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AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURIST
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 136260189 · Form 990EZ · FY2023 · NTEE Q700 · International Affairs · Micro (<$100K) · aaicj.org
revenue
$25K
expenses
$96K
net assets
$8K
employees
—
mission · from form 990

WE BUILT FROM A BASE OF LITIGATORS, JUDGES, AND LEGAL SCHOLARS WORKING IN SUPPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURISTS IN GENEVA. FOUNDED IN 1967, WE BELIEVE ATTORNEYS HAVE A UNIQUE IMPERATIVE TO EXPAND THE GLOBAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE RULE OF LAW CAN, AND SHOULD, MEAN. BY EVOLVING HOW WE THINK ABOUT LAWYERING, WE ARE FORGING NEW PATHWAYS TO SUPPORT ESSENTIAL AND EXCEPTIONAL MEMBERS OF THE JUSTICE PROFESSION, TO HELP BUILD A WORLD WHERE EVERYONE IS TRULY EQUAL UNDER THE LAW.

profile · synthesized from sources

Nonprofit legal association advancing the rule of law and human rights globally and in the United States. Founded in 1967, it supports at-risk lawyers and judges worldwide and promotes justiciability of human rights norms domestically. Works through advocacy, research, and collaboration with the International Commission of Jurists in Geneva.

named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Amicus Briefs
Files amicus curiae briefs in key U.S. federal cases to advocate for the application of international law and human rights standards in domestic courts
Colloquium on the Role of Human Rights in Foreign Policy
Annual meeting from 1977 to 2020 that brought together human rights officials from foreign ministries to exchange best practices and strategies for advancing human rights norms in government policy
Protection of Judges and Lawyers Initiative
New initiative to track and map attacks on legal professionals globally, forming a collaborative data-driven effort with other organizations to strengthen advocacy and protection efforts
Regional and Thematic Research Reports
Produces in-depth reports on human rights and rule of law issues in countries including South Africa, Colombia, Guatemala, and Hungary, and on themes such as universal jurisdiction and military commissions
activities · 9 groups

