Legal Commentary

Tomorrow, we are hosting a symposium on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at Loyola Law School. With apologies for the lateness of the invitation, if you are in the Los Angeles area I do hope you consider joining us.  We are bringing together a great group of people from around the world, many of whom were directly involved with the negotiations of the Convention.

My own forays into international human rights law have been almost entirely as a result of this Convention.  As someone who litigated here in the United States, I have been inherently skeptical of international law ("where is the 'law'?  when can I sue?").  But I have seen at least two things (especially in other countries) that have turned me into a believer.  First, I have witnessed first-hand how advocates can use international human rights law as a lever to move their own domestic governments in positive directions.  Second, for marginalized groups like people with disabilities, I have been moved by how symbolically important it is for the international community to recognize their worth and full dignity as citizens.