Symposia are academic conferences that bring together experts in a given area to explore recent developments in their field—for example, the law of armed conflict addressed in From Gettysburg to Guantanamo. Academic journals often publish many of the prepared remarks and panel discussions to ensure dissemination to a wider audience.

2013 Lieber Conference

2013 marked a special year for the Columbia international law community: it was the sesquicentennial - or 150th - anniversary of the Lieber Code, the set of instructions signed by President Lincoln, and named after a Columbia Professor, Francis Lieber, that regulated U.S. soldiers' conduct during wartime. To celebrate, the Journal, along with the Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute and the Roger Hertog Program on Law and National Security, assembled key scholars and practitioners in the field of international humanitarian law a conference on the Lieber Code. Remarks from the Conference will be published in both Volume 53 of the Journal and in the Bulletin. More information on the conference can be found here.

2025 Symposium: Closing the Accountability Gap

This symposium centered on CJTL’s article of the same title, co-authored by Professor Rangita de Silva de Alwis, Catherine Amirfar, and Baroness Helena Kennedy. The article critically analyzes Afghanistan’s commitments under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and as a party to a number of human rights treaties, particularly the application of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) against the backdrop of the Taliban’s continued systemic gender discrimination and oppression of women and girls in Afghanistan. As historic efforts led by state parties unfold before international tribunals, this article has special significance to the academic, advocacy, and diplomatic communities. More information on the symposium can be found here.

2025 Symposium: National SEcurity & The Future of Technology Governance

On April 11, 2025, the Columbia Journal of Transnational Law hosted its spring symposium, National Security and the Future of Technology Governance. Students, practitioners, and faculty gathered to hear from leading experts in technology law on a range of timely and complex issues, including U.S.-China cyber competition, American efforts to regulate TikTok, and the evolving frameworks for artificial intelligence governance in China, the European Union, and the United States. The Journal is deeply grateful to all the speakers for sharing their insights and contributing to a thoughtful and engaging discussion. More information on the symposium can be found here.