What they do

  • Human Rights Advocacy & Accountability 2 activities
    • Advocating for U.S. ratification and implementation of international human rights treaties
      Engages in policy advocacy for U.S. Congressional ratification of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and testified in support of creating a State Department Human Rights Division.
    • Advocating for human rights and democratic governance globally
      Conducts advocacy to defend democracy and combat authoritarianism, including leading human rights missions to assess rule of law conditions in countries such as Turkey, Hong Kong, Mexico, Malaysia, Kenya, Romania, and China.
  • Leadership & Policy Dialogue Forums 1 activity
    • Convening government human rights officials for strategy development
      Hosts annual two-day meetings with government human rights officials to exchange best practices and develop coordinated strategies on emerging human rights issues.
  • Criminal Justice Policy Advocacy 1 activity
    • Monitoring and promoting right to counsel under Gideon v. Wainwright
      Tracks and advocates for the effective implementation of the constitutional right to counsel in the U.S. criminal justice system as established in Gideon v. Wainwright.
  • Urban Policy and Equity Research 1 activity
    • Producing research on civil justice disparities in the U.S.
      Conducts research on inequality in access to civil justice in the United States, including producing an executive summary of the forthcoming report "Unequal Inequality, The Role of Race and Income in the U.S. Civil Justice Crisis."
  • Pro Bono Legal Representation and Support 1 activity
    • Providing pro bono legal consultation for national human rights legislation
      Delivers pro bono legal services to support the drafting of national legislation that codifies human rights, such as providing consultation to Hungarian jurists on constitutional reform.
  • Tenant Legal Advocacy & Support Services 1 activity
    • Providing volunteer legal services in housing and eviction prevention
      Offers direct legal assistance through volunteer attorneys in housing law matters, specifically focused on eviction prevention.
  • Conflict and Geopolitical Research Analysis 1 activity
    • Publishing multilingual reports on human rights conditions in conflict-affected regions
      Researches and publishes reports on human rights situations in conflict zones, including violence in Colombia (in Spanish), emergency law in El Salvador (multilingual), and political transition in Guatemala (in both Spanish and English).
  • Legal Professional Development & Networking 1 activity
    • Supporting the International Commission of Jurists through legal network
      Provides capacity-building support to the International Commission of Jurists in Geneva by leveraging a network of litigators, judges, and legal scholars to strengthen global rule of law institutions.
  • Uncategorized 8 activities
    • Co-drafting and promoting universal jurisdiction standards
      Co-sponsored the drafting and dissemination of the Princeton Principles on Universal Jurisdiction, establishing legal standards for prosecuting serious international crimes regardless of location.
    • Conducting international fact-finding missions on human rights and rule of law
      Carries out investigative missions in countries including Palau, South Korea, Ethiopia, South Africa, Iran, Colombia, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Mexico to assess human rights protections, electoral integrity, and rule of law challenges.
    • Critiquing erosion of civil liberties in U.S. counterterrorism policies
      Monitors and critiques expansions of executive power and violations of habeas corpus during the U.S. War on Terror, including legal analysis of the Military Commissions Act of 2006.
    • Developing legal and policy frameworks linking international and domestic law
      Creates legal arguments that connect international human rights standards to domestic civil justice issues, particularly around equal rights and due process protections.
    • Documenting major international legal developments
      Authored and published reports documenting pivotal international legal events, including the 1998 Rome Conference that established the International Criminal Court and the Princeton Principles on Universal Jurisdiction.
    • Filing amicus briefs to advance international human rights law in U.S. courts
      Files amicus curiae briefs in key federal cases to advocate for the application of international law standards, including in Guantánamo Bay detainee cases and Presbyterian Church of Sudan v. Talisman Energy, Inc.
    • Organizing annual colloquium on human rights in foreign policy
      Convened an annual colloquium from 1977 to 2013 focused on advancing the role of human rights in foreign policy, including recent meetings attended by over 90 participants at the New York City Bar Association.
    • Publishing research reports on democratic transitions and constitutional reforms
      Produces and disseminates detailed research reports on political transitions and legal reforms, including publications on South Africa’s democratic dawn, Hungarian constitutional reform (translated into Hungarian), and Mexico’s 1997 elections.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$25K
Contributions & grants$25K100%
Program service revenue——
Investment income$60%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$96K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$75K
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$8K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$8K
2 years on record · 2020–2023 · YoY revenue +10860.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
VALERIE DOESCHER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $75K
board members · 6
  • CLARE O'BRIEN — DIRECTOR
  • JAMES CARTER — DIRECTOR
  • JOHN KENNEY — DIRECTOR
  • MALLORY BRENNON — DIRECTOR
  • MARY MCGOWAN DAVIS — DIRECTOR
  • STEPHEN A OXMAN — DIRECTOR
relationships · 31

