global treaty on crimes against humanity. The American Society of International Law (ASIL) recognizes that Professor Sadat’s scholarship, advocacy, public service, leadership, and dedication to teaching younger generations has left a mark on the field of international criminal law, informing and inspiring a dynamic global movement for justice and accountability.
Professor Sadat is a renowned scholar in her field, and she is one of the world’s foremost authorities in the fields of public international law. She has served as Special Adviser on Crimes Against Humanity to the International Criminal Court Prosecutor from 2012-2023 and was recently appointed as a U.S. expert to the OSCE Moscow Mechanism. She was affiliated with Yale Law School as a senior research scholar and fellow of the Schell Center for Human Rights from 2021-2024.
ASIL is a learned society and educational membership organization founded with the mission to foster the study of international law and promote the establishment and maintenance of international relations on the basis of law and justice. ASIL confers two medals each year – the Manley O. Hudson Medal, and the Goler T. Butcher Medal, the recipients of which are selected by ASIL’s Executive Council on the recommendation of the Honors Committee, and the honors are presented each year at ASIL’s annual meeting.
The Goler T. Butcher Medal will be presented to Professor Sadat at ASIL’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C. on April 16-18, 2025. In addition to this award presentation, Professor Sadat has been invited to deliver a lecture.
Professor Sadat’s recognition demonstrates WashU Law’s commitment to international legal scholarship and research, and particular strength in global justice and human rights law. Please join WashU Law in congratulating Professor Sadat and read more about her scholarship here.
