Welcoming all readers to this blog, I feel I should briefly introduce myself. My interest in public international law goes back to the end of my first year at the University of Kiel (that was in late 2000), when I began my participation in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition at the Walther Schücking Institute of International Law, together with Nicki and Björn (and Philipp, who is not here). All of us, I think it is fair to say, took that interest further throughout our undergraduate studies.

 

After graduating in December 2004, I took up employment at the aforementioned Institute (Chair of Prof. Andreas Zimmermann), following Nicki and Björn, as it were. It was my job to work as an assistant editor (in a position shared with Dr. Christian J. Tams) on The Statute of the International Court of Justice. A Commentary, edited by Prof. Zimmermann, Prof. Christian Tomuschat, and Dr. Karin Oellers-Frahm, and published in 2006 by Oxford University Press.

 

In September 2006, I went on to take an LL.M. course (in International Law) at the University of Edinburgh, which ended in late August 2007 (graduation in late November – pictured, obviously…). Since then, I have completed my traineeship as a German lawyer (Referendariat), that is to say two years in various stages of legal practice. The last stage of that traineeship took me, for three months, to the European Court of Human Rights – a thoroughly enjoyable experience. At the end of those two years, I am now coming up to the oral exams that, once passed, will allow me to become a lawyer, apply to be a judge, etc. pp.

 

I have published a little, mostly on international human rights law, including the use of evidence obtained by torture, and other topics under the ECHR and several other issues of international law. One not wholly insignificant strand of my publications relates to international procedural law. That is sure to increase when I finish my doctoral thesis, on Third States’ Interests and International Judicial Dispute Settlement (that’s the Monetary Gold case, basically).

 

As might perhaps be expected, it is these areas of interest that I am most likely to pursue on this blog. I look forward to presenting and discussing new and (with any luck) interesting ideas and events in international human rights law.

I look forward to participating in this exciting new venture, and to future discussions with our readers.