Join us for the JILSA Annual Meeting and University of Hawai’i International Law Scholars Conference in beautiful Honolulu. This is the first ever JILSA event to bring together all JILSA members, past and present, for a reunion gathering. We warmly welcome all current JILSA members who are pre-market and tenure-track as well as JILSA alumni who are tenured and in their mid-career and beyond.
The conference will consist of two and a half days of scholarly workshops and career focused panels for international law scholars at all stages of their career – from pre-market to tenured and senior scholars and administrators. Details on the schedule are available at the draft program.
Registration
Registration is now closed for the JILSA Annual Meeting & University of Hawai’i International Law Scholars Conference. If you have questions about your registration or submission of your paper, please contact JILSA co-chairs Melissa Stewart and Cody Corliss.
Call for Papers
JILSA Annual Meeting
We will be hosting the JILSA Annual Meeting during the conference. As is tradition, this is a space to collaboratively and intimately work on developing works-in-progress in the field of international law, broadly defined. Papers are not presented by the authors, but rather a discussant who gives an overview of the paper and offers comments before opening it up for comments from the group. The annual meeting workshop is ideally suited for papers that will be submitted in the February 2026 cycle, but papers at any stage of development are welcome. Pre-market and pre-tenure scholars that wish to attend the conference must submit a paper for the JILSA Annual Meeting. The deadline for abstracts has been extended to October 19, 2025. Papers must be submitted no later than December 7, 2025.
All scholars whose papers have been selected have now been notified.
Junior International Law Scholars Association Jon Van Dyke Paper Award
JILSA members are also eligible for the Jon Van Dyke Paper Award that will be given to the best paper submitted for the Annual Meeting. Papers must be submitted by November 15, 2025. Additional details on the award are available at the link.
The award will be announced at the conference dinner on Monday January 5, 2026.
Half Baked Ideas
For the third and final half-day of the conference, we will be hosting a half-baked ideas workshop for all JILSA members and alumni. Paper ideas should be submitted by December 7, 2025.
Hotel Recommendations
Due to financial constraints, JILSA is unable to reserve blocks of rooms for conference attendees. Attendees are highly encouraged to make flight reservations and hotel accommodations well in advance of the conference. Please note that not all hotels in the Honolulu area offer refundable rates, so confirm before booking if you need flexibility.
There is one accommodation available on campus. Otherwise, closest area to the law school with hotels is in the Waikiki area. We’ve listed a few of our favorites, but feel free to scope out your own!
Lincoln Hall at the East-West Center: Lincoln Hall is on UH Campus and affiliated with the East-West Center. It is within walking distance of the law school. It provides comfortable, but no-frills, accommodations to visitors on our beautiful campus in Mānoa at rates from $113-161 per night. While there is no air conditioning in the rooms, temperatures that time of year are reliably in the 60s overnight with highs in the 70s during the day. In order to reserve a room, you must submit a Housing Visitor Request Form. On the form, select the Requestor Status “Affiliated with an educational institution” and provide the following number #163833. (no other verification is needed). Rooms are limited, so book soon.
Kaimana Beach Hotel: NEW with UH Discount Code (PRCUH)!
Nice hotel located 15 minutes from the law school on Kaimana Beach, a bit quieter than Waikiki. Location of our welcome night gathering and next door to the conference dinner. UH Discount rate for a Classic Queen is $202 + tax and up to 20% off all other room types and reduced resort fee.
Vive Hotel: Nice hotel not a far walk from Waikiki beach and about 15 minutes from the law school. Rates are around $160+ per night.
Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki: Nice hotel not a far walk from Waikiki beach and about 15 minutes from the law school. Rates are around $175+ per night.
Colony Surf: Next to Kaimana Beach Hotel that offers limited availability for vacation rentals. Rates are around $290+.
Moana Surfrider, Westin Resort & Spa: Very nice historic hotel located on Waikiki Beach. Rates are around $375+ per night.
Royal Hawaiian: Very nice and historic Waikiki Hotel. Fun fact, they invented the Shirley Temple for Shirley Temple. Rates start around $475+ per night.
Things to do on Oʻahu
Hiking
- Diamond Head (reservation required)
- Makapu’u Lighthouse – Gorgeous for the sunrise! Get there an hour before the sun comes up and hike the paved path to the top for breathtaking views. Bring a flashlight and a jacket as it is windy and cooler this time of year).
- Mānoa Falls – Family friendly hike of Jurassic Park fame.
Beaches
- Waikīkī – This will be where the majority of your hotels will be located. If your hotel isn’t right on the beach, a fun access point is Surfboard Alley off Kalākaua Ave. Grab a smoothie and coffee at the Sunrise Shack nearby and enjoy a morning on the beach.
- Kaimana Beach – A quieter beach close to Waikīkī but just far enough away to feel a little less touristy. Swim out to the windsock and back for the chance to spot some turtles! The Kaimana Beach Hotel has a little coffee shop as well as the Hau Tree restaurant (reservations strongly recommended for an ocean view table, otherwise there are tables at the bar. All open air).
- Sunset Beach – This is a great beach on the North Shore to watch big wave surfing when the weather is right. Note the currents and waves are very strong this time of year and it isn’t recommended to swim here.
- Lanikai Beach – A great place on the windward side of O’ahu to watch the sunrise with instagram perfect views. Note there is only limited street parking for this beach, so get there early or take an Uber.
- Waimanalo Beach – Also on the windward side, this less touristy beach has long stretches of sand for walking and enjoying the views. This area is famous for being the location of the Obamas’ estate and scenes from Magnum P.I.
Snorkeling
- Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve (reservations required) – This is a gorgeous place to go snorkeling. You can make reservations up to a month in advance or two days before when tickets drop at 7AM and sell out within minutes. There are a small number of tickets offered on a first come first served basis, but you have to be there before 6:45AM.
- Shark’s Cove – North shore spot with good snorkeling, but only if weather permitting during the winter. If the waves are too strong, it will be closed. Note it is a long drive from Honolulu and tends to get crowded.
- You can see some fish by swimming around the reefs at Lanikai Beach and Kaimana Beach, but it often depends on how clear the water is and might be less impressive for the experienced snorkelers.
Planning Committee
Melissa Stewart (Co-Host), Assistant Professor of Law, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, William S. Richardson School of Law and current JILSA Co-Chair
Rich Chen (Co-Host), Associate Professor of Law, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, William S. Richardson School of Law
Kathleen Claussen, Professor of Law and Anne Fleming Research Professor, Georgetown Law and former JILSA Co-Chair
Cody Corliss, Associate Professor of Law, West Virginia University College of Law and current JILSA Co-Chair
Maggie Gardener, Professor of Law, Cornell Law School and former JILSA Co-Chair
Bec Hamilton, Professor of Law, American University, Washington College of Law and former JILSA Co-Chair
Chris Mirasola, Assistant Professor of Law, The University of Houston Law Center Faculty
Hari M. Osofsky, Myra and James Bradwell Professor of Law, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and former JILSA Co-Chair