Who they work with

  • Association of the Bar of the City of New York Partner — Ms. Wickeri has worked closely with the organization for over a decade, serving as chair of the International Human Rights Committee and as a member of the Council on International Affairs
  • Coalition for the International Criminal Court Partner — Valerie Doescher worked in various capacities at the Coalition for the International Criminal Court, indicating an organizational affiliation or partnership.
  • Columbia Law School Partner — Currently teaching at Columbia Law School
  • Comisión Andina de Juristas Partner — Collaborated on the publication of the report "Violencia en Colombia."
  • Committee to Support Chinese Lawyers Partner — Ms. Wickeri serves as Executive Director
  • Committee to Support Chinese Lawyers Partner — Vice Chair of the Committee to Support Chinese Lawyers
  • Council on Foreign Relations Network — Member of the Council on Foreign Relations
  • Fordham Law’s Center for Race, Law and Justice Partner — Represented by its Executive Director, Zenande Booi, who participated as a speaker in the AAICJ Colloquium.
  • Fordham University Law School Partner — Founder and Co-Director of the Leitner Center for International Law and Justice at Fordham University Law School
  • Fordham University School of Law Partner — Collaborates with legal scholars and academic institutions on human rights issues
  • Fox Horan & Camerini LLP Partner — Law firm founded by Donald T. Fox, with which AAICJ is associated through shared pro bono human rights initiatives.
  • Human Rights in China Partner — Ms. Wickeri previously served as program director
  • Hungarian Bar Association Partner — Co-hosted a joint conference leading to a report on Hungarian constitutional reform.
  • International Commission of Jurists Network — AAICJ collaborates with the ICJ, as evidenced by the participation of ICJ Legal and Policy Director Ian Seiderman in the Colloquium.
  • International Commission of Jurists Network — Collaborates with or is affiliated with the International Commission of Jurists.
  • International Commission of Jurists Network — Longstanding collaborative relationship evidenced by joint reports and shared initiatives.
  • International Commission of Jurists Partner — Collaborates on advancing human rights and the Rule of Law, including joint fact-finding missions and shared strategic objectives
  • International Commission of Jurists Partner — Collaborates with the International Commission of Jurists in Geneva to support the rule of law.
  • Leitner Center for International Law and Justice Partner — Elisabeth Wickeri is the Executive Director and teaches as an adjunct professor
  • Netherlands Institute of Human Rights Partner — Cooperated in the production of the Princeton Principles on Universal Jurisdiction.
  • New York City Bar Association Partner — Founded the City Bar Task Force for the Independence of Lawyers and Judges and served as Chair of the Council on International Affairs
  • New York City Bar Association Partner — Hosted the AAICJ Colloquium meeting.
  • Princeton School of Public and International Affairs Partner — Currently teaching at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs
  • Princeton University Partner — Collaborated on the development of the Princeton Principles on Universal Jurisdiction through its Program in Law and Public Affairs and the Woodrow Wilson School.
  • Princeton University Partner — Collaborated on the drafting and dissemination of the Princeton Principles on Universal Jurisdiction
  • Swiss Government Funder — Provided financial support for the annual Colloquium on human rights in foreign policy.
  • University of Cincinnati Law School Partner — Institutional home of the Urban Morgan Institute, which collaborated with AAICJ on the Colloquium.
  • Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights Partner — Collaborated with AAICJ on organizing and supporting the annual Colloquium, including staff and student involvement.
  • Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights at the University of Cincinnati Partner — Collaborates with legal scholars and academic institutions on human rights issues
  • Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights, University of Cincinnati Partner — Jointly produced the Princeton Principles on Universal Jurisdiction.
+ 1 more
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Inclusive and Confidential Multistakeholder Dialogue for Policy Influence
    methodology: inclusive_multistakeholder_dialogue
    By convening diverse stakeholders under conditions of confidentiality and limited attribution, the organization fosters honest dialogue among government officials and legal experts, which leads to more effective rule of law reforms because it reduces political posturing and encourages candid exchange.
  • Legal Empowerment and Access to Justice Reform
    methodology: legal_empowerment
    By expanding legal empowerment initiatives and advocating for the appointment of counsel in civil cases, the organization reduces inequality and injustice because meaningful access to legal representation enables marginalized populations to assert their rights and participate equally in the justice system.
  • Pro Bono Advocacy and Collaborative Research as Leverage for Systemic Change
    methodology: pro-bono-legal-advocacy
    By deploying pro bono legal advocacy and engaging in collaborative legal research with academic and international partners, the organization advances systemic legal reform because these methods generate authoritative analysis and scalable solutions that influence policy and practice.
  • Protecting Legal Professionals to Sustain Justice Institutions
    methodology: support-for-at-risk-lawyers
    By supporting at-risk lawyers and documenting attacks against legal professionals, the organization strengthens justice and human rights institutions because protecting those who uphold the law ensures continuity and resilience in the face of authoritarian threats.
  • Rule of Law Defense through International Human Rights Frameworks
    methodology: international_human_rights_framework
    By integrating international human rights standards with domestic rule of law principles, the organization strengthens legal systems and advances human rights because this alignment creates enforceable norms and improves accountability, particularly for low- and middle-income populations.