The American Society of International Law presented the 2024 Champion of the International Rule of Law Award at a Gala Reception on Wednesday evening, October 9, 2024, at the New York City Bar Association, located at 42 West 44th Street in New York City. The event included a pre-reception, elegant buffet dinner, award ceremony, and Viennese table. Founded in 1870, the New York City Bar Association has been at its present location since 1896. On January 12, 1906, in this location, the Constitution of the American Society of International Law was formally adopted.

About The Honoree

Binaifer Nowrojee, Malala Yousafzai, Sahar Halaimzai

The centerpiece of the Gala was presentation of the 2024 Champion of the International Rule of Law Award to Malala Fund and to Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai as its Founder for their work to secure free, safe, quality education for all girls, to advance gender justice, and to end gender apartheid in Afghanistan.

Following the presentation, a panel discussion featuring Binaifer Nowrojee (President, Open Society Foundations), Malala Yousafzai (Founder, Malala Fund), and Sahar Halaimzai (Director, Afghanistan Initiative, Malala Fund) explored the deteriorating rights of girls and women in Afghanistan under the Taliban, and the proposal to codify the crime of gender apartheid under international law.

Malala Yousafzai is co-founder and Executive Chair of Malala Fund. Malala began her campaign for education at age 11 when she anonymously blogged for the BBC about life under the Taliban in Pakistan’s Swat Valley. Over the next few years, Malala continued her advocacy for girls’ education publicly — attracting international media attention and awards. At age 15, she was attacked by the Taliban for speaking out. After months of surgery and rehabilitation in the United Kingdom, she co-founded Malala Fund with her father Ziauddin to continue her campaign to see every girl complete 12 years of free, safe, quality education. A year later, Malala received the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her efforts. Malala graduated from Oxford University in 2020 with a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. She is also the best-selling author of three books and president of Extracurricular Productions.

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About The Venue

New York City Bar Association

Founded in 1870, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York (“City Bar”) has been at its present location since 1896. On January 12, 1906, the Constitution of the American Society of International Law was adopted by the Society’s founders at this very location. The building, designed by Cyrus L.W. Eidlitz in the neoclassical style from Indiana limestone features façade elements of the Doric order on the bottom three floors, Ionic columns framing the fourth-floor windows, and Corinthian pilasters on the fifth floor, creating a historicist “composite” of classical architecture

Previous Galas

2022

On Monday, December 12, 2022, the American Society of International Law presented the 2022 Champion of International Rule of Law Award to Dr. Fiona Hill for her distinguished service to our country and her defense of the rule of law. A former National Security Council official and a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution, Dr. Hill is a highly regarded expert on Russian and European affairs whose frank and compelling testimony during the first Trump impeachment inquiry brought her international renown. At a time when public service is often undervalued, she exemplifies the virtues of integrity and professionalism that are more important today than ever before. The gala took place at the New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West in New York City.

Following the presentation, Dr. Hill participated in an informal on-stage conversation with senior political analyst and CNN anchor John Avlon, who also served as the moderator at the Society’s 2019 Gala when Amal Clooney, President of the Clooney Foundation for Justice, and Brad Smith, President and Chief Legal Officer of Microsoft, were recognized.

2019

On Tuesday evening, October 1, 2019, the Society hosted its New York Gala at The Frick Collection. Assembled by industrialist and art collector Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919), the Collection is renowned for its Old Master paintings, sculptures, drawings, and decorative arts. It is housed in his former residence on Fifth Avenue—one of the few remaining Gilded Age mansions in New York and one of the city’s most elegant and beautiful public spaces.

At the event, we recognized two “Champions of the International Rule of Law”: Amal Clooney, President of the Clooney Foundation for Justice; and Brad Smith, President and Chief Legal Officer of Microsoft. Both are longtime friends of the Society who have made distinguished contributions, both individually and through their respective organizations, to advancing human rights and the global rule of law. Following the formal presentation, the honorees participated in an unscripted conversation with CNN senior political analyst John Avlon.